A New Bid to Legalize All Drugs in New Zealand

[Landrew]

• 
• BY JULIAN BUCHANAN MAY 9, 2024
  
  

We don’t have a global drug problem; we have a global drug policy problem. It’s called prohibition, and it seems we are not sure how to fix it. But New Zealand has a few ideas.

On May 7—International Harm Reduction Day—a new coalition submitted an open letter to the New Zealand Government. Over 150 signatories included 29 organizations and numerous professors, doctors, NGO workers and people who use drugs.

Our letter calls for a new evidence-based, fit-for-purpose drug law to legally regulate all psychoactive drugs (incorporating those that are currently legal).

We’re seeking to end the harm from drug prohibition that strategically targets Māori, young people, poor people and people with chronic unmet needs—leading to disproportionate arrests, imprisonment and social exclusion.

Alex Hon Kuen Ho is a young New Zealander who found that cannabis was helping him manage his autism. Sadly, he had to give up self-medicating because of the fear and threats posed by prohibition.

Unless we expose, challenge and abolish the concept of prohibition itself, concessions are likely to deliver frustrating reforms that resemble Prohibition 2.0.

That’s the only sense in which he gave up. Alex had limited experience of drug laws and politics, but he had the tenacity and determination to do something about it. With disarming humility and persistence, helped by the fact that he had no allegiances or connections with any organizations, he rallied support from anyone who would listen.

Thanks to his efforts, and after two years of discussions, a core group emerged—led by Wendy Allison, an activist and harm reduction pioneer who helped to establish drug checking in New Zealand, and myself, among others.

Together, we helped guide the creation of a new incorporated society: Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa (HRCA, named for the Māori-language term for our country). It’s an independent, free-thinking, nonpartisan pressure group to advocate for fair and just drug laws that protect human rights and promote harm reduction.

Most drug use, of all kinds, is not problematic. And it will be far less so if drug supplies are regulated. We have conflated the considerable harms of prohibition with those of drugs.

Read More -

A New Bid to Legalize All Drugs in New Zealand

We need to reject the very concept of prohibition to undo its harms. To this end, I helped create a new coalition to pressure our government.

filtermag.org

 

[RUC4]

the current prohibition model has not been effective in reducing drug use and has instead led to increased harm, such as the disproportionate criminalization of marginalized communities... not to mention putting everyone on long term MAT. which i don't think is needed.

 

[Foreigner]

If their plan is not comprehensive and expensive like Portugal, or it's just a 100% harm reduction model, NZ will destroy its cities in less than 5 years.

See Vancouver Canada, Portland, San Francisco and pretty much the whole North American west coast.

 

[Landrew]

100% harm reduction model,

= fake news and grift.

Premier David Eby’s first budget promises a $1-billion boost for mental health and addictions, with more than half of that — $586 million — earmarked for treatment and recovery beds, including 190 new treatment beds that will be free for patients.

About $184 million is designated for safe drug alternatives to the toxic street supply, enhanced prevention and intervention services for children, and the expansion of a program that matches health-care workers and advocates with police responding to mental health calls.

B.C.'s $1-billion boost for mental health and addictions misses the mark, say critics

The way the money is divided between treatment and harm reduction — and few details on how it will be distributed — is raising alarms bells.

vancouversun.com

Here is a great series showing the grift in anti harm reductoinists. UCP = YOu seee pee test scams

Part 1 - Meet the physicians stonewalling safe supply

A group of addiction doctors published a letter blasting safe supply, but their affiliations omitted commercial interests that may give a glimpse into their motivations.

drugdatadecoded.ca