The city is gaining a surprising number of cannabis dispensaries recently. But maybe that shouldn鈥檛 be a surprise.
The wisdom of the drug war is finally coming under intense scrutiny, for good reason. Current policy has led to imprisonment, marginalization and needless deaths, including over 300 illicit drug-related deaths in B.C. in just the first months of 2016, in part due to toxic additives. Add to this the heavy social and economic costs of illegal activities and law enforcement. We鈥檝e spent decades assisting too few to lift themselves out of addiction and too many to ill-gained wealth.
On the other hand, our misgivings about decriminalization may result from a fear that it would lead to increased recreational use among all ages, particularly youth. It鈥檚 a legitimate concern. Alcohol is currently the most widely used and abused drug by a wide margin.听 听reports that 78% of the population consumed alcohol in the last year surveyed. Of those, almost 20% exceeded Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines. Consequences of abuse range from disruption in family life to safety issues. 鈥淚n Canada, alcohol has been a factor in 30% - 40% of road deaths for the past 15 years,鈥� says the public education group . No doubt people wonder what would happen if a large increase in drugged driving were added to these figures, if street drugs were as freely available and accepted as alcohol.听
There are lessons to be learned here from Portugal听where use of all drugs was decriminalized in 2001. The UK鈥檚 听reports, 鈥淗IV infections and drug-related deaths have decreased, while the dramatic rise in use feared by some has failed to materialise.听However, such improvements are not solely the result of the decriminalisation policy; Portugal鈥檚 shift towards a more health-centred approach to drugs, as well as wider health and social policy changes, are equally,听if not more, responsible for the positive changes observed.鈥�
Without successful public education and social programs the transition could be disastrous. As necessary as leisure and recreation are to our mental health, pursuing them as ends in themselves is counterproductive.听The most important piece of public education may be the value of an unclouded mind to our mental health, our relationships and our development as spiritual beings. As numerous sources have pointed out, including the incredible , our greatest happiness derives from finding love and connection in our lives.
Portugal's experience听also demonstrates the wisdom of providing adequate social services for abuse and addiction, as opposed to leaving individuals to their own devices. Addiction has many causes, of which harm, inadequate support and bad decisions rank high on the list. For those needing or wanting escape, supportive programs are far more effective than judgement or punishment. As the author of Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War on Drugs discovered, happier environments will cause both rats and human beings to freely forego a drug habit. ()
There is also a solid body of evidence that legal, medical uses of currently illicit drugs would reap enormous health and social rewards. The uses of marijuana in treating conditions such as chronic pain and epilepsy are fairly well-known. Less well-known are the benefits of the supervised use of psychotropic drugs in treating disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism. CBC Radio鈥檚 3-part series 听describes astounding results in this area, with success rates far surpassing current methods of treatment. These, too, give strong economic as well as human incentives for changes in policy and attitude.听
The good news is that rather than simply decriminalizing marijuana, Canada is 听it in the Spring of next year, bringing it under strict regulations designed to keep it out of the hands of underage teenagers and organized crime. The need will then be for effective public education and social programs to allow us to deal with all psychoactive drugs within the holistic context of human health and well-being.
Sheila Flood听is a member of the Victoria 听community听and enjoys organizing the bi-monthly 鈥淏uilding the Future鈥� series of public talks at the Cook St. Village Activity Centre. More information at the 听website. She is also the current Secretary of the Victoria Multifaith Society.听
You can read more articles from our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking
