> Over the past eight years Mr Lakeman has campaigned for drugs to be legally regulated, enabling people to take them more safely.
I’m glad he’s not calling for a ban, as that simply wouldn’t work
Something’s not right about this story and it has all the hallmarks of a moral panic propaganda piece.
The linked stories claim that the boys had taken two to three times the lethal dose of MDMA. But none of the literature I’ve read over the years has ever suggested a definitive ld50 for MDMA except to note that it’s a huge amount so taking two to three times that much would be impossible. If the boys had somehow been sold pills with that much MDMA in them, they’d have been far from the only victims.
Add the usual scare tactic of mentioning “the dark web” and the whole thing looks very dodgy.
I’m glad the father of asking for something effective and sensible.
Every politician “yes, it isn’t working blah blah we need to change blah blah” and it’s been for decades.
They have no interest in fixing this, because during those decades drug empires amassed billions and they can off any politician willing to go against them.
Notice how you never hear about any substantial seizure or arrest. They make billions tax free year on year and nothing is being done, except police focusing on consumers and small time dealers to make appearance that something is being done.
He’s calling for harm reduction basically, totally agree. People will take drugs so lets make sure they can do it safely. Good to see the health minister agreeing that criminalising drugs isn’t working. It’s better for police, for the health services, for the entire general public and for our society in general to take an evidence-based public health approach to drugs legislation. There has been a broad consensus on this in academia for decades, it’s only outdated attitudes, ignorance (wilful and otherwise), and political convenience that keep us from taking a sensible approach.
I am so sick of this shit. Alcohol is literally one of the most harmful drugs there is, if you’re fine with that (and most are) then just fucking legalize/regulate the rest with the exception of the most harmful and grow the fuck up.
Was having to listen to my dad being scandalised by some kids smoking weed not long ago. We have 10 alcoholics in the family, 4 of whom already drank themselves to death. He was drinking a beer at the time. But no, legalising cannabis & mdma will definitely kill millions and cause the downfall of civilisation because theyre DRUGS and DRUGS ARE BAD MAN. Not like friendly old booze which is completely safe and has no risks associated.
Edit: probably should have saved this one for therapy…
Second edit: I am not ragging on anyone’s right to drink, just the idea that these drugs are more dangerous than something that’s widely accepted as fine
What an incredibly sensible and rational response to a tragic situation. People are going to get high, that’s a fact of life. Let’s make it as safe as possible.
What a sensible man in the face of a tragic situation. I say legalise/decriminalise pretty much everything. Let people do what they want.
>The matter needed to be considered as “more of a medical problem than a criminal problem”
Is it valid to treat MDMA use as a medical problem? I could understand that with heroin, but MDMA isn’t particularly associated with addiction.
Mainly people take it because they want to, and the right to do that seems to be a harder thing to sell, politically, than a helpless smackhead who needs to take it or they will die.
8 comments
> Over the past eight years Mr Lakeman has campaigned for drugs to be legally regulated, enabling people to take them more safely.
I’m glad he’s not calling for a ban, as that simply wouldn’t work
Something’s not right about this story and it has all the hallmarks of a moral panic propaganda piece.
The linked stories claim that the boys had taken two to three times the lethal dose of MDMA. But none of the literature I’ve read over the years has ever suggested a definitive ld50 for MDMA except to note that it’s a huge amount so taking two to three times that much would be impossible. If the boys had somehow been sold pills with that much MDMA in them, they’d have been far from the only victims.
Add the usual scare tactic of mentioning “the dark web” and the whole thing looks very dodgy.
I’m glad the father of asking for something effective and sensible.
Every politician “yes, it isn’t working blah blah we need to change blah blah” and it’s been for decades.
They have no interest in fixing this, because during those decades drug empires amassed billions and they can off any politician willing to go against them.
Notice how you never hear about any substantial seizure or arrest. They make billions tax free year on year and nothing is being done, except police focusing on consumers and small time dealers to make appearance that something is being done.
He’s calling for harm reduction basically, totally agree. People will take drugs so lets make sure they can do it safely. Good to see the health minister agreeing that criminalising drugs isn’t working. It’s better for police, for the health services, for the entire general public and for our society in general to take an evidence-based public health approach to drugs legislation. There has been a broad consensus on this in academia for decades, it’s only outdated attitudes, ignorance (wilful and otherwise), and political convenience that keep us from taking a sensible approach.
I am so sick of this shit. Alcohol is literally one of the most harmful drugs there is, if you’re fine with that (and most are) then just fucking legalize/regulate the rest with the exception of the most harmful and grow the fuck up.
Was having to listen to my dad being scandalised by some kids smoking weed not long ago. We have 10 alcoholics in the family, 4 of whom already drank themselves to death. He was drinking a beer at the time. But no, legalising cannabis & mdma will definitely kill millions and cause the downfall of civilisation because theyre DRUGS and DRUGS ARE BAD MAN. Not like friendly old booze which is completely safe and has no risks associated.
Edit: probably should have saved this one for therapy…
Second edit: I am not ragging on anyone’s right to drink, just the idea that these drugs are more dangerous than something that’s widely accepted as fine
What an incredibly sensible and rational response to a tragic situation. People are going to get high, that’s a fact of life. Let’s make it as safe as possible.
What a sensible man in the face of a tragic situation. I say legalise/decriminalise pretty much everything. Let people do what they want.
>The matter needed to be considered as “more of a medical problem than a criminal problem”
Is it valid to treat MDMA use as a medical problem? I could understand that with heroin, but MDMA isn’t particularly associated with addiction.
Mainly people take it because they want to, and the right to do that seems to be a harder thing to sell, politically, than a helpless smackhead who needs to take it or they will die.