tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78389692024-03-08T09:41:56.244+11:00Kings Cross TimesThis blog began as an online newspaper about Kings Cross, Sydney. It now focuses on the deep problems of drug prohibition - which are so intrinsic to Kings Cross anyway - and exposes the many flaws in the prohibitionist argument, and the pseudo-science that governments fund to prop up their unjust and ineffective laws. Comments are welcome, but please be polite! Content on this site reflects only the views of the writer and are not necessarily those of the editor or any other organisation.The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.comBlogger728125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-15760072983627041572023-02-06T14:45:00.002+11:002023-02-06T14:45:21.832+11:00Meta-study debunks claims of next-day impairment from cannabis<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEr2uAffI-NRPY41YRFk0wASs90J_gIIU5cFdHLp3fot6UJxm2sfp4uWYHKqNNpoGayEO-3EVUhunaiKNk-OsnN74fLgM8RbuPE1hD7rE0Dhqqtp2EYwozedW9BbM8GX2Z4fiNHrpn-V5cAIFR4-hxtq5FwnzPrhfuRYNs57hLFD__INBQ7A/s1186/Next%20day%20cannabis%20effects%20graph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1186" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEr2uAffI-NRPY41YRFk0wASs90J_gIIU5cFdHLp3fot6UJxm2sfp4uWYHKqNNpoGayEO-3EVUhunaiKNk-OsnN74fLgM8RbuPE1hD7rE0Dhqqtp2EYwozedW9BbM8GX2Z4fiNHrpn-V5cAIFR4-hxtq5FwnzPrhfuRYNs57hLFD__INBQ7A/s320/Next%20day%20cannabis%20effects%20graph.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Results of the Sydney University study.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Yet <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2023/02/06/limited-evidence-cannabis-hangover-blunts-performance.html?fbclid=IwAR3Dc-UP251N9kZlgA8LnKZzCmKXBYdLeIyK1Dg1ytuZ_zZ6eAgaCJJhG_8" target="_blank">more evidence</a> shows up the unfair and draconian drug driving laws in NSW and other states, which can heavily convict people for cannabis traces detected days after consumption.</p><p>“Most studies didn’t detect ‘next day’ effects of cannabis use, and
the few that did had significant limitations,” Dr McCartney said.</p>
“Overall, it appears that there is limited scientific evidence to
support the assertion that cannabis use impairs ‘next day’ performance.<p></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-86901082697997318562022-10-21T08:07:00.001+11:002022-10-21T08:08:42.045+11:00ACT decriminalises, will we see ramped-up drug policing?<p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Great
to see the ACT decriminalising drugs. Amusing to see butt-hurt
conservatives, welded to prohibition myths from last century, bleating
"It sends the wrong message" and ensuring they will never be elected. </span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Alarm must be spreading through police drug squads as they see
their dream wicket of easy busts, helicopter joyrides and regular promotion
under threat. I predict they will follow the example of some US states
after legalisation and <a href="https://kingscrosstimes.blogspot.com/2013/12/more-prohibitionist-propaganda-busted.html" target="_blank">ramp up actions like roadside <span></span>drug
tests</a> and sniffer dog patrols so they can lie: "See, usage has gone
through the roof. We told you so!". That of course will be amplified by
the Murdoch press.</span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">This follows the discovery of a new unknown drug, sold as ketamine, by the ACT's pill testing centre – another measure slammed by conservative fossils for "sending the wrong message". Because good information and facts are left-wing, you know. Far better to ride high on the fictions and lies of the likes of Donald Trump, Alex 'Sandy Hook' Jones and Sky News. Reality is very inconvenient.<br /></span></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-88799009295197594882022-09-26T17:42:00.004+10:002022-10-21T08:11:21.808+11:00War on pot a huge success<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59F9Gm2LEv0hqBBdwu_3iXmgkUqhuXQH-GhYCT6ddySv4Qs8-4oVCNPJGh0t9_rc_fDzQ1F4P_43KxTGRl-v3x6-Pwc7dlQVGu4zQRQUYfk_FFx3uGY1Mn8ZZPAvjINpn-jGWGD1vnQVnxOKEHLsk7x3khPXcgYRkyWOPB363gKlazgJjRw/s996/War%20on%20pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="797" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59F9Gm2LEv0hqBBdwu_3iXmgkUqhuXQH-GhYCT6ddySv4Qs8-4oVCNPJGh0t9_rc_fDzQ1F4P_43KxTGRl-v3x6-Pwc7dlQVGu4zQRQUYfk_FFx3uGY1Mn8ZZPAvjINpn-jGWGD1vnQVnxOKEHLsk7x3khPXcgYRkyWOPB363gKlazgJjRw/s320/War%20on%20pot.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-16398091909395623672022-09-22T09:08:00.000+10:002022-09-22T09:08:39.566+10:00NSW doubles down on tired Drug War rhetoric, street murders <p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEYhZpEOsVRt2gHTStrgTdLchfHXBvzMeWxW8sB0fpFdJ2h-aZd2XkqO7qCwWCYVC9wNpxDVay4YASa3e1nuSYGItI3La6_dZGpQHOerR8qrBkrQ8okB7NqVxgkY8GbMk3QPyPbp34Rd1mHy7Lsh-S24wWE2s-2ZWSapA8Bk--IL9MKIFDw/s1776/Postcode%20wars%20image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1214" data-original-width="1776" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEYhZpEOsVRt2gHTStrgTdLchfHXBvzMeWxW8sB0fpFdJ2h-aZd2XkqO7qCwWCYVC9wNpxDVay4YASa3e1nuSYGItI3La6_dZGpQHOerR8qrBkrQ8okB7NqVxgkY8GbMk3QPyPbp34Rd1mHy7Lsh-S24wWE2s-2ZWSapA8Bk--IL9MKIFDw/s320/Postcode%20wars%20image.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to NSW, the family-friendly state</td></tr></tbody></table>The NSW Libs today, backed by Labor, doubled down with tired old rhetoric that decriminalisation of possession of small amounts of drugs would 'send the wrong message'. Of course they can 'send any message' they like so it's utter BS.This comes after them sitting on the findings of the Ice Inquiry for over two years. Decriminalisation was a key recommendation. Refusing to decriminalise 'illicit drugs' of course keeps them illicit, a perfect circular logic. </p><p>Meanwhile Sydney's Postcode Wars will continue, underpinned by rivers of drug money enabling public executioners to be paid six-figure sums as shown in the recent Four Corners episode. That program, however, joined a conspiracy of media silence by never once mentioning Prohibition, the framework that enables these criminal gangs. That, apparently, is the 'right message'. https://www.abc.net.au/.../the-postcode-wars.../14051188</p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-46530484009143472962022-09-12T10:08:00.001+10:002022-09-12T10:08:18.629+10:00California heatwave over the top<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcfY3K946s9FQ_Wxn6O48FJ8XSUknmUk1RWdObY1oELTCgWoOL3cxCIotBK_AVJO89oAd3oKf2edq2RCGltsJToMelqh3uDbarHdNnjAox4RKvtsBXnhqxU3dCf5jX3EZr0PZVvKrekoanXhXG_7OhDDEzEDZ_BxbC8Oy8GqHfBMZA1YkrA/s1171/California%20heatwave%202022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1171" data-original-width="1080" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcfY3K946s9FQ_Wxn6O48FJ8XSUknmUk1RWdObY1oELTCgWoOL3cxCIotBK_AVJO89oAd3oKf2edq2RCGltsJToMelqh3uDbarHdNnjAox4RKvtsBXnhqxU3dCf5jX3EZr0PZVvKrekoanXhXG_7OhDDEzEDZ_BxbC8Oy8GqHfBMZA1YkrA/w295-h268/California%20heatwave%202022.