Ro -
But they've been doing it for such a long time, I get this feeling the vast majority of people don't really understand that there is any possible alternative - or just as likely have internalized the messages of DLE, like what happens to a lot of drug users themselves after getting caught up in the system, and end up supporting the status quo whether they realize it or not.
What could change this?
Perhaps I'm being overly optimistic, but I continue to have a good feeling that the UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs of 2016 will significantly aid in western drug policy reform - particularly in relation to Cannabis.
That being said, whether reform will actually be implemented in the western world – including America, the UK, Canada, Australia, the EU, and so forth - within the next two years remains to be seen. It'll likely come down to the political ideologies of each respective nation's leaders. Therefore I'm keeping my fingers crossed about this as well because come election time, if the aforementioned nations/unions each end up with some hard-right authoritarian-minded political party elected as a majority government at the federal level, I'm afraid that will not only stall any progress, but it will probably reverse itself, which will seriously be an immense tragedy to behold.
In Canada for example, the 42nd federal election is coming up in mid-October of this year, and depending who wins it - Conservatives, NDP, or Liberals - and also depending on whether or not it's a majority government will no doubt influence whether we usher in much-needed reforms to a bunch of irrational laws and policies which are - at best - backed up by cherrypicked and usually biased scientific 'facts.' And I say this because, when considering who funds such studies, the paper trail almost always points to a parent company or organization which has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. And they range from tobacco giants to breweries; from pharmaceutical conglomerates to rehabilitation centers; from police unions to religious organizations, and if they ultimately fail, pro-drug war lawsuits and political lobbying/bribing are never far behind, it seems.
Moving on - I think that, by now it should be clear to those of us who haven't been living under a rock that Colorado's decision to legalize and regulate Cannabis has not resulted in increased crime rates or teen drug usage. And with respect to DWI/DUI-related incidents, they're actually down ~15% from the previous year. Plus, the amount of tax money that the state has raked in as a result should be duly noted - particulary by the diehard capitalists amongst us.
So yeah, I really hope that the majority of us around the world have now come to the conclusion that - regardless of whether we like to admit it or not - Colorado has not descended into 'reefer madness-induced' chaos and it never will; that the financial incentives potentially reaped from this change are too great to ignore, and that as a result, most eligible voters throughout several western nations will attempt to follow suit by voting for their respective political parties which are most likely facilitate that change we desperately need to move forward.
And to cap it off, as the anti-drug war and drug policy reform momentum of the past few years appears to have been steadily increasing, I pray that so too will the UN's decision to make some much-needed changes next year.
So there you have it - I probably could have done a better job explaining my optimism, but that's why I'm confident that 2016 will turn out to be a great year for helping to put a real dent in drug war-related policies. And while there's no way that it'll all be reversed any time soon (e.g. legalized and regulated Heroin[1]), some progress is better than none, right?
There continues to be countless individuals who remain with this ingrained notion in their heads that "drugs are bad." They also only seem to stubbornly identify "drugs" as the Schedule I substances sold on the streets (and possibly some Schedule II to V Rx meds), even after they're diagnosed with Cirrhosis of the Liver due to Ethyl Alcohol consumption, or Lung Cancer due to Tobacco smoking. And believe me, such ignorance and arrogance on their part can be infuriating to witness - that is, until it dawned on me that these people have repeatedly been taught this two-faced lie from childhood. And just like learning to speak, our brains are much more receptive to new ideas, concepts, right and wrong, etc. when we're children. And the older we become, as the saying goes, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," or in other words, it's tough to get them to change their views. At least, that's the way I think about it, but I digress.
Whether I have been overly optimistic about 2016 remains to be seen - could end up being a 'way out there' pipe dream for all I know
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
Until then however, in the words of Samuel L. Jackson: "Hold onto your butts!"
P.S. - I'm willing to bet just about anything that the Russian Federation and China - like usual - will continue to object to such changes, but hopefully that will have no bearing on the outcome, and might even aid in revealing some unsettling possibilities that both nations are headed by seasoned crooks with direct tires to the international drug trade perhaps? I wouldn't be surprised - politicians seemingly excel at pathological lying like no other profession out there. Even 'Better Call' Saul probably begins to blush around the most crooked of them.
[1] - I'm not certain that it would be a good idea to legalize and regulate it.
