[ABANDONED] On Mild Recreation Drugs

[Samozaryadnyastan]

Millions are killed every year by tobacco and alcohol related illness, obviously not counting fatalities made whilst under the influence.
Find me a single death attributed solely to marijuana intoxication.

Also, the People's Republic finds itself in favour. We already legalised soft drugs, and gangs peddling hard drugs (or undercutting the state's drug trade) are deemed military targets and liquidised in suitable fashion.

We can't. Not within our borders. Because drugs are banned and that ban is very strongly enforced.

OOC: However, in the real world, the reason many of these deaths don't happen is because these drugs are not nearly as widespread as alcohol and tobacco. Inhaling a burning substance will, in all likelihood, cause cance. regardless of whether it is tobacco or pot. Besides, the level and length of impairment is more significant then alcohol or tobacco. That alone is more then enough, in my opinion, to ban them in my make-believe nation.

Alcohol impairment is much worse than marijuana impairment. People on alcohol commit rape, murder, assault and criminal damage, and are generally disruptive/violent/horny - some all at the same time. They also believe they still possess their motor skills, which is why so many climb behind car wheels.
On marijuana, you're aware of your impairment, and often you're not drastically different to your normal self. The only notable side effects is them going OMJ THE COLOURS and having the munchies.

[Connopolis]

Sorry, I have the operative clause on the draft itself. I guess I just didn't copy and paste it. I edited the previous post, and the original post to the final version.

[Morlago]

This is the final version of the proposal before I submit it. Even though this probably won't collect much support, it's worth a try.

Category: Recreational Drugs
Type: Legalize

UNDERSTANDING that despite harsh anti-drug laws, many manage to obtain drugs through illegal or unlawful means.

NOTING that by banning drugs, drug cartels have formed, usually slaughtering rival cartels for trivial reasons.

FURTHER NOTING that by banning mild drugs, such as marijuana, addicts may be exposed to stronger substances while attempting to purchase such drugs.

REALIZING that by taxing drugs such as marijuana, government revenue would increase drastically, and those who sold these drugs illegally would be able to contribute to the economy by creating private sector jobs.

RECOGNIZING any substance that has been clinically proven not to cause severe physical or mental harm.

Drugs proven to cause:

a) More frequent (medically proven to increase the chances of cancer by at least 75%) malignant tumors, or any cancerous buildup of cells.
b) Prolonged memory loss.
c) Long Lasting anxiety or stress.
d) Strong or compulsive addiction which could alter one's thought process while deprived of the substance
e) Severe withdrawal symptoms, potent enough to cause death without proper rehabilitation.

are not recognized as mild recreational drugs, and will not be affected by this article; however, individual nations may legalize them within their own borders.

CREATING the RDA, or the Recreational Drug Agency, who's purpose is to create the criteria of a standard medical exam used to obtain licenses.

REQUIRING consumers obtain a license at a federal facility in order to legally obtain mild recreational drugs. To obtain a license, one must pass a medical exam that mental and physical health, and may not have a history of drug related violence.

FURTHER REQUIRING that private businesses who plan on selling mild recreational drugs obtain a separate license than that of the one allowing you to use the substances.

ENCOURAGES WA member nations to create specialized agencies that may regulate the criteria for a substance to be considered a mild recreational drug, so long as it is in compliance with this article.

ALLOWS for WA member nations to add additional protocol as appropriate for their nation's cultural or religious beliefs so long as it does not violate this article.

FURTHER ALLOWING WA member nations to recognize mild recreational drugs as commodities, and, so long as there is mutual acceptance between nations, they may be imported, exported, and traded.

HEREBY legalizes mild recreational drugs within all borders, creates the RDA to approve the medical exam one uses to obtain their licenses, and recognizing the purchase, possession, and consumption of mild recreational drugs as legal.

I am not even going to bother debating, just my final decision - OPPOSED.

[Connopolis]

*Tackles Morlago's ambassador and offers him a bag of marijuana*

You will pay for your sins Mr. Ambassador! You will pay!

[Morlago]

*Tackles Morlago's ambassador and offers him a bag of marijuana*

You will pay for your sins Mr. Ambassador! You will pay!

*Tackles Connopolis' ambassador and offers him a pack of nicotine gum*
"Stop smoking, tobacco or weed! It's bad, bad, bad!"

[Separatist Peoples]

We can't. Not within our borders. Because drugs are banned and that ban is very strongly enforced.