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /> </p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-7754345555950515832022-07-15T11:43:00.000+10:002022-07-15T11:43:15.909+10:00Support for legalisation rises<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74TtA6Uqe8IWyi6Fe9DUuYVS61x0n5kJIRetVlUHTpx2bgCDKc6WWT9wyZeFFOiSmaF5Xt8dLUZvu0NCt-SJabJCmPcnEfElPXSx-jNZSiHz4i6k7qrbV-0nGg4-Ww8SfJ1Vfm8MsKlwI2SoVL3c3VQkDEuRJhXrdKsD17h_hZZfd2MjnCg/s1118/Legalisation%20support%20map.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1118" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74TtA6Uqe8IWyi6Fe9DUuYVS61x0n5kJIRetVlUHTpx2bgCDKc6WWT9wyZeFFOiSmaF5Xt8dLUZvu0NCt-SJabJCmPcnEfElPXSx-jNZSiHz4i6k7qrbV-0nGg4-Ww8SfJ1Vfm8MsKlwI2SoVL3c3VQkDEuRJhXrdKsD17h_hZZfd2MjnCg/s320/Legalisation%20support%20map.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Support for legalising drugs has risen in Australia, with 66.1% of North Canberrans top-scoring on the legalisation of cannabis. [<a href="https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7820387/illicit-drugs-see-which-regions-support-legalisation/?cs=9676" target="_blank">paywalled link</a>]<p></p><blockquote><p>... data indicates 41 per cent of Australians support legalising cannabis use and support for legalising cocaine and ecstasy use stands at eight per cent and 9.5 per cent respectively.</p><p>Those numbers are up markedly from the 2010 reporting period </p></blockquote><p>However support drops markedly in some regions.</p><p>National Drug Research Institute Adjunct Professor Dr Nicole Lee said people were recognising the current system was not working. </p><blockquote><p>"Most people believe that drugs are illegal because they're dangerous, but it's actually the other way around. So they're actually made more dangerous because they're illegal," she said.</p><p>Professor Lee said research showed majority of people who used illicit drugs recreationally did not have issues or require treatment. And she said there was no evidence suggesting the number of people using drugs had increased in places where drugs had been legalised."</p></blockquote><p>Is there some way we can persuade the hold-outs, especially those in government, to Google "Portugal's drug policies" and wake up from their delusory dream? </p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-74190374440743327992022-06-17T12:44:00.000+10:002022-06-17T12:44:17.631+10:00Medicinal cannabis inquiry reveals the dodgy police story on drug driving<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimR6txiu3ziLKux8e_YHnSg1esWDOlyCpiYS3fFF1BNmqtJh5ySOEJyGFZTg2cOcVYJ8soN2V0CPrFLQyS0HkFijk3X2QX5spkT5IIjD1pg01ntWqJFlbIAvs90Ve9OO_EZXxmQY3YoYjd8_-HyRSa--_aKeLSWtZaqj5nzo3abW9H6fir2w/s1198/Cate%20Faerhmann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1020" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimR6txiu3ziLKux8e_YHnSg1esWDOlyCpiYS3fFF1BNmqtJh5ySOEJyGFZTg2cOcVYJ8soN2V0CPrFLQyS0HkFijk3X2QX5spkT5IIjD1pg01ntWqJFlbIAvs90Ve9OO_EZXxmQY3YoYjd8_-HyRSa--_aKeLSWtZaqj5nzo3abW9H6fir2w/w170-h200/Cate%20Faerhmann.jpg" width="170" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MLC Cate Faerhmann</td></tr></tbody></table>Many interesting snippets in <a href="https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7782608/medicinal-cannabis-inquiry-looks-at-driving-exemption/?cs=305" target="_blank">this paywalled article</a> from the <i>Newcastle Herald</i>, describing a parliamentary enquiry driven by a bill from Greens MLC Cate Faerhmann. It reveals the dark underside of alarmist police statements justifying their massive prohibition budget.</p><p>EG it appears there is zero research or evidence linking cannabis use to NSW accidents. The Police merely noted its presence in 60 out of 264 fatal accidents. By my maths, that's about 22% which is not far off the number of people who use it. So is that significant? If, say, left-handed people were 22% of the population and were involved in 22% of accidents, could you say that being a southpaw contributed to tragic road deaths?<span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><p>On top of that, mere 'presence' is recorded regardless of whatever else the driver had been taking, eg alcohol, which is a clear major risk factor. It's clear that treating drivers with cannabis in their system more harshly than those with alcohol is grossly unfair. Driving at the legal alcohol limit is more than twice as risky, but no penalties apply.</p><blockquote><p>Dr Michael White, a drugs and driving researcher with the School of Psychology at University of Adelaide, said the risk of a crash while impaired with cannabis was "a lot less" than alcohol.</p><p>He said the commonly-held position was that cannabis increased the risk of crashing by 40 per cent, adding that this risk was "very low".</p><p>"It's a matter of getting that 40 per cent into perspective. It's a lot less than alcohol at 0.05 BAC [blood alcohol concentration], which doubles your risk of crashing - it's 100 per cent. It's a lot less than travelling 5km over the speed limit in a 60kmh zone, which doubles your crash risk. The use of a motorbike increases the risk of crashing 30-fold. That's 3000 per cent.</p><p>"If you look at all the road safety problems, including other drugs like benzodiazepines and opioids, cannabis is way down at the bottom of the list as far as crash risk goes. It's a very small risk compared with almost any other cause of concern to road safety."</p></blockquote><p>These percentages sound alarming but 40% does not mean there is a 40% chance of dying on the road. It means if you take that figure of 264 deaths and divide it by the total number of drivers on NSW roads you get a tiny fraction, meaning that your chance of a fatal accident is tiny in the first place. The 40% is a fraction of that figure, and still a lot less than the risk from travelling 65kmh in a 60 zone. Now, hands up who has ever done that? Next question: are you still alive?</p><p>But even these figures exaggerate the danger from cannabis. Professor Iain McGregor, of the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney, said studies showed an increased crash risk of 10 to 40 per cent for those "acutely intoxicated with cannabis". <a href="https://kingscrosstimes.blogspot.com/search?q=Cannabis+risk" target="_blank">Other studies</a> show cannabis increases the risk about 1.8x while high-range alcohol comes in at a stunning 35x.</p><p>Then there is the matter of outright discrimination around cannabis compared to other drugs known to increase risk.</p><blockquote><p>Users of other prescription drugs such as opioids, benzodiazepines and sedating antidepressant drugs, however, can drive without facing such penalties.</p></blockquote><p>Ms Faerhmann's bill would make medicinal cannabis also exempt from penalties. Such a medical defence is supported by the Law Society of NSW.</p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-83431915022862175662022-03-21T08:44:00.002+11:002022-03-21T08:44:46.938+11:00Can you believe Clive?