[DRAFT] Cannabis Legalization Convention

[Qvait]

Going green on this one.

Recognizing GA#90 "Drug Trafficking Act" for providing the necessary regulation of the international trade of drugs and the prohibition of trafficking,

Acknowledging that the criminalization of cannabis possession, cultivation, distribution, and the sale thereof has resulted in,

1. The overincarceration of persons in detention facilities, sometimes impeding states from imprisoning criminals who committed more heinous crimes;
2. The limited ability of persons with cannabis possession, cultivation, distribution, or the sale thereof on their criminal records in finding adequate and stable employment upon completion of their term of detention;
3. The undue strain on government spending and taxation on the enforcement of cannabis prohibition and the incarceration of persons found to be possessing, cultivating, distributing, or selling the drug;

Noting that cannabis is a drug that has several medicinal benefits that can prolong people's lives and alleviate their suffering, which includes but is not limited to:

1. The alleviation of chronic pain;
2. The reduction of symptoms related to chemotherapy and epilepsy;
3. The minimization of anxiety, stress, and depression;

Concerned that the continued prohibition of cannabis will cause further strain on states and lifelong damage to the social life of inhabitants of all member states,

The World Assembly hereby,

1. Legalizes the possession, cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis in member states;
2. Requires member states to:
   
   1. Release all persons detained for the possession, cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis unless also detained for other crimes;
   2. Expunge the possession, cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis from all persons' criminal records;
   3. Issue licenses that allow persons to cultivate, distribute, or sell cannabis;
3. Permits member states to impose:
   
   1. Regulations on the quality of the cannabis that persons are cultivating, distributing, or selling;
   2. Limitations on the issuance of licenses to persons who fail to meet prerequisite environmental and health laws and regulations;
   3. Restrictions on the possession, cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis:
      
      1. By or to persons who have not reached the age of majority,
      2. In public facilities, except in facilities that legally dispense drugs,
   4. Restrictions on cannabis imports that fail to meet a member states' laws and regulations on the environment, health, or trade;
   5. Restrictions on the use of cannabis similar to impositions on other legal drugs and substances, such as use before or during the operation of a vehicle.

[WayNeacTia]

"Looks good to us. Can't wait to vote for it."

Wayne

[Honeydewistania]

People can possess and grow hemp but nations can still ban sellers, almost kinda making this useless.

[Qvait]

People can possess and grow hemp but nations can still ban sellers, almost kinda making this useless.

Apologies, that was an oversight on my end. I have amended the draft to account for the sale of cannabis.

[Jedinsto]

This may be a contradiction, viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30&p=4524724&hilit=mousebumples#p4524724 that resolution "respects the right" for nations to make their own rec. drug use laws.

[Tinhampton]

Permits all member states in imposing

"Permits member states to impose" instead?

[Imperium Anglorum]

This may be a contradiction, viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30&p=4524724&hilit=mousebumples#p4524724 that resolution "respects the right" for nations to make their own rec. drug use laws.

That clause is a preamble clause. Given the following, I'd imagine the best way to read it would be minimally.

CLARIFIES that nothing in this text limits a member state's ability to outlaw or legalize recreational use of MEDs or other drugs.

[Qvait]

Permits all member states in imposing

"Permits member states to impose" instead?

Done.

[Ionida]

Ambassador,
I would suggest that selling should still be illegal. For example, if someone had still obtained the substance from an unlicensed seller, this would still be as illegal as selling counterfeit goods.
Also believe proper licencing and regulation is required of course since it is still very dangerous.

[Qvait]

Ambassador,
I would suggest that selling should still be illegal. For example, if someone had still obtained the substance from an unlicensed seller, this would still be as illegal as selling counterfeit goods.
Also believe proper licencing and regulation is required of course since it is still very dangerous.

I've reworded the final part of the draft, but the draft as it was and is currently written will allow states to impose the necessary restrictions on unlicensed selling.

[Imperium Anglorum]

If you force member nations to legalise sale and then also allow them to regulate how much may be sold, what stops them from setting the yearly sale-cap to one gramme of cannabis?

[Qvait]

If you force member nations to legalise sale and then also allow them to regulate how much may be sold, what stops them from setting the yearly sale-cap to one gramme of cannabis?

I've removed those limitations.

[Imperium Anglorum]

If you force member nations to legalise sale and then also allow them to regulate how much may be sold, what stops them from setting the yearly sale-cap to one gramme of cannabis?

I've removed those limitations.

Same thing with licensing. How can you have full legalisation if member nations issue no licences?

[Greater Cesnica]

OOC: I fully support the idea of this legislation. However, you need to go beyond legalization- you need to define regulations within the resolution text, at least to the degree that nations cannot use the broad power of regulatory authority to just refuse to give licenses or approve sellers, or set caps on cannabis sales, or that sets extremely stifling limits on cultivation.

[Qvait]

Same thing with licensing. How can you have full legalisation if member nations issue no licences?

OOC: I fully support the idea of this legislation. However, you need to go beyond legalization- you need to define regulations within the resolution text, at least to the degree that nations cannot use the broad power of regulatory authority to just refuse to give licenses or approve sellers, or set caps on cannabis sales, or that sets extremely stifling limits on cultivation.

I've made revisions according to both of your concerns and added a few more things. Please make sure to review the draft to see if it meets your expectations or if there are other concerns.

[Ardiveds]

OOC: Is 3a supposed to be quantity rather than quality?