OOC: However, in the real world, the reason many of these deaths don't happen is because these drugs are not nearly as widespread as alcohol and tobacco. Inhaling a burning substance will, in all likelihood, cause cance. regardless of whether it is tobacco or pot. Besides, the level and length of impairment is more significant then alcohol or tobacco. That alone is more then enough, in my opinion, to ban them in my make-believe nation.

Alcohol impairment is much worse than marijuana impairment. People on alcohol commit rape, murder, assault and criminal damage, and are generally disruptive/violent/horny - some all at the same time. They also believe they still possess their motor skills, which is why so many climb behind car wheels.
On marijuana, you're aware of your impairment, and often you're not drastically different to your normal self. The only notable side effects is them going OMJ THE COLOURS and having the munchies.

From personal experience, I would like to point out that alcohol impairment is very much noticeable, and alcohol impairment takes more substance to become as impaired as marijuana. AND it doesn't often last as long. Having been dramatically impaired on both substances, I would very much rather take my chances with alcohol.

[Separatist Peoples]

This is the final version of the proposal before I submit it. Even though this probably won't collect much support, it's worth a try.

Category: Recreational Drugs
Type: Legalize

UNDERSTANDING that despite harsh anti-drug laws, many manage to obtain drugs through illegal or unlawful means.

NOTING that by banning drugs, drug cartels have formed, usually slaughtering rival cartels for trivial reasons.

FURTHER NOTING that by banning mild drugs, such as marijuana, addicts may be exposed to stronger substances while attempting to purchase such drugs.

REALIZING that by taxing drugs such as marijuana, government revenue would increase drastically, and those who sold these drugs illegally would be able to contribute to the economy by creating private sector jobs.

RECOGNIZING any substance that has been clinically proven not to cause severe physical or mental harm.

Drugs proven to cause:

a) More frequent (medically proven to increase the chances of cancer by at least 75%) malignant tumors, or any cancerous buildup of cells.
b) Prolonged memory loss.
c) Long Lasting anxiety or stress.
d) Strong or compulsive addiction which could alter one's thought process while deprived of the substance
e) Severe withdrawal symptoms, potent enough to cause death without proper rehabilitation.

are not recognized as mild recreational drugs, and will not be affected by this article; however, individual nations may legalize them within their own borders.

CREATING the RDA, or the Recreational Drug Agency, who's purpose is to create the criteria of a standard medical exam used to obtain licenses.

REQUIRING consumers obtain a license at a federal facility in order to legally obtain mild recreational drugs. To obtain a license, one must pass a medical exam that mental and physical health, and may not have a history of drug related violence.

FURTHER REQUIRING that private businesses who plan on selling mild recreational drugs obtain a separate license than that of the one allowing you to use the substances.

ENCOURAGES WA member nations to create specialized agencies that may regulate the criteria for a substance to be considered a mild recreational drug, so long as it is in compliance with this article.

ALLOWS for WA member nations to add additional protocol as appropriate for their nation's cultural or religious beliefs so long as it does not violate this article.

FURTHER ALLOWING WA member nations to recognize mild recreational drugs as commodities, and, so long as there is mutual acceptance between nations, they may be imported, exported, and traded.

HEREBY legalizes mild recreational drugs within all borders, creates the RDA to approve the medical exam one uses to obtain their licenses, and recognizing the purchase, possession, and consumption of mild recreational drugs as legal.

I am not even going to bother debating, just my final decision - OPPOSED.

This. Why should we legalize anything that effectivly turns citizens into useless, food and air consuming lumps of flesh and bone? At least when you consume a little alcohol, you can still be a productive member of society. A little marijuana goes a lot further. Keep this in your nation, please, and let us all be happier for it. OPPOSED to the last.

[Princess Luna]

We've mentioned this before, but this resolution would force us, a nation that at present has no laws pertaining to drugs, and no prohibitions on the use of any chemical between consenting adults, to set up a regulatory agency that would consume money, even though it would have no power to limit the use of any drugs, and whose staff would spend their days making pointless licenses that would have no legal validity in that no crime would attach to practice without one (sale of commercial drugs to adults is regulated as a trading standards issue; one must provide accurate and comprehensive information to the consume to allow an informed decision, sale of harmful products without clear labeling and information is a severe criminal offense, though fortunately, we have not had any transgressions to date) this would prima-facie be absurd.

To gain our support this resolution should expand the phrase "add additional protocol as appropriate for their nation's cultural or religious beliefs" to explicitly codify the right of nations to further legalise drugs beyond these provisions by the use of national law.