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH1-rxOyqYazcE3cXONGYOJfqRdqIJT8kD5_97mhqHX4e8LuVhHc4Jxm6T9C4FpKgYmZNgPcwGEMi-fuVImRi0MXSfKLGCeXQul7MIpeFOpIh6Pz6NJ61HEyn8Re3wHjuEIfPgl3gpxfDsDTbKb6YrqIzIgUmrd6lW6UjghjDwOxMe33DK_g=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH1-rxOyqYazcE3cXONGYOJfqRdqIJT8kD5_97mhqHX4e8LuVhHc4Jxm6T9C4FpKgYmZNgPcwGEMi-fuVImRi0MXSfKLGCeXQul7MIpeFOpIh6Pz6NJ61HEyn8Re3wHjuEIfPgl3gpxfDsDTbKb6YrqIzIgUmrd6lW6UjghjDwOxMe33DK_g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-76321498593608179842022-03-13T15:24:00.001+11:002022-03-13T15:24:16.290+11:00Stoned driving again comes up WAY safer than drunk driving<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgFIu5XgB4gCfvL3ZOwKoHAhOdko-NHuGoBtSIIRghq473gE1qtXtuJjhe9uhFqGh7UxsfyTXGikyGGLQExKEOi_BmTXqEpqmeUwQPM3ssHU3Blpjgw7V7sv5LJE2Lvid4n9cKW_MbZH-yEGyRH-1ACTSOn-NoDRFEDqNbPbQt_p2LLFjS-Q=s3229" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2313" data-original-width="3229" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgFIu5XgB4gCfvL3ZOwKoHAhOdko-NHuGoBtSIIRghq473gE1qtXtuJjhe9uhFqGh7UxsfyTXGikyGGLQExKEOi_BmTXqEpqmeUwQPM3ssHU3Blpjgw7V7sv5LJE2Lvid4n9cKW_MbZH-yEGyRH-1ACTSOn-NoDRFEDqNbPbQt_p2LLFjS-Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div>A l<a href="https://norml.org/news/2022/03/10/review-influence-of-cannabis-on-driving-performance-less-significant-than-alcohol/" target="_blank">arge meta-study</a> has shown the dangers of driving while on cannabis are negligible compared to even threshold alcohol blood concentrations. This once more shows the extreme injustice – and pointlessness – of roadside drug testing which measures only the presence of the drug, not impairment. A positive swab results in arrest and instant loss of licence.<p></p><p>"Canadian researchers analyzed data from 57 studies assessing the influence of cannabis and alcohol on driving behavior and crash risk. </p><p>They acknowledged that cannabis exposure was typically associated with deviation in drivers’ lateral positioning (lane weaving) and a decrease in their average speed. Cannabis use was “not associated with an increase in crashes in experimental studies.” Authors also found “no compelling evidence” that cannabis influenced hazard response time, headway variability, time out of lane, speed variability, speed exceedance, or time speeding. </p><p>They concluded, “Specifically, for the measures reported here, there are no instances where the average effect of cannabis is equal to or greater than the driving performance decrements associated with BAC concentration ranging from 0.04 to 0.06 percent.”</p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-69086118063860035122022-01-22T13:43:00.001+11:002022-01-22T13:43:22.410+11:00Scott Morrison's Australia Day address, 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8-H4A4dYHHx_ClvhL6idWEW1BL7GJ_8s8AqKR9slvKEqyDcfbRg99Dpo2HnQKKxrlj2XNrkDP1hIPPDAnW6q4iJVhpF617REnKWPhzmYwGPesiQn3Ryjms2N0SKkjhQ3qnSLQvCCkTfL8k5o-yBeL2wOPJAuNm8ZSsK2LiKN1nA5qaFHmSA=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8-H4A4dYHHx_ClvhL6idWEW1BL7GJ_8s8AqKR9slvKEqyDcfbRg99Dpo2HnQKKxrlj2XNrkDP1hIPPDAnW6q4iJVhpF617REnKWPhzmYwGPesiQn3Ryjms2N0SKkjhQ3qnSLQvCCkTfL8k5o-yBeL2wOPJAuNm8ZSsK2LiKN1nA5qaFHmSA=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Exclusive! We have obtained an advance copy of the PM's speech.<p></p><p>"Today I announce a raft of measures central to the life of Australians, and Australia. That’s why I am surrounded by Australian flags and am wearing an Australian flag face mask, as well as my Australian flag lapel badge. Because Australians like that. It makes them feel we in Australia are all in this together, pushing through the windscreen.</p><p>Clearly these measures are vital to Australia, a place where Australians never look into the rear-vision mirror, even when reversing at full speed.</p><p>Australians already like the Positive Energy we are bringing to Australia, because they clearly support technology like clean coal rather than the punishing taxes Labor will propose one day. Just look at the brown hydrogen we are already exporting from Australia.</p><p>Some Australian journalists are so desperate for content they have actually accused Australia’s Prime Minister of lying. I stand before you today to solemnly assure Australians I have never lied. Australia is better than that. </p><p>Today I ask Australians to Stand Strong, because our Australian focus groups show that Australia now prefers two-word slogans to the old three-word ones. If Australians stand strong and push through, Australia has a bright future in the eyes of God, my personal mate.</p><p>Australia can only benefit from having children driving forklifts and importing cheap foreign workers, because Australians have better things to do than train for skilled Australian jobs. Australia is better off importing technology and cars, for instance, while exporting any bright ideas Australians might have. That enhances Australia’s reputation in the world, especially in France and Serbia. </p><p>We are clearly best at managing the Australian economy to benefit Australians. We have cleverly arranged for future generations of Australians to pay off our manageable debt, while bringing wealthy Australians unprecedented tax cuts in the tradition of one of Australia’s favourite books, the Magic Pudding. We have fostered record prices for Australian family homes, making many Australians better off than they have ever been.</p><p>We understand the pain Australians are going through because of this global pandemic that’s all China’s fault. But we also recognise that Australians want to keep prices down in Australia by blocking pay rises or unaffordable staffing ratios for Australian heroes like nurses and aged care workers. We salute these heroes as they underpin the profits of our rich Australian mates, proving that if Australia privatises everything, Australians are better off.</p><p>But Australians can rest assured that one day this pandemic will fade from memory, like a miracle, just before Australia’s next federal election, when the wisdom of letting it rip will be obvious to all Australians who didn’t die from it.</p><p>But more immediately, I urge all Australians to get behind Australia Day, that sacred celebration of white Australia’s supremacy, culture and Australian beer. I’ll be having one myself while watching my favourite Australian footy team and wearing a Chinese-made baseball cap and eating an Australian meat pie for the Australian photographers. With sauce of course.</p><p>I urge First Nations people, here before Australia was even Australia, to celebrate our unity as Australians and don’t look in the rear vision mirror. It’s time Australians moved on from our history, except of course for the glorious achievements Australia can boast. Thank you Australia. We won’t be taking any questions at this time, or ever if we can help it. Amen."</p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-81659690112050730862021-12-29T12:46:00.000+11:002021-12-29T12:46:21.944+11:00'Screw what the people think! We love prohibition.'<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkT0yehc8ycdwsYtRViPwr2xmMOFd1wG6bSEgGOh2_Y573xOuUKMI7BO8yT4Gnnb0ChqSrT9YusSVSZA_lLDVnTBQNXwaw3aqfa-ypI9eANjNE1tynL0Vv-WIIukSyaOtNvziZheh-RoWTjGnuSk4keokN5_lGQgPFDZkFsC4bc1c0_JH6rg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkT0yehc8ycdwsYtRViPwr2xmMOFd1wG6bSEgGOh2_Y573xOuUKMI7BO8yT4Gnnb0ChqSrT9YusSVSZA_lLDVnTBQNXwaw3aqfa-ypI9eANjNE1tynL0Vv-WIIukSyaOtNvziZheh-RoWTjGnuSk4keokN5_lGQgPFDZkFsC4bc1c0_JH6rg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leading Liberals Domicron and Morrison <br />prefer praying in cosplay to fixing<br />actual problems. Labor is not much better.