New Zealand’s bold experiment with regulating recreational drugs

[bennyZA]

It’s been nearly a century since the United States began its experiment in prohibiting recreational drugs besides alcohol, caffeine and tobacco — and virtually no one sees the trillion dollar policy as a success. A recent study [PDF] shows that drug prices have dropped more than 80 percent in the last two decades alone; purity and availability has risen; and overall addiction and death rates haven’t been cut, despite an exponential increase in incarceration since the 1980s.

(http://blogs.reuters.com/great-deba...xperiment-with-regulating-recreational-drugs/)

 

[oldirtybizza]

Read the comments below the article, I don't know if I can post them here but there is an excellent comment from an AP at Victoria Uni which describes the failings in this bill and the longer sentencing and increased arrests of drug users in NZ.
This bill is a fucking joke , it's not even a step in the right direction, the facts stand that NZ has an incarceration rate second only the US.
It's a bit of legislature that achieves nothing and distracts people from the real motivations of the government such as the privately run mega prisons being built right now to house thousands of new prisoners despite crime being at an all time low in the country. No moves toward actual drug reform and they are implementing a strategy to reduce drug "crime" based solely on incarceration.


The Nz drugs act list of banned substances and analogues is exhaustive if not all en-compassing, it is my understanding that this new bill only allow substances to be sold that are not already listed in the moda. The bow-tie wearing douche nozzle author of this act has stated only the most benign substances will make it to market after the trials and the governments final tick of approval. enjoy your damiana and guarana party pills!

 

[neversickanymore]

And even trying to make an attempt a regulating sub standard drugs... reality is an amazing place, everyone should at least visit. I want the people I love doing the correct drugs... not the bullshit that wasn't good enough or safe enough to make it in the first place..