With all the recent press this issue has of late I've decided to officially comment. I am all for the legalisation of cannabis, but to legalise other controlled substances, not so much.
In France in the 1970's the world's harshest drug laws were passed that state any controlled substance is the same as another, meaning there is no different in France legally between cannabis or cocaine or heroin. In the United Kingdom and the United States cannabis isn't considered a Class A drug like cocaine is, but to possess, use, or sell cannabis is still a criminal offense.
When I was living in the United States I was encouraged by my doctor to use cannabis for a medical condition, namely migraines. Unfortunately for me medical marijuana prescriptions weren't available in New York state at that time and still aren't. Though I had smoked pot as a teenager and a few times in college, I did my research to find out what the long term effects were.
In the end of my research I felt lied to by the American media. The claims that marijuana use led to schizophrenia, other drug use, and other psychiatric problems were completely unfounded and mostly propaganda that had been around since the 50's. However the benefits of marijuana went largely unpublished.
Before I decided to try marijuana for my migraines this is what used to happen:
1. I would get a migraine that would last sometimes for days.
2. I would miss school or work.
3. I would eventually have to go to the doctor or if my doctor's office was closed to the emergency room to be given an IV drip for the dehydraton I suffered from nausea and an injection of XYZ that would make me sleep and result in an overnight hospital stay.
Since my insurance didn't cover me for having to go to the hospital for migraines a single migraine cost me upwards of $600.00 USD nearly every single time. I simply couldn't afford it. I tried to find alternative ways of treating my migraines, but in the end all the alternatives either didn't work or would have had more severe consequences. I had a friend who suffered migraines and took massive quantities of ibruprofen and sleeping pills to deal with them. In the end she did permanent damage to her liver and had an over the counter sleeping pill addiction.
So the next time I got a migraine on Day 2 I asked a neighbour who smoked to sell me a joint. I remember going home and sitting in my living room terrified to light it. I thought the police would come pounding on my door the minute I lit up. I took three puffs, stubbed it out, and waited.
The nausea I had been feeling for two days was the first symptom to go. In fact I was thirsty and hungry, things I'm not when I have a migraine. The throbbing in my head, the painful light sensitivity still didn't subside, so I took another few puffs. A half hour later I felt like a normal person again.
I felt so back to myself that I had to go and knock on his door again and tell him in great detail how after having tried every possible remedy from massage to accupressure to accupuncture to just drinking a few shots of whisky until I passed out that nothing and that included going to the emergency room and being pumped full of serious Class A narcotics had ever worked so fast. He laughed at me and said next time I have a migraine just give a little knock on his door.
The grand total? Aside from the pizza I had to order because I finally had my appetite back, $5.00 USD.
So when I get a migraine, I like to smoke a joint. Even in France with minimal cost health insurance I still smoke a joint because I don't want narcotics pumped into me and I'm unfortunately allergic to most of the prescription medicines available for migraine sufferers and the ones I'm not allergic to either require I take multiple doses (with all their side effects) or don't work at all.
Should I be imprisoned because of this? Even when I was last in Holland and some Dutch people we were with lit up around children I chose not to smoke. I never smoke cannabis or drink alcohol in the presence of children. Even when I smoke a cigarette I try to make sure children aren't around because of the second hand smoke. When my neighbour's 8 year old son asked me why I smoke cigarettes I told him because I'm addicted and that I wish I wasn't. I consider it being responsible, but I also realise it is a level of responsibility that isn't considered by everyone, nor do I expect it to be. It's your body and your life.
My friends who know I have a liberal policy on cannabis have been sending me these links for the past couple of weeks mostly via Facebook as if I have a liberal policy on all drugs. I don't. I'm not some massive hippie that believes people should be able to do whatever they want. Class A drugs should remain illegal, but I also agree that the war on drugs isn't working. Especially when I have friends who tell me it's easier to find cocaine in France than it is to find cannabis, and I've heard it's a similar story in the United Kingdom as well.
The truth of the matter is, it's politics and greed that keep drugs available. We live in a world where a gram of pure gold is cheaper than a gram of cocaine; where politicians refuse to look at potential benefits of some drugs; and people go to jail instead of receiving the treatment they might need to overcome serious drug addiction. So no, we're not winning the war, but it's mostly because we're not fighting it properly and never have. I mean, remember what happened during Prohibition?