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Too many governments, state and federal, continue with prohibition despite overwhelming evidence and opinion that it should be scrapped, notably for cannabis. Not to mention that it's very expensive for zero benefit.</p><p>The latest <a href="https://www.cannaus.com.au/national/15-9-million-australians-want-cannabis-decriminalised/?fbclid=IwAR2PUXnFRSvC_GVLG7trDMZLZsP7K6lxmJNBkJxCIRESulkAWLgHeywo2g0" target="_blank">National Drug Strategy Household Survey</a> spells it out clearly.</p><p>"One particular question asked, was whether they ‘believe the possession of cannabis for personal use should be a criminal offence’. The data tells us that 15.9 million Australians think cannabis should be decriminalised. The trend has been on a steady [upward] slope since the question was first asked in 2010."</p><p><br /></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-39612822337774136862021-10-08T10:38:00.003+11:002021-10-08T13:26:31.848+11:00Blathering boofhead bigwigs blow hard about prohibition<p><span data-offset-key="bvsb9-0-0" face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaD2sjw1fThPnvQ5SawLr9c1US1nD1TpVrp7xDIp56oy7ckkJjwYPu6_jMpoJGhttxQwrAM9JxRNLKv7TifDPmWD7YkHfNqdMEon2DrHS0vL25yewKPNIyqe4GpptIJbijMSe3/s2048/Henry+Anslinger.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1587" data-original-width="2048" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaD2sjw1fThPnvQ5SawLr9c1US1nD1TpVrp7xDIp56oy7ckkJjwYPu6_jMpoJGhttxQwrAM9JxRNLKv7TifDPmWD7YkHfNqdMEon2DrHS0vL25yewKPNIyqe4GpptIJbijMSe3/s320/Henry+Anslinger.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lying racist Henry Anslinger <br />at the height of his corrupt power.</td></tr></tbody></table><span data-offset-key="bvsb9-0-0" face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Idiotic prohibitionists flaunt their ignorance <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-cocaine-capital-of-australia-sydney-s-insatiable-drug-appetite-20190607-p51vo9.html" target="_blank">all over the papers today</a> in their spray about Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) Cocaine culture. "This drug is illegal for good reason" lied Police Minister David Elliott as Magistrate Ross Hudson sprayed similar nonsense. "These people seem to think cocaine is part of a normal night out," one blathered even in the face of his outrage that it evidently is </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">exactly</span><span data-offset-key="bvsb9-2-0" face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that. THESE people seem to actually believe certain drugs are prohibited for some valid reason, contrary to all evidence and expert opinion. They simply repeat the lies of the original, deeply corrupt far-right murderer and prohibitionist, Henry Anslinger who produced the now hilarious movie 'Reefer Madness'. I'm no fan of coke myself – at least not the highly cut crap mostly available in Australia – but these pontificating clowns are completely detached from reality. And they rule us.</span><p></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-3422070354090588492021-09-03T13:44:00.000+10:002021-10-08T10:39:47.684+11:00Habitual pot smokers are safe drivers – study<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVZgkKZFJDItcwJcPYWU-uZaYQLaCavmQVThWVEQkAN1kzwRKpJfnLZ934xCB19u5pXtRNwyJivKpOgF7S8dentD5k1pcjOpZhCYfgkQyy9uvTbKVt0TQc893Cv_g11EGI-Xr/s650/Roadside+drug+testing+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVZgkKZFJDItcwJcPYWU-uZaYQLaCavmQVThWVEQkAN1kzwRKpJfnLZ934xCB19u5pXtRNwyJivKpOgF7S8dentD5k1pcjOpZhCYfgkQyy9uvTbKVt0TQc893Cv_g11EGI-Xr/s320/Roadside+drug+testing+01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mindless persecution in the name of road safety.</td></tr></tbody></table>Just as pot smokers have been claiming forever, regular smokers under the influence drive slower and just as safely as sober drivers. This piles on more evidence against the Roadside Drug testing rules in Australia which mandate instant loss of licence if any THC whatsoever is detected.</p><p>Confirming the old story of the police pulling over the hippie Kombi van because it was driving so slowly, <a href="https://merryjane.com/news/regular-cannabis-users-drive-as-safely-as-sober-people-new-study-suggests?fbclid=iwar1eqz9h4ltthtezvfraij2htga7uh4hzrrinxtycn-mqkl9m-popmmjunq" target="_blank">a new study</a> compared regular smokers with occasional smokers and non-smokers being put through their paces on a driving simulator.</p><p>The results make a further mockery of NSW's increased quotas for such tests, especially as they target particular areas such as the Northern Rivers. As many campaigners have pointed out, this is especially harsh as there is little public transport there and loss of license can have serious consequences for victims who live some distance from their nearest town or workplace. Our 'justice system' is designed for injustice.</p><p>Still, both Liberal and Labor state administrations refuse to relax these rules, let alone make progress towards regulated legalisation or even scale back their intrusive sniffer dog/strip search regime.</p><p>And just as the original corrupt prohibitionist Harry Anslinger did in the 1930s, police continue to demonise and target small-time users and people of colour so their impressive arrest statistics ensure ever-increasing budgets and promotion opportunities. It's a racket.</p><p>The original study is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34403895/" target="_blank">here.</a></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-71502225624142472442021-06-10T11:58:00.001+10:002021-06-10T12:03:48.662+10:00ANOM sting fuels increased surveillance and prohibition <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBroQztWrHlrNzwBVYyM7wdbybZGOAqsLUWaBtweGRyheH4fPv8zJ47pRS76MWYAc9pM3avUUM9d5JPiVz20T6hoA-C0B4XK5f9_eZgavFxQmx5-CJGPrnFF9gtGmWXi8ts_Y/s945/Nothing+social+illicit+drugs.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="945" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBroQztWrHlrNzwBVYyM7wdbybZGOAqsLUWaBtweGRyheH4fPv8zJ47pRS76MWYAc9pM3avUUM9d5JPiVz20T6hoA-C0B4XK5f9_eZgavFxQmx5-CJGPrnFF9gtGmWXi8ts_Y/w200-h140/Nothing+social+illicit+drugs.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The recent <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANOM" target="_blank">global mega-bust</a> around the ANOM app and devices is predictably being used by politicians to push for increased surveillance powers for police and spy agencies, and to justify drug prohibition.<p></p><p>The sting uncovered a wealth of drugs and drug money along with very welcome takedowns of people planning murder and violence. Conservatives and police have leapt on this opportunity to reinforce the old but false prohibition narrative, conflating drugs and criminal violence. </p><p>This is essentially a circular argument because the only link between drugs and criminals is of course prohibition. In essence it reads “we need prohibition because prohibition”. The police always boast that huge drug hauls have been “taken off the market” rather than admit they are evidence prohibition has failed. The unspoken assumption is that drug use will increase under a legal, regulated framework, <a href="https://kingscrosstimes.blogspot.com/2021/01/cannabis-legalised-sky-has-not-fallen.html" target="_blank">despite clear evidence</a> it does not.</p><p>Another fallacy in this narrative is the lumping together of all illicit drugs. These spruikers push a moral panic around ice, heroin and cocaine and rarely mention <a href="https://kingscrosstimes.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-real-risks-of-drug-and-drunk-driving.html" target="_blank">more benign and non-addictive drug</a>s like cannabis and MDMA.</p><p>“There is nothing social <a href="https://amp.abc.net.au/article/100197826" target="_blank">about illicit drug use in this country,” </a>intoned a pious and triumphant Prime Minister Scott Morrison, eagerly taking some credit for this operation, while conveniently deflecting from more troublesome issues denting his popularity. He went on to appeal to Australians to stop using drugs because it fuels organised crime.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpS_XBq7oO_WiwiQLJIr_mOS8feFAsfDsjUIuPKY7k-FxuZTEzxy793LrYTIMCcHRIAgBCfkWGYeQ82bj9uhyphenhyphenC6Seo9InhPjDsvQVYpQA19bew_ZQaEtBLjECibLkLkB1i140/s1869/Scomo+drinking..jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1869" data-original-width="1237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpS_XBq7oO_WiwiQLJIr_mOS8feFAsfDsjUIuPKY7k-FxuZTEzxy793LrYTIMCcHRIAgBCfkWGYeQ82bj9uhyphenhyphenC6Seo9InhPjDsvQVYpQA19bew_ZQaEtBLjECibLkLkB1i140/s320/Scomo+drinking..jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A meme alleging hypocrisy by<br /> Scott Morrison around <br />prohibition – or at the least, <br />cognitive dissonance.</td></tr></tbody></table>Of course Mr Morrison’s line is a lie. He has clearly never been to a rave where ecstasy induces (strangely enough!) a kind of group ecstasy, or sat around a campfire blowing a joint with friends. Even the potentially addictive cocaine can be a great social lubricant for those who can afford it. Mr Morrison might wonder why these ‘anti-social’ drugs are in such high demand, even as he is happy to be pictured drinking beer. Alcohol does more harm than any of the illicit drugs but modern prohibitionists ignore that, content to live with cognitive dissonance, also ignoring that the only reason drugs fuel crime is prohibition itself – that circular argument again. <p></p><p>They also ignore the clear success of states which have legalised or decriminalised drugs. Any clear-eyed view of those examples finds that harms have reduced – both the primary harms of drug abuse and the consequent harms of being arrested, tried and fined, jailed or executed, not to mention the humiliation of mostly unsuccessful public strip-searches.</p><p>Drug law reformers find it hard to comprehend the stubborn refusal of many politicians to recognise reality, even while understanding the self-interest of those who gain from it – typically police and alcohol interests, who always actively oppose legalisation campaigns. </p><p>The ANOM operation may have contributed to this apparent stubbornness. Over the three years or so of the operation, it’s fair to assume Ministers would have been getting confidential briefings, if only to approve its significsnt budget – and it would be a real shame for drug law reform in the meantime to spoil the triumph of what is a brilliant piece of detective work. </p><p>No-one has any sympathy for the greedy and violent people taken down here, but the larger point is that it’s only prohibition that creates the drug-dealing opportunities for these people. After all, we don’t see the delivery trucks of rival alcohol companies shooting it out in the streets like we did during alcohol prohibition in the 1930s. No, these days they sort out any differences in courts and parliaments. That’s much more civilised. </p><p>Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw unwittingly admitted this problem in the same media conference at which Mr Morrison spoke, saying "...there's no doubt going to be some tension within the whole system about who owes what drug debt and so on." In other words, we can expect more violence among criminals when they start arguing about who owes what to whom now their stocks of drugs and cash have been confiscated. Anyone who bought on credit now has a big problem, as does anyone who paid in advance of delivery.</p><p>Meanwhile if the ANOM sting is used to justify increased surveillance, you can be sure those powers will be used against non-violent dissidents, possibly including drug law reformers. In that sense, prohibition is anti-democratic. </p><p><br /></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-33965617733663168822021-06-05T09:21:00.001+10:002021-06-05T09:21:33.786+10:00China only part of the footprint<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwAWue0jHkati9FctFacgGBllxvsbChcORRtby88c9XLJgGW1YmduBJOUb2Kl6aL1RSNLhAQSHPpUOMsfTjRwtAVDi_Xq-Mqfu5mH5ezEHTZplMdoPhW_BMfTGDuGEHLWPP4V/s2015/Carbon+footprint+by+country.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="1127" height="1005" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwAWue0jHkati9FctFacgGBllxvsbChcORRtby88c9XLJgGW1YmduBJOUb2Kl6aL1RSNLhAQSHPpUOMsfTjRwtAVDi_Xq-Mqfu5mH5ezEHTZplMdoPhW_BMfTGDuGEHLWPP4V/w562-h1005/Carbon+footprint+by+country.jpg" width="562" /></a></div><br /><p></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-38921758487887597872021-06-02T11:06:00.000+10:002021-10-08T10:40:10.906+11:00People still deny global heating<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGPRjv3VnopmsxisqHle4A7hCzVKNSCMK56ssnibvU43XJT4viS4u4G936TqTwn9Yj3hZCpIOuEwih7xXEpBTnbxPll6MLGgpzQIeEfTUkw765-bed_Hg8YY32RyuNm7FbdIr/s1000/Temp+increase+graph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGPRjv3VnopmsxisqHle4A7hCzVKNSCMK56ssnibvU43XJT4viS4u4G936TqTwn9Yj3hZCpIOuEwih7xXEpBTnbxPll6MLGgpzQIeEfTUkw765-bed_Hg8YY32RyuNm7FbdIr/s320/Temp+increase+graph.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-34291418193658255562021-05-11T07:47:00.002+10:002021-05-11T07:47:33.825+10:00Temperature up, sunshine down<p> Maybe it's actually caused by humans burning stuff??</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPJ3xV9zp2d9iMR1sIyGqSoDcNp5RWUjjeaUsQZZGHXCBo9R0-LEloMFWDERwsFoh7gtuentPVYWwWGmUQosYIUrhsxBVZn0UvQn8T5lJ1NpCVA6bPVnjW0xu0YQh6Q7dJ7se/s2006/Temp+vs+solar+graph.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="2006" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPJ3xV9zp2d9iMR1sIyGqSoDcNp5RWUjjeaUsQZZGHXCBo9R0-LEloMFWDERwsFoh7gtuentPVYWwWGmUQosYIUrhsxBVZn0UvQn8T5lJ1NpCVA6bPVnjW0xu0YQh6Q7dJ7se/s320/Temp+vs+solar+graph.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-76159191209172841422021-05-08T08:46:00.005+10:002021-05-10T09:57:49.802+10:00Glaciers are melting. The water has to go somewhere!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodA8I3HYg2XsgIdf6tv8MX1ecc0qfDChEVxmYPHu-OvhDok_dZlmD04wUVLGtEoVm5I8Bc0-b5SfPsh-3yPewLxhMWdP5p_ZG_11xNTTIVYbHw1JdxV-fT2mk8dgQHfDixFmY/s1510/Glacier+retreat+Franz+Josef.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="1510" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodA8I3HYg2XsgIdf6tv8MX1ecc0qfDChEVxmYPHu-OvhDok_dZlmD04wUVLGtEoVm5I8Bc0-b5SfPsh-3yPewLxhMWdP5p_ZG_11xNTTIVYbHw1JdxV-fT2mk8dgQHfDixFmY/w400-h141/Glacier+retreat+Franz+Josef.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>This is why sea levels have risen in the past, but now it's happening fast.<p></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-37638714299391229722021-04-29T11:39:00.002+10:002021-04-29T11:39:42.976+10:00War on Drugs linked to Aboriginal deaths<p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhjpZF_OygCFE5k6Kzks83fYS9oWhlkH3wToww7e0bzunElA3srSGJHumuN3bXQs3urhkyOWjipCuF4XRZ5y7872U0ge6Yf_-sjZ35IgJRHQbw-61kmy5VwoiHnc64Qg6Kv7M/s1121/Taylah+Gray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhjpZF_OygCFE5k6Kzks83fYS9oWhlkH3wToww7e0bzunElA3srSGJHumuN3bXQs3urhkyOWjipCuF4XRZ5y7872U0ge6Yf_-sjZ35IgJRHQbw-61kmy5VwoiHnc64Qg6Kv7M/s320/Taylah+Gray.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taylah Gray. Pic: Max Mason-Hubers/<br />Newcastle Herald</td></tr></tbody></table>Some important dots were joined today, linking the War on Drugs with Aboriginal deaths in custody.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>"Police in NSW pursue more than 80 per cent of Aboriginal people found with a small amount of cannabis through the courts while letting others off with warnings.</p><p>"Start with bail and stop locking black people up, let our children home. Bailey Mackander whose inquest was happening today was a 19-year-old boy in prison."</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Thus spake University of Newcastle PHD candidate and Wiradjuri woman Taylah Gray <a href="https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7230231/actions-are-what-we-need-after-another-indigenous-death-in-custody/?cs=7573" target="_blank">in the Newcastle Herald</a> today. </p><p>While Australia struggles with solutions to the problem despite the Black Deaths Royal Commission laying out several actions, legalising and regulating cannabis (and even all other drugs) would eliminate one of the <a href="https://kingscrosstimes.blogspot.com/2020/06/black-lives-matter-especially-under.html" target="_blank">big four reasons</a> First Nations people are locked up in the first place.</p><p>Of course it would solve many other problems, and could even create revenue for the government, as is now clear from the success of legalisation and decriminalisation in other countries and states.</p><p>There is no rational reason for prohibition. We know it does not work, with history including Al Capone waging Tommy-Gun battles on the streets and now daily drive-by shootings, stabbings and murders in some parts of Sydney as criminal dealer gangs fight out their differences.</p><p>But Liberal and Labor governments turn a blind eye to the obvious and perpetuate this failed, expensive, murderous policy. More people should punish them at the ballot box!</p><div class="" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(29, 29, 29); color: #1d1d1d; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="assets" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p></div></div>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-66910487808044456232021-04-11T10:38:00.001+10:002021-10-08T10:40:50.031+11:00Roadside drug testing again shown to be deeply unjust<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5FOfuBaWBiaUNrHct2j5_Y7OGmtnf7tZBzgbcJT4VPvZmRHjiB-lH2DYv5_AkPlCv-1hM0C85vVAkEXBpQ0k7sYpOhvSRwlINvBZh2eO8I5irZvCGNKdSvOGKEXZpvX9lQnx/s539/NCPIC-smoke-drive-graphics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5FOfuBaWBiaUNrHct2j5_Y7OGmtnf7tZBzgbcJT4VPvZmRHjiB-lH2DYv5_AkPlCv-1hM0C85vVAkEXBpQ0k7sYpOhvSRwlINvBZh2eO8I5irZvCGNKdSvOGKEXZpvX9lQnx/s320/NCPIC-smoke-drive-graphics.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A misleading message from a <br />Howard-era anti-cannabis campaign.</td></tr></tbody></table>The unjust persecution of drivers detected with cannabis in their bodies – but little or no impairment – just took another hit, with a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-11/new-research-reveals-how-long-cannabis-impairment-lasts/100056998?utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_amp&utm_campaign=abc_news_amp&utm_content=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0z_5ghrJQ4B8Xdpnyt9mhyLR7ufR4bIqINrk7u6Ly2Fam1uUlWfIDS5zg" target="_blank">Sydney University meta-study</a> showing limited impairment times. </p><p>The injustice is pretty clear – </p><p></p><blockquote><p>"users were impaired for between three and 10 hours after taking moderate to high doses of the intoxicating component of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).</p><p>THC can be detected in the body for weeks after cannabis consumption, meaning users can face fines and loss of their licence, despite being unaffected by the drug." (from the linked ABC News story)</p></blockquote><p>Furthermore the 10-hour figure applied to heavy oral consumption. Smokers and long-term users had a shorter period of impairment.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>"Our analysis indicates that impairment may last up to 10 hours if high doses of THC are consumed orally," the study's lead researcher Danielle McCartney said.</p><p>"A more typical duration of impairment, however, is four hours, when lower doses of THC are consumed via smoking or vaporisation and simpler tasks are undertaken."</p><p>The study also found regular cannabis users became less affected by THC than those who used cannabis occasionally.</p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote>Dr McCartney said people could be impaired for six or seven hours if higher doses of THC were inhaled and complex tasks, like driving, were assessed. "</blockquote><p>Retired magistrate David Heilpern underlined the inconsistency – "Cannabis is the only drug in Australia that you could get by prescription but could not drive with even a detectable level." Apparently under the law morphine is safe but cannabis is not. Mr Heilpern has previously pointed out that Roadside Drug Testing had produced no reduction in road deaths over several years, whereas other campaigns around alcohol testing and seat-belt wearing had produced dramatic improvements.</p><blockquote><p>Gino Vambaca, co-founder of Harm Reduction Australia, said Australia's laws punished people for past drug use, not for unsafe driving.</p><p>"It's not a road safety campaign anymore, it's a detect and penalise campaign," he said.</p></blockquote><p>Given the recent pattern of politicians suing Tweeters and journalists for defamation, perhaps it's time someone sued a state government over the clear injustice of their roadside drug testing campaign. Perhaps those unjustly targeted could even claim compensation after having their criminal records wiped.</p><p> </p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-91602193724920682022021-03-12T12:20:00.000+11:002021-03-12T12:20:42.245+11:00How to stand up to tech bullies and solve the paywall problem<p>Facebook's blocking of news sites in Australia, in a battle over paying for media content, has brought into sharp focus several deep fissures in our modern digital media landscape.