The Psychoactive Substances Act - Update: Illegals R Us

[BigG]

England doesn't have ICBMs only trident subs....

Any ICBMs in Scotland are American...

The only British nuclear presence in Scotland is the nuclear submarine base in vaslane...

 

[bropiate]

England doesn't have ICBMs only trident subs....

Any ICBMs in Scotland are American...

The only British nuclear presence in Scotland is the nuclear submarine base in vaslane...

They might be American silos then, when I was typing it out I was thinking "doesn't the UK rely only on trident subs", maybe they keep the submarine pens up there or else they've let the US build silos in Scotland as part of some NATO "gargle your marbles" agreement.

 

[mydrugbuddy]

At least 1 of the UK's Trident Nuclear subs is always mobile, plumbing the depths at obviously unspecified locations. The rest are usually kept safe, deep in some Scottish Loch as named above.

 

[BigG]

During the cold war there were lots of us ICBMs in the UK but IIRC they are gone now...
We used to have air delivered thermonuclear bombs but they have all been destroyed.

We only have trident now as a sub can strike anywhere...

The sub bases are in vaslane Scotland my dad used to work there..

 

[bropiate]

Used to 'know' a submariner (sonar operator) on a trident sub through playing EvE online, he'd disappear for a while on work (usually a month or two) so I guess it was his sub called up for patrol duty. I pretty much asked him about how the sub was laid out, how the sonar systems and stuff worked and all I got back was "it's classified mate, we've got nukes though but that's about all I can tell you. I can talk about the mess hall and the bunks and the boring stuff but anything to do with the subs electronic systems, it's construction, it's operating depth and crush depth is protected under the official secrets act"
He said to read wikipedia if I was interested in how they were set up 5+ years ago.

Anyway, thread derailment; who here has contacted their MP via email about this perversion of 'law'? It can't have only been me.

 

[steewith2ees]

I live in a rural constituency Brioprate so I'm right in the middle of one of the safest Tory seats in the country dude so I never gave it more than 2 seconds thought. Still, just because It wont have any impact this weekend has made me realise that If this board has to put up with wadges of my rambling prose due to the research conducted on the final NPS samples I bought last week, the I suppose that the Hon. Jeremy Lefroy MP deserves a straight headed 7000 word thoughts and feelings attack from the only subject I could bore people with more than the history of UK dance music ( from 1987 - 2006 - my Matermind CSS I might add) - the PSA 2006 and the Uk's historically juvenile approach to domestic drug policy.

I know his secretary will probably just scan read it and just through it in the bin, but just in case in gets into his hands, I could send him a copy of my 'Etizolam and The Blanket Ban' document (still available on Bluelight plug plug plug) and at least highlight what has been my major concern about the PSA's first effect - the sudden lack of access to benzodiazepine NPS for those that have developed a dependency for them.

If I could frame it around asking for some assurance that any patient presenting with such issues will be treated as seriously as those with addictions to recognised medicines containing benzodiazepines as the AI, then I could try and see if he would raise the question in PMQ's before they fuck off for their summer holiday (which lasts from June until November from what I can gather if you stick conference season on the end).

 

[bropiate]

Do it anyway, MPs are obligated to respond to letters written to them, provided they're not they're not of the kind "you're a fucking cunt you know that wankstain, pls write bk at <address> if the MP him/herself doesn't respond put in a complaint with the house of lords.
Bonus points if you ask your MP about 50 things you can do, like ride rollercoasters (reference the smiler 'accident' where people lost limbs), sniff flowers (reference that some people go into anaphalyxis with only certain types of flower, ask if you can run because it causes runners high so are shoes technically a drug (reference the amount of injuries due to runners falling) do the same with cycling, then ask why tobacco (80k deaths/year) and alcohol (20k deaths/year) would be legal under this bill if it's about protecting people.

Oh and if the bill does get signed, make sure to tie up police (non emergency) lines with all these questions.

If you are saying your MP is a tory and you don't want to write to him (no offence; honestly) you are either lazy, afraid, or don't care about a bill that literally turns 1000 years of common law on it's head.

As I've said before, if people want to march on parliament, I will join them. Bring pitchforks, billhooks and the usual revolutionary gear. If the army and police are called, remember that they are the same as you or I, treat them with respect and make sure you insure them that parliament are the 'bad guys' here.
If they open fire on a protesting crowd the entire country will back you.
If you actually decide to march on parliament I will join you.

These laws are the beginning of an Orwellian future. If & when you have kids do you want to be the person who says "Well yeah, I sat by and did nothing"

EDIT: If you have the disposable income take advantage of the sales and set up stands outside #10 with "Free chemicals for scientific research here", if the police try to move you, refuse, if they use force without right or reason, use force back; they are public servants not invulnerable men and women. If they attack you attack back with donations you stored in a sock.

Personally I feel the UK is ripe for a revolution, the only problem is that the populace are stuck living paycheque to paycheque, they sate themselves with 500 channels of TV and internet but in the back of their minds they know they are being exploited.
I mean, what's the best way to own a slave? Give it paper, tell it this paper is money and let them have their own living quarters.

The police are just a state payed gang. There are less of them than us. Kevlar cannot stop broadhead arrows (not that I'm advising you you to kill officers of the law) but the ability to stand up and say this country is mine this land is minewalk on you sycophant scum is what should be happening.
But stiff upper lip, things will get better, why are you concerned if you have nothing to hide, etc

 

[the_gay_blade]

As I've said before, if people want to march on parliament, I will join them. Bring pitchforks, billhooks and the usual revolutionary gear. If the army and police are called, remember that they are the same as you or I, treat them with respect and make sure you insure them that parliament are the 'bad guys' here.If they open fire on a protesting crowd the entire country will back you.If you actually decide to march on parliament I will join you.These laws are the beginning of an Orwellian future. If & when you have kids do you want to be the person who says "Well yeah, I sat by and did nothing"

The beginning of an Orwellian future? That future began a long time before this bill was drafted. Any marches on parliament (however unlikely) are too little, too late, and wouldn't stand much of a chance even if they had popular support, which they don't. Your average taxpaying citizen doesn't give a hoot about the principles of common law; remember that most of them fully supported the erosion of their civil liberties fifteen years ago in the name of 'security'. The majority of them see the closing of the present drug loopholes as a sensible act on the part of a responsible government. Failing to recognise this means any kind of protest is compromised and likely to do little other than further marginalise the 'druggies' in their eyes. I hate to piss on the bonfire again, but pragmatism is key.

 

[bropiate]

Again I'll ask, how many people have written to their MP

It seems like a case of "I'm too lazy to do anything about this" to me, that way nothing will get done.

Take Adolf Hitler (in his early years) for example. The German people were papering their walls with money as it was cheaper, it took a wheelbarrow of notes to buy a loaf of bread, he united his country under a common banner (and committed quite a few 'war crimes' during it, though so did the allies)

The point is that with this law the government can say, "no more Starbucks, coffee is addictive" "Holland and Barrett must close down" and many more things.

If the common man does not understand common law make him understand it and even without that instead of "haaha we'll all huff nitrous outside parliament won't that be funneh" (which pretty much put another nail in the coffin) a mob of 1000 or more people angrily protesting for days outside parliament will rattle their cage an awful lot more than "hurr durr huffing nitrous is going to make those people who live in ivory towers think straight while I can't even think straight and the second one officer shows any violent manner converge on them and make a citizen's arrest; treat them well but let them know that they cannot be handed over to the authorities right yet. All it takes is one fuck up to change the minds of the people.

I mean it really comes down to "do you want to complain about this bill" or "do you want to do something about this bill?"
Right now all I'm seeing is complaining and joking, personally I'd say either organise something or just lock the thread all the information is here, why waste time posting if it amounts to nothing.

