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Queensland government inquiry into cannabis

F

Flexistentialist

Bluelight Crew
Joined
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.au
This was announced yesterday. For those who don't know, Drug Free Australia are a bunch of anti scientific religious loonies, and their propaganda has formed the basis for this inquiry. The recommendations so far include drug testing school students, and "police blitzes" on cannabis users every three months for two years - whatever that means... Frightening stuff. I'd strongly encourage individuals from Bluelight to submit your opinions.

Inquiry into Addressing Cannabis-Related Harm in Queensland

On 20 May 2009 the Legislative Assembly, on the motion of Mr Peter Wellington MP, resolved:

That the Cannabis: suicide, schizophrenia and other ill-effects research paper published by Drug Free Australia Ltd be referred to the Social Development Committee for investigation and report.

In undertaking the inquiry, the committee will consider:

* The risks associated with cannabis use, particularly for young people; and
* Strategies to reduce the level of cannabis use in Queensland.


A copy of the Cannabis: suicide, schizophrenia and other ill-effects research paper is available from the Drug Free Australia website http://www.drugfree.org.au

Written comments and submissions should be sent by Friday 23 April 2010 to:

The Research Director
Social Development Committee
Parliament House
George Street
BRISBANE QLD 4000

or by facsimile on 07 3406 7500
or by email at: [email protected] (attach document)
or by the electronic form

All submissions must include the name and contact details of the person, and the capacity in which that person is making the submission (eg. individual or organization).

Confidential submissions
The committee aims to conduct inquiries in an open manner, and its usual procedure is to publicly release and table submissions in the Legislative Assembly. If you want your submission (or part of it) to remain confidential, clearly write ‘confidential’ on each page or part you wish to be treated confidentially and, in a covering letter, explain why you are seeking confidentiality. The committee will then consider your request for confidentiality.

Unauthorised release
Once the committee receives a submission, it becomes committee property and should not be published without the committee’s authorization. Publication of a submission without the committee’s authorization means that the publication is not protected by parliamentary privilege and might amount to contempt of Parliament.
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Maybe start submitting other papers showing conflicting evidence, anti-prohibition papers (i mean really, if they want to reduce adolencent consumption, shouldnt they make it not as to get as pizza?)

*shrug*
I'm running out of steam writing letters against ridiculous proposals by religious groups. This would just be another damn thing to fight. Fuck australia, regressive shithole... Wish i had the funds to leave.
 
Australia is a wonderful country, however - these groups and organisations seem to have too much time on their hands

i feel, regardless of their efforts, marijuana is becoming more widely accepted
and in the long-run, it will be at least decriminalised
i no longer use it, only very infrequently, so this wont be big news for me
however, it would be a step in the right direction, as we all know this "war on drugs" is futile

lets hope they dont get much support with this bullshit
drug testing school students, thats just disgraceful...
 
Some deaths may be counted in more than one category in these tables. For example, if heroin and cannabis are recorded on the death certificate, the death will be recorded once under heroin and once under cannabis. Therefore the numbers in each column cannot be added together to give a total number of deaths.
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http://www.drugfree.org.au/fileadmin/Media/Global/DGDTHS0809.pdf

Taken from the website.

Well I don't even need to point out the glaring stupidity of this organisation.
 
We have some pretty harsh pot laws for starters.

You do know there is countries with far more progressive civil freedom policies than Australia right? Shit, the US has a constitution, no such thing in Australia, the only thing protected here is political speech and religion.

And by regressive shit hole im not only talking about recreation drug use, even suggesting Thailand or Indo makes you the dickhead here.

I don't know what reality you live in, but Australia is turning into a christian moralist shit hole more and more every day. They never have real answers, or ideas for providing less government in our lives, its just tax, rules and bans.

Maybe you could try help stop the tide of bullshit being placed on us and write a letter into the inquiry?
 