What is your stance on the war on drugs?
In France in the 1970's the world's harshest drug laws were passed that state any controlled substance is the same as another, meaning there is no different in France legally between cannabis or cocaine or heroin. In the United Kingdom and the United States cannabis isn't considered a Class A drug like cocaine is, but to possess, use, or sell cannabis is still a criminal offense.
When I was living in the United States I was encouraged by my doctor to use cannabis for a medical condition, namely migraines. Unfortunately for me medical marijuana prescriptions weren't available in New York state at that time and still aren't. Though I had smoked pot as a teenager and a few times in college, I did my research to find out what the long term effects were.
In the end of my research I felt lied to by the American media. The claims that marijuana use led to schizophrenia, other drug use, and other psychiatric problems were completely unfounded and mostly propaganda that had been around since the 50's. However the benefits of marijuana went largely unpublished.
Before I decided to try marijuana for my migraines this is what used to happen:
1. I would get a migraine that would last sometimes for days.
2. I would miss school or work.
3. I would eventually have to go to the doctor or if my doctor's office was closed to the emergency room to be given an IV drip for the dehydraton I suffered from nausea and an injection of XYZ that would make me sleep and result in an overnight hospital stay.
Since my insurance didn't cover me for having to go to the hospital for migraines a single migraine cost me upwards of $600.00 USD nearly every single time. I simply couldn't afford it. I tried to find alternative ways of treating my migraines, but in the end all the alternatives either didn't work or would have had more severe consequences. I had a friend who suffered migraines and took massive quantities of ibruprofen and sleeping pills to deal with them. In the end she did permanent damage to her liver and had an over the counter sleeping pill addiction.
So the next time I got a migraine on Day 2 I asked a neighbour who smoked to sell me a joint. I remember going home and sitting in my living room terrified to light it. I thought the police would come pounding on my door the minute I lit up. I took three puffs, stubbed it out, and waited.
The nausea I had been feeling for two days was the first symptom to go. In fact I was thirsty and hungry, things I'm not when I have a migraine. The throbbing in my head, the painful light sensitivity still didn't subside, so I took another few puffs. A half hour later I felt like a normal person again.
I felt so back to myself that I had to go and knock on his door again and tell him in great detail how after having tried every possible remedy from massage to accupressure to accupuncture to just drinking a few shots of whisky until I passed out that nothing and that included going to the emergency room and being pumped full of serious Class A narcotics had ever worked so fast. He laughed at me and said next time I have a migraine just give a little knock on his door.
The grand total? Aside from the pizza I had to order because I finally had my appetite back, $5.00 USD.
So when I get a migraine, I like to smoke a joint. Even in France with minimal cost health insurance I still smoke a joint because I don't want narcotics pumped into me and I'm unfortunately allergic to most of the prescription medicines available for migraine sufferers and the ones I'm not allergic to either require I take multiple doses (with all their side effects) or don't work at all.
Should I be imprisoned because of this? Even when I was last in Holland and some Dutch people we were with lit up around children I chose not to smoke. I never smoke cannabis or drink alcohol in the presence of children. Even when I smoke a cigarette I try to make sure children aren't around because of the second hand smoke. When my neighbour's 8 year old son asked me why I smoke cigarettes I told him because I'm addicted and that I wish I wasn't. I consider it being responsible, but I also realise it is a level of responsibility that isn't considered by everyone, nor do I expect it to be. It's your body and your life.
My friends who know I have a liberal policy on cannabis have been sending me these links for the past couple of weeks mostly via Facebook as if I have a liberal policy on all drugs. I don't. I'm not some massive hippie that believes people should be able to do whatever they want. Class A drugs should remain illegal, but I also agree that the war on drugs isn't working. Especially when I have friends who tell me it's easier to find cocaine in France than it is to find cannabis, and I've heard it's a similar story in the United Kingdom as well.
The truth of the matter is, it's politics and greed that keep drugs available. We live in a world where a gram of pure gold is cheaper than a gram of cocaine; where politicians refuse to look at potential benefits of some drugs; and people go to jail instead of receiving the treatment they might need to overcome serious drug addiction. So no, we're not winning the war, but it's mostly because we're not fighting it properly and never have. I mean, remember what happened during Prohibition?
What is your stance on the war on drugs?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment.