Cannabis has obviously been gaining steam in its positive media coverage; instead of biased reports from scare-mongering reporters, we seem to be getting more and more people releasing the facts and uncovering otherwise lost studies into the effects of Cannabis.
Cannabis is currently illegal in over 90 countries and is considered a harmful drug in the eyes of many people of power, so obviously it may be too early to talk about changes to drug policy. Not so in Uruguay. Following in the path of a few North American states, namely Colorado and Washington, the lower house of Congress voted with a 50 to 46 majority to approve a bill that will legalise and regulate the production and sale of the plant. The bill will be voted on by the Senate at some point in October this year, it is expected that the bill will pass with no problems.
If approved Uruguayans will have many options available to them – growing up to six plants at home, joining a club to pool your growing limit or by buying up to 40 grams per month from licensed pharmacies or dispensaries. This means thwarting drug cartels and using that income, otherwise used to fund crime, to benefit the country.
On the 29th September 2013, The Daily Mail conducted a poll of its readers – asking if not only the United Kingdom but the entire world should follow suit and legalise Cannabis for recreational use. An overwhelming majority, 90% of The Daily Mail’s subscribers voted in favour of legalisation, following Uruguay’s model.
Just yesterday Durham’s currently serving chief constable Mike Barton claimed that the war on drugs has failed and decriminalisation is the only way to strip power away from criminal gangs. We need our government, no, our prime minister, to listen to the law enforcement staff who are actively out there on the front line!
One step at a time countries are opening up to the fact that legalising Cannabis takes money out of the hands of Criminals, paves the way for new legitimate business and provides an enormous boost to the country through taxation. That’s better education for children, improved public transport and more free time for the police officers to pursue real crime.
In England, many studies have been released showing the benefits of the Cannabis industry to the economy, ignoring the fact that Cannabis is a safer alternative to a drug many of us use at parties and pubs.