Are you trying to tell me that America are softer on drugs? removed unsuitable comment; p_d And they have a constitution? Big deal, Their country is ten times worse then oz and has a hundred times more Christian moralist politicians. And honestly would you seriously consider leaving this country to live in another country which will most likely at best give a smaller fine then what you would get here? Hahaha maybe you should move to the Amsterdam.
 
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I'm still talking overall, my comments were never just focused just on recreational drug use.

But in terms of drug use, atleast in the states there is recognition cannabis can be used as a medicine. In australia we are still on the decade old bandwagon of "EVIL REEFER MADNESS"

So yes, in some ways, America is "softer" on drug use.
 
Why is it each time an 'inquiry' is done, they only focus on the 'ill effects'. I'm sorry but Alcohol has plenty more 'ill effects' than cannabis will ever have and is far more toxic.

We live in a double standard society run by religious nuts who live in a black and white world. Australia is behind the times big time.
 
I’m going out on a limb with this one and saying that this enquiry could be a good thing. I see Drug Free Australia as the voice of a dying regime, called Prohibition. Let them make noise! I’ve learnt over the years to view these guys as being subjects from the planet Kooky. Don’t get me wrong, they are the religious right and have proved historically they are a dangerous, self righteous movement; after all, they are the reason why we have Prohibition. For me, watching these guys is really, really funny. Please believe me, I’ve been in the same room with these people and even had conversations with the Dark Lord, Major Waters himself, he really has no idea. I felt like I was talking to Colonel Klink from Hogan’s Heroes. On each occasion it has really made me feel confident that they’ve lost and their Temperance Movement has failed. I even get the feeling that they know it and they realise that change is possibly upon us. After all you only have to have a look at the changes happening across the planet with regard to prohibition.
Each of us knows that the moral high ground that these loonies preach is on all quantifiable levels of reason, fundamentally flawed. These days there is a fantastic body of research and evidence to support at the most basic level that there is a need to rethink our current policies around prohibition, particularly with regard to cannabis. The argument that supports prohibition just doesn’t weigh up, the War on Drugs has been lost, failure, it’s a dud. I’d like to think if this enquiry is conducted in an ethical manner, based on the evidence presented and not the ramblings of these loonies it could be a good thing.
 
De quincy said:
I’m going out on a limb with this one and saying that this enquiry could be a good thing. I see Drug Free Australia as the voice of a dying regime, called Prohibition. Let them make noise! I’ve learnt over the years to view these guys as being subjects from the planet Kooky. Don’t get me wrong, they are the religious right and have proved historically they are a dangerous, self righteous movement; after all, they are the reason why we have Prohibition. For me, watching these guys is really, really funny. Please believe me, I’ve been in the same room with these people and even had conversations with the Dark Lord, Major Waters himself, he really has no idea. I felt like I was talking to Colonel Klink from Hogan’s Heroes. On each occasion it has really made me feel confident that they’ve lost and their Temperance Movement has failed. I even get the feeling that they know it and they realise that change is possibly upon us. After all you only have to have a look at the changes happening across the planet with regard to prohibition.
Each of us knows that the moral high ground that these loonies preach is on all quantifiable levels of reason, fundamentally flawed. These days there is a fantastic body of research and evidence to support at the most basic level that there is a need to rethink our current policies around prohibition, particularly with regard to cannabis. The argument that supports prohibition just doesn’t weigh up, the War on Drugs has been lost, failure, it’s a dud. I’d like to think if this enquiry is conducted in an ethical manner, based on the evidence presented and not the ramblings of these loonies it could be a good thing.
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Thanks Quincy :)

It's great for someone who really knows what they are talking about to give us a glimmer of hope =D

Keep up the good work mate. As for this "Inquisition" - I'm sure it will bring about the irradication of cannabis throughout Qld 8)
 
Thanks Sameria,
Bring on the inquisitors!!!!! Hey let’s face it; they’ve been doing this since the dawn of time. There will always be the party poopers, those who preach the evils of drug abuse, masturbation; and basically anything that pushes the boundaries of social control. It’s their job, they’re the fun police! All I can say is that they are their own worst enemies and are a dying breed. Unfortunately, in the bigger scheme of things they will come back, as they always do and wreak havoc as history will attest too, but now it’s our time in the sun, so make the most of it! Times are changing!!!!!!