 

[BigG]

The thing is mate if the government haven't listened to the police, the medical community or anyone else and are determined to pass this bill what exactly do you think a few members of a drug website writing to their MP is going to achieve?

Tony Blair didnt listen to 1 million people protesting outside his gaff about the Iraq war.

Your Hitler analogy is a bit bizzare mind. Not exactly sure where you're going with that one TBH....

 

[SmokingAces]

Here's a true story folks. My mate a few weeks back got stopped on his way home, smoking a fucking j with drugs on him, grinder the works. Cops stopped him, saw he was smoking, told him to at least be more sensible and not do it in public places they could technically have done him for drink driving, but they could see aside from smoking cannabis he had a job etc and was a good guy, let him on his way! He said cannabis users are not their priority and instead asked him did he know anything about the supply of heroin in the area as there had been some kind of local beef between dealers. He agreed it was terrible and went on his way.

i honestly dont think unless you rub it under their noses the actual police are interested in busting anyone for personal. Dealing is another ball game altogether.

 

[steewith2ees]

Again I'll ask, how many people have written to their MP

It seems like a case of "I'm too lazy to do anything about this" to me, that way nothing will get done.

Take Adolf Hitler (in his early years) for example. The German people were papering their walls with money as it was cheaper, it took a wheelbarrow of notes to buy a loaf of bread, he united his country under a common banner (and committed quite a few 'war crimes' during it, though so did the allies)

The point is that with this law the government can say, "no more Starbucks, coffee is addictive" "Holland and Barrett must close down" and many more things.

If the common man does not understand common law make him understand it and even without that instead of "haaha we'll all huff nitrous outside parliament won't that be funneh" (which pretty much put another nail in the coffin) a mob of 1000 or more people angrily protesting for days outside parliament will rattle their cage an awful lot more than "hurr durr huffing nitrous is going to make those people who live in ivory towers think straight while I can't even think straight and the second one officer shows any violent manner converge on them and make a citizen's arrest; treat them well but let them know that they cannot be handed over to the authorities right yet. All it takes is one fuck up to change the minds of the people.

I mean it really comes down to "do you want to complain about this bill" or "do you want to do something about this bill?"
Right now all I'm seeing is complaining and joking, personally I'd say either organise something or just lock the thread all the information is here, why waste time posting if it amounts to nothing.

Brioprate, as I have just made it clear that I have always fostered a passionate hatred towards the entire history of domestic drug control policy for 20 years or so, and as crap and amateur it may come across I have spent the last 5 months trying to circulate a document I produced back in November aimed at primary health care workers who do not know what is about to hit them in turns of patients presenting with addiction to RC benzos (which I feel compelled to link you too so that you can see that I do give a toss whatever you think of the quality of the handout /PP presentation ) and I have made my feelings clear about how retarded the Act is continuously on EADD since it was announced in last years queens speech - I think that its a touch unfair to suggest that I do not give a toss about this bill, and I did not say that I wasn't prepared to write a letter to my MP - I was just highlighting why I haven't considered it until now, as I have I think I have made as active a contribution as I possibly can to bring attention to the damage this bill may potentially cause as if you look at this particular thread, you may notice that I started it in the first place to gauge the opinion of EADD's members to see if everyone is as opposed to what is possibly the most shite filled pathetic piece of legislation I have ever seen given RA and become law. Why would I be frightened to write to my MP especially about something I care about deeply, I just never gave it consideration up until now.

As for standing outside no. 10, ScotchMist and I were planning to go the Westminster palace on the 6th April full of penny acid and with a load of 3-FPM with a piece of anti PSA propaganda which I would have composed for the day to hand out to members of the public and to hassle MP's with while twatted on drugs that we were still lawful to possess.

I'm not getting at you Brioprate as you can hardly be expected to have followed and realised the general gist of 90% of the posts I have made over the last 14 months or so, but I have to defend myself following your comments that, while you were not to know the extent of my hatred of this retarded piece of parliamentary incompetence, I Would have at least thought you may have picked up on the sentiment within my post. Taking a quote from myself, I can't see how you can think I don't give a shit about the PSA after reading this sentence.......

"Jeremy Lefroy MP deserves a straight headed 7000 word thoughts and feelings attack from the only subject I could bore people with more than the history of UK dance music.... the PSA 2016 (not 2006 lol) and the Uk's historically juvenile approach to domestic drug policy."

I would appreciate it if you took the time to read the document I have tried to distribute to as many primary health care providers within the South Staffs and Wolverhampton area, which Sprout and the mod team have kindly hosted on the forum, which covers my primary but by no means my only concern about this law coming into force which can be accessed below. Ok, it shows that I have no experience of using powerpoint and appears to have been written by a three year old, but I have had positive feed back from board members who have used it to successfully help access the treatment they need.....

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/782295-Psychoactive-Substances-Bill-and-Benzodiazepines-A-Presentation

I'm not trying to get at you fella, its just that I have put a lot of time and effort into sermonising to anyone prepared to listen about what a disaster this is in the history of UK law, and I take exception to anyone who suggests that I am lazy, afraid or not interested enough, when It is in fact one of my most fundamental areas of interest.

I hope that you would be polite enough to read the document I created and take on board what I have said so you can at least see why I had to react to this as your comments were not taken in offense, they just could not be more inaccurate regarding my thoughts, feelings and the time I have spent on denouncing this abomination and the effort I have done to circulate my document to GP's who are on the whole clueless about the nature of the one problem I have tried very hard to highlight.

Your preaching to the converted my friend.

Stee

 

[DavidGIoP]

The way this is being pushed back and back I can only imagine they are looking for ways to ditch such a convoluted act without receiving flak from certain tabloids.

 

[steewith2ees]

It isn't being pushed back any further David.

They have delayed it due to the Polices inability to provide the CPS with criminal charges under the act that have at the most a 50 / 50 chance of bringing a successful prosecution and any success they may achieve will be down to luck rather than judgement, as the Act is such a poor piece of legislation that they are no where near any sort of position In which they can provide probable cause to investigate, search or detain any potential offenders. And if that wasn't difficult enough for them when offences under the MODA are committed that at least do have established behaviours to at least provide reasonable suspicion, once they are expected to enforce the PSA, (which sounds similar enough to piss artistry that we need a 'street' term along those lines for this abominable piece of dog shit), they won't know which way to turn, as although the Act has one positively progressive feature - that individuals will still be able to possess NPS without committing an offence, in practise this makes the coppers job impossible as how can they identify whether or not any material that is unidentifiable by its physical characteristics is an NPS, a controlled drug or psychoactively benign? Either the entire home office budget will have to go towards the detention of potential offenders and the subsequent chemical analysis just so that they can identify the substance, which would involve the arrest of anyone with any sort of material on them that could potentially contain a controlled drug, or they would have to become as lenient as possible when coming across anyone with a pill, powder or liquid that, while it may be a psychoactive drug could very easily be a NPS, and if the suspect can provide reasonable enough evidence to suggest that it isn't a controlled drug, this could potentially allow a huge amount of genuine offenders to get away with offences as serious as intention to supply. A lot of good effective policemen are already snowed under by spending entire shifts processing non violent drug offenders which they recognise is not an effective use of an expensive resource, as despite the fact that many people have bad experiences with the police, when it comes down to it the real bastards only stick out due to how much damage they cause to people and their lives, as I truly believe that most experienced officers and those from my generation and culture do apply the law as proportionately as they can and recognise the real priorities regarding their role which is the protection of the public, something that any copper who performs their role in the true spirit sees as the defining contribution of the service.

All I have done is try to explain what an impossible position the police have now been put in which is why the enforcement of what is already law was delayed so that the police could at least start to try and develop an effective approach to a law so badly written that they are no closer to a practical solution than they were on the 6th of April.