</p><p>Even as Facebook relents, agreeing to slowly unblock news pages and to negotiate payment with primary media players, a deeper problem remains, one virtually absent from the public discussion about this conflict – quality news costs money and people are generally not prepared to pay for it.</p><p>Complicating this is the dominance of Facebook and Google, virtual global private monopolies in a field which did not even exist a few years ago which have arguably reached the status of essential public utilities. </p><p>Their threats to block news content as pushback to government regulation should be a wake-up call, a classic illustration of the problems of globalisation where international companies have the heft and will to bully national governments. This is a matter of sovereignty.</p><p>We all know a sound democracy depends on a well informed public, because people, to cast a meaningful vote, need to know what's going on. So cutting off news to Australians is a body blow to our democracy, especially considering the flood of fake news already believed by far too many people. Facebook effectively blocked verified, fact-checked news (the bit that costs money) while the blathering cowboys of Youtube – where most conspiracy theorists get their 'information' – continued unchecked.</p><p>Many Facebook-lite users have graced newspaper letter pages with sentiments such as "Who needs facebook, I can go directly to news platforms." But this harks back to the old days of print news, where most people bought only one newspaper or consumed the highly summarised and curated TV evening news. Far more news is available today.</p><p>The same people often remark that Facebook is boring anyway, or just full of crap, and blame this on the medium. They seem unaware that if their experience of Facebook is crap, that's because their online friends post a lot of it. But a network of informed, intelligent people can offer a smorgasbord of new information and thought.</p><p>Facebook also offers people the chance to talk back, and they do so on public pages such as the very media sites blocked in this latest move. Vigorous public debates are typically supported by links to other news pages, which also have been blocked. Such users transcend the infamous 'echo-effect' that can isolate the page of an incurious user. The loss of this was a serious blow to town square discussion and information sharing.</p><p>Now, even as media pages have returned to the platform, there is nothing stopping the tech giants from again wielding this blunt instrument, and any benefit to smaller players is unclear.. </p><p>Unless, that is, we had an alternative, a new way of accessing news which also solved the problem of paywalls.</p><p>Paywalls are a legacy of old media, each platform standing behind their battlements and trying to compete with all the other platforms for subscribers. This, so far, has failed to replace the advertising 'rivers of gold' that used to support commercial media. But more than that, they disenfranchise all who cannot afford to pay multiple subscriptions. It appears Australia's media giants are wallowing in their own feifdoms, vying for market prominence behind paywalls. In this they make an age-old mistake – a failure to see things from the consumer's point of view. The fact is that most people cannot or will not afford multiple news subscriptions, so they are forever locked out of most information sources while the media companies are denied this revenue.</p><p>What's needed is a new platform. Call it 'Ozmedia'. People could subscribe for about the same amount as a single platform but get access to all participating platforms, who get paid per click. It could be owned and set up by existing media platforms, or by the government if it was run at arms-length. The pay per click system would even out the disparity between mega and micro players as, presumably, the Sydney Sentinel or the Eurobodalla Beagle would get far fewer clicks than the big players. The system would also encourage competition between the platforms, where hopefully the attraction of quality content would counter the populist clickbait that already proliferates. The ABC should be included but also available free to the taxpayers who fund it.</p><p>Its initial subscriber base could be all the participating media companies' subscribers, and the obvious value for money should make promoting further membership relatively easy. After all, a nominal $15 per month or so is less than people used to pay to have the paper delivered every day. Students could enjoy generous discounts or use their parents' accounts.</p><p>The platform/app could have rolling headlines searchable by story tags, by title or by keywords. Email alerts would keep people aware. Alerts could be customised by interest area, so people with no interest in sport, for instance, could reduce the spam effect by specifying only news and comment. Or vice versa. All this is basic tech already available on most platforms.</p><p>It would be advertising-free, so there would be little need for Ozmedia to collect user data beyond subscription information – promising to not do so would make it more attractive than the data-hungry Facebook and Google. Links to news from those platforms might arrive at the Ozmedia paywall, or limited access offers promoting subscription.</p><p>Yes it would be a complex negotiation among the media players, and would need to be slick and well designed, but those players have the necessary resources and skill base.</p><p>Then, if the global giants try another stunt like this, we could give them the middle finger and go to Ozmedia for our information.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-57211000513791811432021-03-12T10:40:00.000+11:002021-10-08T10:41:03.103+11:00Australia left behind as Mexico legalises cannabis<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kLYi9aKZEezMrKT8-bjLG2cpcVScqyd3oiwAB8bxURX64Qf13LKIf9Nx0kshblxbOc7ytJz3xPPxRcWJkipE18bywsNuVJNHEWP2zSDwo1ZSGQxgjfg8TRtv7DBlUQb1Vzkb/s1706/Cannabis+protest+Mexico.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1706" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kLYi9aKZEezMrKT8-bjLG2cpcVScqyd3oiwAB8bxURX64Qf13LKIf9Nx0kshblxbOc7ytJz3xPPxRcWJkipE18bywsNuVJNHEWP2zSDwo1ZSGQxgjfg8TRtv7DBlUQb1Vzkb/w400-h225/Cannabis+protest+Mexico.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A woman carries a cannabis plant <br />in a street protest in Mexico – Reuters</td></tr></tbody></table>Mexico's lower house of Congress <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-marijuana-idUSKBN2B22UT" target="_blank">has passed new laws </a>to fully legalise cannabis for recreational, medical and scientific use. The move is likely to defuse some of the extreme violence inflicted on people by illegal drug cartels and their militias, whereby hundreds of thousands have been killed and tens of thousands 'disappeared'.</p><p>The "War on Drugs" campaign of former President Calderon only increased this violence and enabled <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/world/americas/mexico-drug-war-death-toll.html" target="_blank">widespread police corruption, </a>police in some cases working directly for cartels. Between 2007 and 2014, over <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-staggering-death-toll-of-mexicos-drug-war/" target="_blank">160,000 people were murdered,</a> far more than civilian deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq combined over the same period.