~ Grandeur Diadem,
Ambassador to the World Assembly.

[Sythril]

the last thing i want is some smelly, overweight habitual user walking past me every ten seconds

[Free Pangea]

Marijuana is not only almost harmless but can actually make you live longer.
-various recent studies

[Connopolis]

the last thing i want is some smelly, overweight habitual user walking past me every ten seconds

That's very presumptuous of you to assume that all users are smelly, overweight, or habitual users. As a matter of fact, that's very bold of you to assume any of them are.

[Jordsindia]

Against.

[Sythril]

the last thing i want is some smelly, overweight habitual user walking past me every ten seconds

That's very presumptuous of you to assume that all users are smelly, overweight, or habitual users. As a matter of fact, that's very bold of you to assume any of them are.

i said none of those

all i said is i don't want a smelly overweight habitual user of drugs walking past me all the time

[Separatist Peoples]

Marijuana is not only almost harmless but can actually make you live longer.
-various recent studies

Source? Every study in the CDSP says it does the opposite.

[Connopolis]

Marijuana is not only almost harmless but can actually make you live longer.
-various recent studies

Source? Every study in the CDSP says it does the opposite.

Mitch Earleywine, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany, noted in a Nov. 17, 2005 press release:
Not only does marijuana not cause depression, it looks like it may actually alleviate it...

Those who use marijuana to battle the symptoms of illness may be depressed because of their illness, not because of marijuana. Studies that do not identify medical use might falsely implicate marijuana, rather than sickness, as the cause of depressed feelings...



Lester Grinspoon, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, stated in an Apr. 1998 Journal of Psychoactive Drugs article:
Thirty percent to 40% of patients with bipolar disorder are not consistently helped by or cannot tolerate standard medications. In the course of the authors' studies of the medical uses of cannabis (Grinspoon & Bakalar 1997), a number of sufferers were discovered who believed marihuana to be more effective than conventional anti-manic drugs, or who used it to relieve the side effects of lithium.



Ethan Russo, MD, Senior Medical Advisor at the Cannabinoid Research Institute, wrote the following in the Dec. 2002 issue of Cannabis Health:
A surprising number of people so afflicted [with bi-polar disorder] have independently made the discovery that cannabis has improved their conditions, whether the mania or depression. It may also reduce side effects of other drugs used in its treatment, such as Lithium, Carbamazepine (Tegretol) or Valproate (Depakote).

No doubt, cannabis is affecting the balance of neurotransmitters that are at the basis for this disorder.

Endocannabinoids seem to be intimately involved in emotional regulation mechanisms in the limbic system. Because THC and other chemicals in cannabis mimic our own internal biochemistry


For more college studies that prove to be in favor of marijuana use, here is a list:

Link This study proves marijuana does not cause depression, but marijuana use is more frequent among those who already suffer from depression.
Link This one happens to be a study that shows cannibinoids prevent malignant tumors from forming.

[Quelesh]

REQUIRING consumers obtain a license at a federal facility in order to legally obtain mild recreational drugs. To obtain a license, one must pass a medical exam that mental and physical health, and may not have a history of drug related violence.

What is a "federal" facility? And would this actually require nations in which recreational drugs are fully legal without the requirement of a license (such as Quelesh) to impose a new licensing requirement? If so, we would certainly oppose this proposal.

We would prefer a simpler proposal that outright prohibited the criminalization of recreational drugs.

[Connopolis]

REQUIRING consumers obtain a license at a federal facility in order to legally obtain mild recreational drugs. To obtain a license, one must pass a medical exam that mental and physical health, and may not have a history of drug related violence.

What is a "federal" facility? And would this actually require nations in which recreational drugs are fully legal without the requirement of a license (such as Quelesh) to impose a new licensing requirement? If so, we would certainly oppose this proposal.

We would prefer a simpler proposal that outright prohibited the criminalization of recreational drugs.

Alright, I see your point. My only concern is that it might lose support. But I agree, licenses aren't required in Connopolis either. Therefore, removing the licensing clause would eliminate the RDA, which might, in turn, create support. Alright, I'll remove that clause.

[Morlago]

Source? Every study in the CDSP says it does the opposite.

Mitch Earleywine, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany, noted in a Nov. 17, 2005 press release:
Not only does marijuana not cause depression, it looks like it may actually alleviate it...

Those who use marijuana to battle the symptoms of illness may be depressed because of their illness, not because of marijuana. Studies that do not identify medical use might falsely implicate marijuana, rather than sickness, as the cause of depressed feelings...



Lester Grinspoon, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, stated in an Apr. 1998 Journal of Psychoactive Drugs article:
Thirty percent to 40% of patients with bipolar disorder are not consistently helped by or cannot tolerate standard medications. In the course of the authors' studies of the medical uses of cannabis (Grinspoon & Bakalar 1997), a number of sufferers were discovered who believed marihuana to be more effective than conventional anti-manic drugs, or who used it to relieve the side effects of lithium.



Ethan Russo, MD, Senior Medical Advisor at the Cannabinoid Research Institute, wrote the following in the Dec. 2002 issue of Cannabis Health:
A surprising number of people so afflicted [with bi-polar disorder] have independently made the discovery that cannabis has improved their conditions, whether the mania or depression. It may also reduce side effects of other drugs used in its treatment, such as Lithium, Carbamazepine (Tegretol) or Valproate (Depakote).

No doubt, cannabis is affecting the balance of neurotransmitters that are at the basis for this disorder.

Endocannabinoids seem to be intimately involved in emotional regulation mechanisms in the limbic system. Because THC and other chemicals in cannabis mimic our own internal biochemistry


For more college studies that prove to be in favor of marijuana use, here is a list:

Link This study proves marijuana does not cause depression, but marijuana use is more frequent among those who already suffer from depression.
Link This one happens to be a study that shows cannibinoids prevent malignant tumors from forming.

Excuse me. This is can hardly be used as evidence when it deals with the medical use of marijuana. While we do not deny these effects of marijuana, this is biased as it deals with already-depressed people.

Also, just because it does not cause lung cancer does not mean it is harmless. It does continue on to say that marijuana damages lung cells. Also, the article claims that it prevents cells from becoming malignant, yet it says that smokers of tobacco and marijuana only have a slightly lower chance of receiving lung cancer than pure tobacco smokers. Isn't that common sense? Obviously that would be the case as they spend less time on tobacco. It does not prove that it prevents cancer.

[Connopolis]

Mitch Earleywine, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany, noted in a Nov. 17, 2005 press release:
Not only does marijuana not cause depression, it looks like it may actually alleviate it...

Those who use marijuana to battle the symptoms of illness may be depressed because of their illness, not because of marijuana. Studies that do not identify medical use might falsely implicate marijuana, rather than sickness, as the cause of depressed feelings...



Lester Grinspoon, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, stated in an Apr. 1998 Journal of Psychoactive Drugs article:
Thirty percent to 40% of patients with bipolar disorder are not consistently helped by or cannot tolerate standard medications. In the course of the authors' studies of the medical uses of cannabis (Grinspoon & Bakalar 1997), a number of sufferers were discovered who believed marihuana to be more effective than conventional anti-manic drugs, or who used it to relieve the side effects of lithium.



Ethan Russo, MD, Senior Medical Advisor at the Cannabinoid Research Institute, wrote the following in the Dec. 2002 issue of Cannabis Health:
A surprising number of people so afflicted [with bi-polar disorder] have independently made the discovery that cannabis has improved their conditions, whether the mania or depression. It may also reduce side effects of other drugs used in its treatment, such as Lithium, Carbamazepine (Tegretol) or Valproate (Depakote).

No doubt, cannabis is affecting the balance of neurotransmitters that are at the basis for this disorder.

Endocannabinoids seem to be intimately involved in emotional regulation mechanisms in the limbic system. Because THC and other chemicals in cannabis mimic our own internal biochemistry


For more college studies that prove to be in favor of marijuana use, here is a list:

Link This study proves marijuana does not cause depression, but marijuana use is more frequent among those who already suffer from depression.
Link This one happens to be a study that shows cannibinoids prevent malignant tumors from forming.

Excuse me. This is can hardly be used as evidence when it deals with the medical use of marijuana. While we do not deny these effects of marijuana, this is biased as it deals with already-depressed people.

That's the point. Their illness is what causes the depression, so because the marijuana just happens to be in use at the time, it's assumed that marijuana causes the depression.

[Separatist Peoples]

Mitch Earleywine, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany, noted in a Nov. 17, 2005 press release:
Not only does marijuana not cause depression, it looks like it may actually alleviate it...

Those who use marijuana to battle the symptoms of illness may be depressed because of their illness, not because of marijuana. Studies that do not identify medical use might falsely implicate marijuana, rather than sickness, as the cause of depressed feelings...