When you consider that policing the Act is not yet practically possible, the additional fact that the CPS have very little to go on even when they are presented with as much evidence as the police can provide that the probability of bringing a successful prosecution is still going to be virtually impossible (I know its fast becoming a cliché but as their is no current scientific way to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that a substance is 'psychoactive' that anyone capable of developing such a definitive test would be a clear recipient of the Nobel prize) they will either waste hundreds of million pounds on cases that result in constant acquittals or they wont risk even attempting to prosecute anyone unless they are blatant offenders, such as those folk that have stockpiled to the extent that they intend to become what the PSA will define as dealers due to their attempt to supply what technically are still not controlled drugs - I know I waffle on at the best of times but I am currently at 'school' writing this with a (relative to the weekend) a clear head, but this shit is badly conceived that I cannot believe the level of contradiction I have written.

So, before I begin another lap of the Wrekin, to go back to the David's statement - I had some hope that what he stated could actually happen, but as it is now clear to anyone with a vested interest in the worst law that any government has ever conceived (even the brutality of Sharia law has at least a twisted logic to its disgusting abuse of human rights) that the police and CPS have no chance of coming to any sort of practical application that would at least give them some chance of a minor amount of prosecutions that there is no point in delaying the enforcement of the act any further as its so shit and unworkable, but as the government do not care about anything, from the public health issue as they value baseless morale standards over peoples lives (that drugs are far too dangerous to be supplied by anyone who may seriously reduce the harm that they cause and their production and supply is best left in the control of some of the worst criminals on the planet) and that in such action will help reinforce the 'message' as the more people that die or have their lives destroyed by preventable issues caused by prohibition, the stronger the vicious circle of propaganda increases. As long as they all admit they smoked cannabis at 'uni' and that it had 'no effect' then they see themselves as experts as by stating that cannabis had no effect on them they believe that one or two people might think that it is not an effective drug at all, in fact it does so little an individual that it had to be placed in Class B of the MODA. As long a they can gorge on their ethanol and as long as Crispin Blunt can continue to relax his ringpiece by using semantics to try and make out that the various nitrates that have been used in Poppers are not Psychoactive (im sorry but they fucking well are) then all is good, more people will die with the biggest amount of random poisons about to hit the black market drug trade but as long as getting high is seen as more of a problem than the prevention of avoidable deaths and illness, the status quo has been maintained.

The enforcement of the Act is the highest priority and now that everyone is in agreement that this law will do nothing but harm to the police, the cps and drug users, the Government have no choice but to enforce it from next Thursday as by then whatever problems it causes wont be theirs, they will be ours, the polices and the health care professionals who have to mop up after all this mess.

It is already law and regardless of anything at all it will be in force by next week and there is nothing anyone with a brain can do about it.

 

[bropiate]

One thing I'm wondering is how is the EU handling this?
Surely they would see this as a breech of the EU human rights treaty by expressly banning everything unless permitted.

 

[mydrugbuddy]

It's getting very near last chance to order anything time. I've been burying my head in the sand like an Ostrich recently regarding my finances, this isnt something i normally do, but the last few months have been particularly dysfunctional and chaotic. I'll have to check how far I've strayed into the red before i know how much i have to spend.

EDIT: Just browsed some of the UK vendors and they don't really have anything i particularly want or need. I mean i wouldnt mind getting a few hundred meclonazepams and several grams of 4FMPH and a few more 1pLSDs but I'm not flush atm, and the former would completely fuck up my benzo taper and i cannot be stupid enough to order a much more recreational benzo at this stage of everything.

And they haven't even lowered the price of 4FMPH, OK a gram of that does go at least twice as far as a gram of ethylphenidate, but £30 a gram FFS it's taking the piss. It also makes me heave if i get to the stage of a 3rd insuflation re-dose which is pretty rare, there's something nasty in it that must be causing that sort of reaction

 

[Airmid]

[h=1]BETWIXT AND BETWEEN[/h]Neil Woods | May 16, 2016 | Our Blogs | No Comments
[h=2]A VOLTEFACE EVENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE HOWARD LEAGUE FOR PENAL REFORM AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST PROHIBITION (LEAP UK)[/h]Earlier this year David Cameron made the first Prime Ministerial speech devoted to prison reform for a generation. He called for the “biggest shake-up of prisons since the Victorian era”, and argued said prisoners should be seen as “potential assets to be harnessed” while citing the “failure of our system today is scandalous”.
Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, has argued “No government serious about building one nation, no minister concerned with greater social justice, can be anything other than horrified by our persistent failure to reduce re-offending”.
This new thinking with regard to penal reform contrasts with the conservatism around drug policy.
Given the scale of use-related, acquisitive and system-related crimes linked to illicit drugs and the burden it places on our criminal justice system, is it possible to radically reform prisons without moving on drug reform?
That is the theme of our event, ‘Betwixt and Between: Prison and Drug Reform’, which features prominent members of both the prison and drug reform communities.
Follow the debate on the night over on Twitter #VFReform

---

[h=2]CHAIR:[/h]Philippa Budgen
Our Chair on the night is Philippa, who has a background in journalism with the BBC. She is now a criminal justice media consultant. Tweets @PhilippaBudgen
[h=2]CONFIRMED PANELISTS:[/h]Alex Cavendish
Alex is an author and a social anthropologist. A former prisoner, he is now a vocal campaigner for prison reform. Tweets @PrisonUK
Penelope Gibbs
Penelope is Director of Transform Justice and Chair of the Standing Committe for Youth Justice. She is a former magistrate. Tweets @PenelopeGibbs2
Andrew Neilson
Andrew is Director of Campaigns at The Howard League for Penal Reform. Tweets @neilsonandrew
David Skarbek
David is a Senior Lecturer in Political Economy and King’s College London, with a focus on crime, prison and gangs. He is also author of The Social Order of the Underworld. Tweets @DavidSkarbek
Neil Woods
Neil is a Former Undercover Drugs Detective Sergeant and Chairman of the UK branch of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP UK). Tweets @wudzee0
We look forward to seeing you there!
#VFReform



WHENTuesday, 14 June 2016 from 18:30 to 20:30 (BST) – Add to CalendarWHERECrowdShed – 18 Hanway Street, London, W1T 1UF – View Map[h=3]SHARE THIS:[/h]

 

[mydrugbuddy]

It's been on the news all week how much of a 'problem' legal highs are in prisons. An ambulance is getting called to a prison every 20 minutes, frequently due to legal high complications. One prisoner was saying that ALL drugs, legal or otherwise are very easily available, and he'd found that out on his first day there.

I wonder what difference the LH ban is going to make. Speculation, but maybe it's people supplying the prisons via drones, throwing bags over the prison walls, or bribing staff that have been buying out all the LHs like 3FPM today.

 

[Airmid]

One thing I'm wondering is how is the EU handling this?
Surely they would see this as a breech of the EU human rights treaty by expressly banning everything unless permitted.

Hi Bro, this is the article I was looking for you last night, there's quite a few and take a look at the IDPC website if you haven't already

The declaration of the UN general assembly special session (UNgass) on drugs agreed this week is long on rhetoric and short on substance. Many key issues are missing. It does not call for an end to criminalization and incarceration and capital punishment for drug-related offenses. It fails to request the World Health Organization to review drug scheduling. It does not explain how to ensure treatment for users and says nothing about regulation.

The UNgass declaration is out of step with mounting evidence and with public sentiment. Rather than offer practical solutions based on science, it doubles down on the status quo. It comprehensively fails to acknowledge harm reduction and regulatory innovations – many of them successful – taking place around the world. It does not go nearly far enough.
Part of the reason UNgass failed to deliver is because the process was fatally flawed from the beginning. Let me explain.

