What is drug reform trying to achieve, but what might it deliver? (original) (raw)

In my view drug reform isn’t (as some seem to think) about improving or tweaking existing government drug policy, it is about ending an iniquitous & destructive system of prohibition that damages lives, communities & countries. A system rooted in lies, misinformation and racism to protect power, privilege and vested interest. A regime upheld and fiercely enforced by the state, a system that privileges and promotes legal substances while vilifying all banned substances – which it refers to as ‘drugs’. While I am keen to see an end to this draconian system, I am quite uneasy with some of the dominant approaches leading drug reform, and worried about what they might achieve. I suspect these approaches are driven largely by people who have enjoyed privilege, well intention good people, but people with limited experience or understanding of the devastating disproportionate impact drug prohibition has, particularly upon the poor, the indigenous, ethnic minority groups, people of colour, and those forced by poverty to grow coca or opium. These reformers frequently adopt the language of the present oppressive regime by asserting: ‘It is because drugs are dangerous we need regulation’; or ‘Drugs are dangerous but criminalisation is worse’; or ‘Cannabis maybe harmful but…’; what they are inadvertently doing is supporting and consolidating the ideological misinformation and propaganda of prohibition. It probably arises from a genuine and pragmatic attempt to lever change, but I think it is an irresponsible and dodgy position to take, it’d be like the Women’s Movement saying: ‘Women might not be good bricklayers – but sexism is wrong’. This is inaccurate and subliminally it feeds into the very discrimination it claims to be challenging. Because of prohibition there are no quality controls, people have little or no idea of the strength of the drug or of what the drug of choice might be mixed with. Because of the life long consequences of a drug conviction, users are driven to using in isolated or hidden places where they are less likely to be seen, placing them more at risk. If, as a result of not knowing the strength of the drug, or of unwittingly consuming a toxic substance users get into difficulties, they are less likely to seek help, for fear of criminal charges, stigma and shame.