With drug use related harms, explanatory models are often presented as predictive tools, even though they ‘are [rarely if ever] predictive of consequent behavior’ or outcomes. Hence, we feel confident in asserting at outset, that prohibition based approaches in drug policy lack a sound basis in empirical research (despite sounding logical, i.e. remove drugs or the means of their production and less drugs will be available to users, thus minimising or eliminating harm), and are not animated by well-defined goals, goals that are not only consistent with the ethical and humanitarian aims of public health policy in general, but also with the fundamental principles of democracy) such as empowering or enabling those best placed to act, but by beliefs, assumptions, hypotheses and expectations.

~ Daniel Waterman

Daniel Waterman Belief Democracy Drug Policy Drugs Ethics Explanatory Model Harm Humanitarian Policy Predictive Prohibition Public Health

Introduction of rational standards to differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable forms of drug related conduct allows us to hold drug users fully accountable for any harm resulting from irresponsible, stupid or ‘anti-social’ drug use in a manner consistent with current alcohol and tobacco policies, and more importantly, in a manner consistent with our commitment to the principles of liberty, freedom of choice and so on.

~ Daniel Waterman

Daniel Waterman Accountability Choice Drug Policy Drug Use Drugs Freedom

Crack had a social logic to it, a specific kind of reasoning that drew from a vast well of common experience for its symbolic resonance. Crack stood for pain and power, chaos and order, the truth behind the lie. Crack was a sociolegal logic grounded in blood.

~ Dimitri A. Bogazianos

Dimitri A. Bogazianos Crime And Punishment Drug Policy Drugs Law Social Issues Social Justice

A significant factor often overlooked by those considering the failure of drug policy is the general aim of deflecting or assigning responsibility away from the policy-makers and the ‘moral-majority.

~ Daniel Waterman

Daniel Waterman Drug Policy Moral Majority Policy Responsibility

Altitude sickness, unregulated drugs and medical gas enabled workers to become drug abusers/addicts

~ Steven Magee

Steven Magee Abuse Abusers Addict Addicted Addiction Addiction And Recovery Addictions Addicts Altitude Altitudes Drug Drug Abuse Drug Addiction Drug Policy Drug Use Drugs Gas Kea Mauna Medical Medical Ethics Medical Profession Medical Research Oxygen Oxygen Of Life Oxygen Theory Sick Sickly Sickness Sickness And Diseases Sickness And Health Sickness Of The Mind Worker Worker Rights Workers

The legalization of marijuana is not a dangerous experiment – the prohibition is the experiment, and it has failed dramatically, with millions of victims all around the world.

~ Sebastian Marincolo

Sebastian Marincolo Cannabis Drug Drug Policy Drugs Legalization Marihuana Marijuana Prohibition Psychoactive Regulation

...we have no right to decide off-hand that it is an unnatural pleasure to eat sawdust. A man might be constituted so that he liked it. And so long as his peculiarity doesn't damage or interfere with other people, there's no reason why he shouldn't be left alone.But if it is the man's fixed belief that sawdust eating is essential to human happiness; if he attributes almost everything that happens either to the effects of eating it or not eating it; if he imagines that most of the people he meets are also sawdust-eaters, and above all, if he thinks that the salvation of the world depends entirely upon making laws to compel people to eat sawdust, whether they like it or not, then it is fair to say that his mind is unbalanced on the subject; and that, further, the practice itself, however innocent it may appear, is in that particular case perverse. Sanity consists in the proper equilibrium of ideas in general. That is the only sense in which it is true that genius is connected with insanity.

~ Aleister Crowley

Aleister Crowley 1922 Drug Policy Genius Insanity Proselytizing Sanity Thelema Tolerance