In the lead-up to UNgass in 2015, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (or CND) held preparatory meetings with its 53 members. Many states who sit on the CND – China, Iran and Russia – favor repressive approaches to drug policy. The first mistake is that the CND should not have been allowed to “lead the process”.
The members of the CND were supposed to draft a declaration that would represent the interests and realities of all 193 member states. But the drafting process was obscure and tightly controlled by a self-appointed UNgass board. Inputs from non-members of the CND were by and large rejected. Substantive concerns were ignored. When the draft UNgass declaration was completed on 23 March 2016, it was far from representative. The second mistake is that the process should have been much more inclusive and representative.
The negotiations in the lead-up to UNgass throughout 2015 and the first three months of 2016 were neither transparent nor inclusive. The inputs of key UN agencies working on health, gender, human rights and development (along with two thirds of all UN member states) were excluded. A third mistake is that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime was put in charge and perpetuated a hardline criminal justice approach.
During the preparations for UNgass, nearly 200 civil society organizations from around the world were literally shut out of decisive meetings. Their views and inputs were sidelined. What is more, on the day that UNgass opened on 19 April, many NGOs were denied entry to the UN (on the grounds of security risks). Even materials they were carrying were confiscated by UN security. The fourth mistake is that the UNgass itself excluded the voice of civil society – it was unable to accommodate the desire for change.

​

The UNgass declaration does not acknowledge the existence of many new and urgent drug-related threats facing the world. It reaffirms the 2009Political Declaration claiming “tangible progress” but there are no clear indicators measuring this progress. Illicit drug markets continue flourishing. Money laundering is rife, as the Panama Papers amply show. None of these issues are addressed in the UNgass declaration.
The problem is that UNgass is out of step with realities on the ground. As more and more national, state and municipal governments pursue progressive approaches – including regulation – the more they will show the inherent flaws of the international drug control regime. The risk is that the UN – and in particular the CND – fails to adapt to changing priorities, realities and evidence and that the multilateral approach to controlling drugs collapses altogether. It may already be too late to save the broken and fragmented drug regime.
The bad news is that the UNgass declaration perpetuates a damaging status quo. The good news is that UNgass is just one milestone on the road to transforming drug policy. It is not the only one. In fact governments, national and city governments are already adopting progressive legislation. We at the Global Commission on Drug Policy will redouble our efforts to support societies around the world to positively recalibrate drug policy.
We have another opportunity to right the wrongs of global drug policy in 2019. Between now and then all UN member states will need to start bridging the gap between the international drug control conventions and the many changes occurring on the ground. The tension between the two is reaching a breaking point.
In the meantime, we call on the UN secretary general to take some steps to move the agenda forward. For example, an urgent priority for the UN is to align drug policy with the new Sustainable Development Goals, as well as human rights and treaty tensions in the lead up to 2019.
The Global Commission urges governments and civil societies to continue exploring progressive approaches to drug policy and to adopt reforms that are tailored to local needs and rights. Building on the modest steps taken at UNgass, the commission encourages and supports societies around the world in their practical efforts to fundamentally realign drug policy so that people’s health, citizen safety and human rights are front and center.

 

[Vurtual]

It's been on the news all week how much of a 'problem' legal highs are in prisons. An ambulance is getting called to a prison every 20 minutes, frequently due to legal high complications. One prisoner was saying that ALL drugs, legal or otherwise are very easily available, and he'd found that out on his first day there.

I wonder what difference the LH ban is going to make. Speculation, but maybe it's people supplying the prisons via drones, throwing bags over the prison walls, or bribing staff that have been buying out all the LHs like 3FPM today.

I thought those reports were partly to butter us up for the bill and partly for the new queen's speech privatise all the prisons wheeze (though never was it mentioned that the problems highlighted might be to do with the 30% funding cut, or the tories running them for the last 6 years). Gove wants to allow prisoners out of prison to work (probably in government/corporate workfare) - hes got his extremely beady little eye on an american-style prison-industrial complex.