[Araraukar]

OOC: You should (if for some reason you want to continue this insanity) at the very least allow nations to set similar limits as are set to alcohol or tobacco use. 3.d. as it currently reads is not enough.

[Qvait]

OOC: Is 3a supposed to be quantity rather than quality?

No, I willfully chose the word "quality".

OOC: You should (if for some reason you want to continue this insanity) at the very least allow nations to set similar limits as are set to alcohol or tobacco use. 3.d. as it currently reads is not enough.

I hope the amended draft meets your expectations.

[Comfed]

I don’t really see this as a WA issue.

[Qvait]

I don’t really see this as a WA issue.

I have to disagree with you on this. There are many other resolutions of this kind that someone could argue such, but that doesn't change that the resolution should not be proposed or pass on its merits. The issue of legalizing cannabis is one that goes beyond national borders and affects many.

[Imperium Anglorum]

I also don't see it as an international issue. Being able to buy or sell cannabis isn't anything approaching a human right.

[Qvait]

I also don't see it as an international issue. Being able to buy or sell cannabis isn't anything approaching a human right.

This proposal is about much more than buying or selling cannabis, it is about providing access to a drug that may mean life or death for many people, and there are nations that actively deny their people the right to live by continuing the prohibition of a drug that serves as a means of prolonging people's lives and alleviating their suffering. If we agree that the right to life is a human right, then that must also mean that access to cannabis is a human right.

[Tinhampton]

I also don't see it as an international issue. Being able to buy or sell cannabis isn't anything approaching a human right.

This proposal is about much more than buying or selling cannabis, it is about providing access to a drug that may mean life or death for many people [...]

GA#124 "Essential Medication Act."

[Qvait]

GA#124 "Essential Medication Act."

I would also like to add that the proposal absolves all people of victimless crimes related to cannabis.

[Araraukar]

OOC: You should (if for some reason you want to continue this insanity) at the very least allow nations to set similar limits as are set to alcohol or tobacco use. 3.d. as it currently reads is not enough.

I hope the amended draft meets your expectations.

OOC: As clause three currently stands, it's as good as I suspect I'll be able to get out of a pro-drugs writer.

3. Permits member states to impose:

1. Regulations on the quality of the cannabis that persons are cultivating, distributing, or selling;
2. Limitations on the issuance of licenses to persons who fail to meet prerequisite environmental and health laws and regulations;
3. Restrictions on the possession, cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis:
   
   1. By or to persons who have not reached the age of majority,
   2. In public facilities, except in facilities that legally dispense drugs,
4. Restrictions on cannabis imports that fail to meet a member states' laws and regulations on the environment, health, or trade;
5. Restrictions on the use of cannabis similar to impositions on other legal drugs and substances, such as use before or during the operation of a vehicle.

I don’t really see this as a WA issue.

OOC: Me neither. What the medical use legislation doesn't cover, falls under purely national - if not regional - issues.

I would also like to add that the proposal absolves all people of victimless crimes related to cannabis.

OOC: There is NO victimless use of a recreational drug, EVER. And here's why you'll never be able to convince me otherwise:

I would apologize for this rant if this topic did not for personal reasons piss me off so much. I do apologize for (bolded capslock) yelling, but I WOULD yell at you in RL too, so I think it's justified. I've spoilered it however to avoid making the thread look untidy.

OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS A (self-censored-word-here) DRUGGIE ADDICTED TO ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA AND TOBACCO (and possibly something else I don't care to know about) MADE MY LIFE HELL, SMOKING HIS DRUGS INDOORS AND IN HIS ADDLED STATE ROARING (honestly, not even joking, you wouldn't have believed the sounds were made by a human) AND SHOUTING AND LISTENING TO BASS-HEAVY MUSIC IN A BUILDING WITH ZERO SOUND INSULATION BETWEEN FLOORS (and bouncing a ball or something on his floor which multiplied every thump and other mechanical noise) SO I COULD NOT SLEEP MORE THAN AN HOUR OR TWO HERE AND THERE FOR TWO MONTHS STRAIGHT!!!

HE FUCKED UP MY LIFE JUST AS A NEIGHBOUR TO THE POINT WHERE I NOW HAVE A CHRONIC UPPER RESPIRATORY ISSUE WITH LIKELY LIFE-LONG MEDICATION (I've had it all my life but it was never before so bad I needed meds for it, now I pretty can't breathe at night without the meds) DUE TO SECOND-HAND SMOKE INHALATION AS THE SMOKE TRAVELED NOT JUST THROUGH THE BUILDING VENTILATION BUT ALSO VIA THE DUCTS THE ELECTRIC WIRING TRAVELS BECAUSE THE (self-censored-word-here) DRUGGIE HAD DRILLED HOLES IN HIS WALLS WHEN HIGH WITHOUT CARING WHERE THOSE DUCTS WENT, AND I ENDED UP WITH BURNOUT SIMPLY FROM LIVING IN MY OWN APARTMENT (most places I'd otherwise spend time in are closed due to Covid) AND NOW HAVE TO COPE WITH FUCKING PTSD PANIC ATTACKS EVERY TIME THERE ARE LOUD VOICES OR MUSIC OR STRUCTURAL NOISES FROM ABOVE.

CANNABIS ISN'T EVEN LEGAL HERE AND THE FUCKER POISONED ME WITH IT TOO.

The contents of the rant also explain why I have been largely away from here this winter and why seasonal winter depression has hit me so hard this winter.