(UK) Theresa May orders study into drug decriminalisation in Portugal

[Okami]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...sess-impact-on-use-and-addiction-8525159.html

A detailed study of Portugal’s decision to decriminalise drug possession – as well as moves to legalise marijuana use in two US states – has been ordered by Theresa May.

But the Home Secretary rebuffed calls by MPs to set up a Royal Commission to review Britain’s 41-year-old drugs laws and recommend changes.

The Home Office minister, Jeremy Browne, is to visit Portugal to examine the impact of the policy on levels of drug use and addiction.

Criminal penalties for personal drug use were scrapped in 2001, although tough sanctions remain in place for dealing.

He will also study evidence from the US, where Colorado and Washington state have voted to legalise marijuana. The drug has been decriminalised in another 14 states.

Ms May was responding to a report by the Commons home affairs select committee which praised the Portuguese policy of replacing criminal penalties with an emphasis on offering treatment and counselling for users. The MPs said the initiative had reduced public concern about drug abuse and had been supported by the police and all political leaders.

They also urged the establishment of a Royal Commission to examine drugs laws – a proposal that has divided the Coalition partners after it was supported by Nick Clegg and rejected by David Cameron. Opponents saw the proposed move as a possible first step towards relaxing drug legislation.

In her response to the committee, Ms May said: “The government does not believe there is a case for fundamentally re-thinking the UK’s approach to drugs – a royal commission is simply not necessary.

“Nonetheless we must continue to listen and learn from emerging trends, new evidence and international comparators.”

cont. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-orders-study-into-drug-decriminalisation-in-portugal-and-us-to-assess-impact-on-use-and-addiction-8525159.html

People's thoughts?

 

[SDforever420]

Doesn't sound like It's going to be taken to seriously by the people doing the studies. They will probably just twist the numbers.

 

[Si Dread]

She argued there were “promising signs” that the Government’s anti-drugs strategy was working, pointing to figures suggesting use of illegal substances is at its lowest since measurement began in 1996. The number of registered heroin and crack cocaine users in England has fallen below 300,000 for the first time.

Ms May also said drug-related deaths had fallen over the last three years and record numbers of people were managing to kick the habit through treatment.

Promising signs that illigal use has fallen? If the variety of new, LEGAL compounds is the cause of this, & the illegality of older drugs is the reason new, legal compounds appear then yes, in that case the reduction in illegal drugs use IS due to policy. But not coz it's the RIGHT policy!

When drone was legal it was reported that cocaine deaths had decreased by 50%! Simply because less people are suffering harm or fatality from cocaine does not mean that less people are using drugs dangerously.

I can understand the establishment using data twisted to suit their agenda, but this silly woman is just too transparent. As a society we are learning all the time & the tide is turing against her & our goverment.

If we're not careful, soon the UK will have the most draconian laws against drugs in the entire western world. For Gods sake, even the US is moving faster than we are! We should face the fucking music now, & take steps further than ANY Western nation. Ours is a very open society & rather than lagging behind in this we should show our backbone, step up & hit this thing out the fucking ball-park! We should decrminalise ALL drugs possession & place cannabis in the exact same legal position as tobacco. Now! We need to act now!

 

[23536]

Portugal should be meticulously dissected and cataloged, like a laboratory specimen. It is so fascinating that drug policy was liberalized and consumption went down!

 

[Si Dread]

This really shouldn't be such a surprise though. I visited Amsterdam a long time ago, in 1990 & before my trip I read a bit about the cannabis market there, for obvious reasons. Since the authorities had decided to permit the sale of cannabis through licensed outlets (if I remember correctly this was in the mid 70's) ALL drugs use in Holland had fallen per head of population & when I visited Holland had the smallest drugs using population in Europe & the lowest number of herion addicts & deaths from overdose.

I've been using that argument for 23 years & the folk in power in our respective countries really should know these things too!

 

[timps]

Don't expect an outcome that results in less harm to the people of the UK. Drugs being illegal keeps prices higher, so there's more money for the banks to launder. The banks run the govt and they won't accept change.

 

[Okami]

I don't think the conservative party would change the law and legalise anything regardless of whether its a good thing to do. I think this report might be comissioned specially to find contradictory evidence so that the question of legalising anything is closed for the next 20-30 years. Only reason I can think they would do something like this.

 

[Si Dread]

Don't expect an outcome that results in less harm to the people of the UK. Drugs being illegal keeps prices higher, so there's more money for the banks to launder. The banks run the govt and they won't accept change.

Don't believe we're powerless though! This whole system is a finely balanced pyramid. You got royalty, the rich, priveleged, the bourgeoisie at the top & the so-called working class at the base of it. The whole thing rests on us & nobody seems to know it. Sadly, the under-classes as a whole the world over are woefully ignorant of their potential & this is all part of the systems control over them. The authorities control education.

We are all in fact very powerful, but we're divided. Look how much rivalry & disagreement we get just on BL. BL is a microcosm of drug using culture so I'm certain it is equally divided. The whole issue of drugs, even amongst drugs users, is divisive & this is another rampart in the systems controls. If that could be overcome & we could make our voice heard as one, every single person on earth would hear us! There's ALOT of us!

 

[timps]

Don't believe we're powerless though! This whole system is a finely balanced pyramid. You got royalty, the rich, priveleged, the bourgeoisie at the top & the so-called working class at the base of it. The whole thing rests on us & nobody seems to know it. Sadly, the under-classes as a whole the world over are woefully ignorant of their potential & this is all part of the systems control over them. The authorities control education.

We are all in fact very powerful, but we're divided. Look how much rivalry & disagreement we get just on BL. BL is a microcosm of drug using culture so I'm certain it is equally divided. The whole issue of drugs, even amongst drugs users, is divisive & this is another rampart in the systems controls. If that could be overcome & we could make our voice heard as one, every single person on earth would hear us! There's ALOT of us!

I agree with all you say.
Our leaders are really skilled at divide and rule, and most people just don't realise what's going on. Discrimination against drugs and druggies is legitimate and encouraged. There are fewer more vilified groups, maybe benefit cheats or some minorities. I think there will have to be greater advances in drug legislation elsewhere before things change here.
I don't think general social change will gain much momentum in the UK, (we're far too well controlled) until some other dominoes, perhaps in southern Europe have begun to fall.