Lester Grinspoon, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, stated in an Apr. 1998 Journal of Psychoactive Drugs article:
Thirty percent to 40% of patients with bipolar disorder are not consistently helped by or cannot tolerate standard medications. In the course of the authors' studies of the medical uses of cannabis (Grinspoon & Bakalar 1997), a number of sufferers were discovered who believed marihuana to be more effective than conventional anti-manic drugs, or who used it to relieve the side effects of lithium.



Ethan Russo, MD, Senior Medical Advisor at the Cannabinoid Research Institute, wrote the following in the Dec. 2002 issue of Cannabis Health:
A surprising number of people so afflicted [with bi-polar disorder] have independently made the discovery that cannabis has improved their conditions, whether the mania or depression. It may also reduce side effects of other drugs used in its treatment, such as Lithium, Carbamazepine (Tegretol) or Valproate (Depakote).

No doubt, cannabis is affecting the balance of neurotransmitters that are at the basis for this disorder.

Endocannabinoids seem to be intimately involved in emotional regulation mechanisms in the limbic system. Because THC and other chemicals in cannabis mimic our own internal biochemistry


For more college studies that prove to be in favor of marijuana use, here is a list:

Link This study proves marijuana does not cause depression, but marijuana use is more frequent among those who already suffer from depression.
Link This one happens to be a study that shows cannibinoids prevent malignant tumors from forming.

Excuse me. This is can hardly be used as evidence when it deals with the medical use of marijuana. While we do not deny these effects of marijuana, this is biased as it deals with already-depressed people.

Also, just because it does not cause lung cancer does not mean it is harmless. It does continue on to say that marijuana damages lung cells. Also, the article claims that it prevents cells from becoming malignant, yet it says that smokers of tobacco and marijuana only have a slightly lower chance of receiving lung cancer than pure tobacco smokers. Isn't that common sense? Obviously that would be the case as they spend less time on tobacco. It does not prove that it prevents cancer.

This.
MEDICAL marijuana is legal within our borders. Recreational drugs are viewed as a waste of time and potential. And these recreational drugs certainly DO have effect. I'm reminded of an old college aquaintance of mine who smoked constantly. The pot totally destroyed whatever potential he might have had within the university. He became forgetful and unmotivated, though I never believed him to be addicted. His grades dropped, and he lost the will to do more then force himself to work enough for sustinance wage and weed money. Experiences like that have driven this particular ambassador to stand firmly against any blanket legalization, howeve the larger problem is the total lack of importance this issue has in the international forum. This is a national-level issue, and should remain such.

We sadly cannot understand why it is that nations cannot leave well enough alone in this area. If these drugs are legalized within your borders, why do you feel the need to force us to do the same, when clearly our system has been working just fine? It is a quandry that confuses and saddens me...

[Connopolis]

Excuse me. This is can hardly be used as evidence when it deals with the medical use of marijuana. While we do not deny these effects of marijuana, this is biased as it deals with already-depressed people.

Also, just because it does not cause lung cancer does not mean it is harmless. It does continue on to say that marijuana damages lung cells. Also, the article claims that it prevents cells from becoming malignant, yet it says that smokers of tobacco and marijuana only have a slightly lower chance of receiving lung cancer than pure tobacco smokers. Isn't that common sense? Obviously that would be the case as they spend less time on tobacco. It does not prove that it prevents cancer.

I'm sorry, but because Portugal is the only country to have decriminalized drugs, they would be the only country that could conduct a legal study, and I'm not sure if you'd like to read my evidence in Portuguese, therefore, medical marijuana is the only way that a legitimate study could be conducted. Plus medical marijuana has the same effects as recreational marijuana. Just because it's used for medicinal purposes doesn't change its effects.

[Ack barnes]

Where's that stamp? Ah, here we are...

THIS IS NOT AN
INTERNATIONAL
ISSUE.

It is allready a national issue.

[Maroza]

This issue that can be decided by each individual nation. Keeping people from doing recreational drugs will not hurt them and this violates sovereignty.

[Monikian WA Mission]

This is not an international issue. Opposed.

[The Kingdom of Genovia]

I side with many others.

This is not an international issue. Keep it at a national level. If you want these drugs legalized in your nation, do so. If you want them illegal, do that too. We shouldn't bother the international community on such an issue like this. Allow the individual state to make laws as they see fit to better their people.

OPPOSED