Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Dismantling media myths

STOP PRESS! Since I posted the report below, I have learned that the Release ad campaign pictured has been pulled, according to The Guardian. Prohibitionists cannot tolerate open debate, because their arguments do not withstand the clear light of day. Please fight the censors and spread this link far and wide!

Original post: 

More people in the UK smoke pot than voted for the Labour Party at the last election. Most of them are perfectly nice, constructive, sane members of society . Yet the establishment continues to demonise this very large minority by constant association with crime, violence and mental illness. "What about cannabis-induced psychosis?", you may ask. Well, yes, there is a tiny link even though 99.99875% of UK cannabis users DON'T suffer it.

UK drug law reform charity Release has begun an advertising campaign challenging the stereotypes with the simple but clever line "Nice people take drugs". Their aim is to put the drugs debate on a realistic footing and into the public domain.

I have long made the observation that drug warriors should spend a few minutes watching people walking by on the footpath and meditate on the fact that around one in three of the perfectly nice, functional people they see use illicit drugs. It would be difficult to reconcile such level-headed observation with the moral panic these people generate (although most would not let reality change their views).

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