Just as a side note, I’m not blind and no, I’m not sitting here typing away with a sight impaired Brail computer keyboard as a result of my indulgent, hedonistic, stroking behaviour. Yes, I’ve masturbated, purely in the interests of science............ I’m no deviant ;) I make no excuses, I have a research background, and it’s my prime directive in life to disprove the religious zealots; the fun police and prove unequivocally that masturbation, drug use, sexual behaviour, sex out of wedlock and anything else that makes you Smile, Can’t be all that Bad, as long as you consider the cost benefit analysis of any such behaviour with respect to harm and what is good for you. Harm Reduction Works! I’ve been preaching it and practicing it for close to forty years, actually longer and it works. (Notice how I put masturbation at the front of the list, at least its safe sex, no really, trust me!)

If you choose to indulge .......... not masturbation ...... drug use, let’s face it, it’s good to be the king of one’s own domain. Look after yourself and your love ones. I’ve proved it for many years that humans can enjoy and indulge in the hedonistic pleasures of drugs, with manageable healthy consequences. Without some half assed government inquiry’s informing us of the evils of drug abuse. Self control starts at home. “Come on, we‘re going to do it anyway!” and let’s face it people, community’s are made up of individuals that take drugs, not the typical constipated public enquiry, board members, sadly convening these enquiries, driven by their personal aspirations of improving their careers within the system. Tragically, too many well intentioned, community minded individuals; alcohol and other drug workers, bureaucrats and well intentioned health officials set out with good intentions but sell out to the dollar and career aspirations, power and the dollar can sideline the best and well intentioned ideals. Believe me I’ve been tempted by the dark side! (Sorry had to make that Star Wars reference.) It’s easy to lose sight of what one is doing. It’s easy to toe the company line and after a while you start to actually believe the shit that’s coming out of your mouth and the company line! ................... "Drugs are Bad!"

Let’s face it, “Like prohibition has really worked?” Yawn....... I’d be the first person to get behind it, if it really worked, but it doesn’t. Unless I’m really dumb and just don’t get it!!! I’ve worked in this system long enough to know unequivocally that it’s failed! “Come on!, “But still the ideological dream persists for the drug free crowd that there is a world where humans walk with big stupid happy smiles that emanate from an ideal world where life is one big happy smile. Maybe it’s the Prozac. The scary thing is that they will persist and fundamentally believe that somehow and sometime in the future that they will find the Holy Grail of evidence to prove once and for all that cannabis causes (inset favourite prohibitionist rhetoric evil; health, mental condition and psychopathic behaviour or think of your favourite horror story with reference to drug dealers selling to children ) Proving all along that cannabis is really the evil demon weed that they’ve been preaching for the past 100 years. They won’t find it; ideally this enquiry should find that the biggest single issue associated with cannabis related harm it’s called Prohibition.
 
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This paper: The Cost of Drug Prohibition in Australia by Dr John Jiggens, http://eprints.qut.edu.au/3442/1/3442.pdf

Presents some amazing stats on how the cannabis industry has developed under prohibition. See page 11, The Australian Marijuana Industry Chart, 1973-1998
Quote: “During 25 years of the War on Drugs the value of the cannabis market increased by an astonishing 7500%.A large part of this rise was due to the rapid increase in the price of cannabis caused by the War on Drugs, as Table 7 shows. It also demonstrates what little long-term effect the War on Drugs had on cannabis consumption in Australia after the initial years of drought. Critics of prohibition have argued that prohibition creates a “forbidden fruit” syndrome that perversely glamorises drug use. On the evidence, this seems plausible. Rather than declining under a rigorous regime of prohibition, cannabis use increased by
440%."
 
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