</p><p>Meanwhile, at the time of this writing, NSW Police are conducting another drug blitz in the Northern Rivers region, where cannabis has long been popular. The discredited prohibitionist dogma of Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has clearly failed across the world and it is puzzling why he continues to persecute drug users despite the landslide of social and scientific evidence refuting it. T<i>he Daily Telegraph</i> has published speculation that Mr Fuller is running for preselection for the Liberals in Craig Kelly's seat of Hughes.</p><p>This comes after NSW police dropped investigations into the clear forgery tabled by Liberal Energy Minister Angus Taylor, and into allegations of historical rape by Attorney-General Christian Porter. There is no evidence that these events are in any way connected – but it surely makes a bad look.</p><p>Australia is lucky not to suffer the extreme violence of Mexican cartels but there are regular drive-by shootings and murders in Sydney explicitly linked to organised gangs peddling drugs.</p><p>One of the most frequent lies of prohibitionists, that cannabis causes serious health problems, is being challenged in Mexico. “With this, the false belief that cannabis forms part of Mexico’s serious health problems is left behind,” said one ruling party member.</p><p>Meanwhile a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-corruption-honduras/drug-clan-leader-testifies-he-bribed-honduran-president-with-250000-idUSKBN2B32S6" target="_blank">New York court has heard</a> that a drug clan leader bribed the President of Honduras in 2012 with $250,000 to prevent his extradition to the USA. Australia has had its own drug bribery scandals, so it is remarkable that authorities still prosecute the failed and corrupt War on Drugs.</p><p>With Australia being left behind by yet another supposedly third-world country, can it be the case that we are becoming a fourth-world banana republic?</p><p><br /></p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-50075553069906159512021-02-15T18:39:00.001+11:002021-02-15T18:39:35.410+11:00Study finds no relationship between cannabis intake and driving impairment<p>A <a href="https://norml.org/news/2021/02/11/driving-simulator-study-thc-per-se-limits-are-unreliable-predictors-of-psychomotor-performance/?fbclid=IwAR1fkxYfBw9hL1N6wqfiFncavMqN4Z8mVGmRwyK2zqxTGK4Jx7NzpBpwe_E" target="_blank">study of people</a> using driving simulators found that cannabis levels had no relationship to driving impairment. This does not mean people can get stoned and go for a drive in perfect safety but it does underline the fundamental injustice of our drug driving laws compared to drunk driving laws, where blood alcohol content definitely affects driving ability.</p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-70999332716977539512021-01-31T12:48:00.000+11:002021-01-31T12:48:01.029+11:00Cannabis legalised, sky has not fallen, prohibitionists wrong again<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcxSStj2LLkmITMnpc7e5onWItQg2bS1XC74b4fzuLfBdGfae4jmSeO2eTsK9-Cl9MFedX8hBqgSb03Kvu_lnKhlaZIyZ40BqoslAFLWpCrPeriV7VY1DGgkHQbz1MdyAL2_U/s2048/Cannabis+head+north+coast+CU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1671" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcxSStj2LLkmITMnpc7e5onWItQg2bS1XC74b4fzuLfBdGfae4jmSeO2eTsK9-Cl9MFedX8hBqgSb03Kvu_lnKhlaZIyZ40BqoslAFLWpCrPeriV7VY1DGgkHQbz1MdyAL2_U/s320/Cannabis+head+north+coast+CU.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A year of legalised cannabis possession in Australia's ACT capital <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-31/what-has-changed-since-cannabis-was-legalised-in-the-act/13105636?fbclid=IwAR12wcSqUpuO5GkHFPWwli165ahbhgMPUe-8QmJ_-mrpccQN8matAzNpgLM" target="_blank">has not changed much</a> apart from some small improvements. So much for the dire predictions of prohibitionists – who look more and more like clueless conspiracy theorists.<p></p><p>While simple cannabis offences have dropped 90%, usage has remained steady, drug driving detections are about the same and there has been no increase in mental health admissions, despite warnings to that effect from conspiracy theorist and Health Minister Greg Hunt.</p><p>This is in line with everywhere else that has legalised. Makes you wonder how much longer prohibitionists can ignore reality.</p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838969.post-80685424530878202412021-01-20T19:51:00.000+11:002021-01-20T19:51:36.544+11:00Former magistrate slams unfair drug driving tests<p>Thousands of NSW residents are having their driving licences revoked for no good reason says David Heilpern, a Northern Rivers magistrate who retired early, largely because he could not in conscience continue imposing mandatory suspensions.</p><p>He says in this <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lawreport/david-heilpern-critical-nsw-drug-driving-laws/12757356" target="_blank">Radio National interview</a> that roadside drug tests are criminalising people with historic traces of certain illicit drugs but whose driving is not impaired. He points out that when such road safety measures as compulsory seatbelts and random breath testing for alcohol were introduced, the road toll was significantly reduced. But he has seen no evidence that busting tens of thousands of drivers over several years for illicit drugs has reduced the road toll.</p><p>This is largely because tests for cannabis can reveal traces of historic use – a week or nine days earlier – which do not impair driving. This contrasts with alcohol testing which measures present blood alcohol levels and the level of impairment in an increasing scale with corresponding penalties.</p><p>The drug testing hits regional areas hardest because people there are more reliant on driving for daily functions such as getting to work, taking children to school or going into town for shopping. He said people in his court would regularly burst into tears, pleading with him not to suspend their licence. But NSW law mandates automatic suspension dating from the initial roadside test. Mr Heilpern was able to exonerate only a few people on particular legal grounds.</p><p>To make matters worse, police have <a href="https://kingscrosstimes.blogspot.com/2020/06/nsw-ramps-up-drug-detection-targets-as.html" target="_blank">district level quotas</a> with certain areas such as Northern Rivers and the Hunter having higher quotas than other areas such as the North Shore of Sydney.</p><p>There is no reason for these harsh laws. They do not make the roads safer. There is no evidence supporting them. They can exist only because of an irrational prohibitionist prejudice in the NSW government and the police industry – which of course benefits massively from drug detection budgets. Thousands of people are being criminalised and having their lives impaired for no reason whatsoever. This stupidity must stop.</p>The Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16827285775130578187noreply@blogger.com0