Colombian President Gustavo Petro said during a government meeting that cocaine is “not worse than whiskey” and that it’s only illegal because it comes from Latin America.
Colombia, the world’s largest producer and exporter of cocaine, has spent decades fighting drug trafficking, but the country’s left-wing president claimed the drug was being scapegoated by American politicians, who have waged the war on drugs for decades.
“Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whiskey,” Petro said during a six-hour-long government meeting.
“Scientists have analyzed this: cocaine is not worse than whiskey,” he added, suggesting that the global cocaine industry could be “easily dismantled” if the drug was legalized worldwide.
The thing is, he’s absolutely right. There was a suppressed 1995 study by the World Health Organization on cocaine and its effects. The US threatened to pull out of the WHO at the time since the findings didn’t match US drug policy. Instead of losing the US, the WHO quietly shelved the study.
https://www.brucekalexander.com/articles-speeches/cocaine/181-who-cocaine-study
https://web.archive.org/web/20090618160146/www.tdpf.org.uk/WHOleaked.pdf
From the conclusions section:
A continuum can be identified for cocaine use, which includes:
- experimental use
- occasional use
- situation-specific use
- intensive use
- compulsive/dysfunctional use
Experimental and occasional use are by far the most common types of use, and compulsive/dysfunctional is far less common. Compulsive or dysfunctional users often have serious relationship, work, legal and health problems.
The US threatened to pull out of the WHO at the time since the findings didn’t match US drug policy. Instead of losing the US, the WHO quietly shelved the study.
Time to release it then.
Is it though? I think it is still worse than alcohol, but I do think decriminalizing can be better for treating and caring for the addicts. Addicts aren’t criminals, they are sick and need help.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50887893
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/94042/alcohol-most-harmful-drug-based-multicriteria/
Alcohol is a lot worse than “sleep, sloppy fighting and risky driving”.
With the legalization of drugs, you can also tax it to finance addiction care and prevention, and by offering legal ways for dealers and producers to go legal, you can probably reduce violence. I see it as a double win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4L20t8Dvlg
"Prison Song" They're tryna' build a prison They're tryna' build a prison Oh Following the rights movements, you clamped down with your iron fists Drugs became conveniently available for all the kids Following the rights movements, you clamped down with your iron fists Drugs became conveniently available for all the kids I buy my crack, I smack my bitch Right here in Hollywood Nearly two million Americans are incarcerated In the prison system, prison system of the U.S. They're tryna' build a prison They're tryna' build a prison They're tryna' build a prison They're tryna' build a prison For you and me to live in Another prison system Another prison system Another prison system For you and me Minor drug offenders fill your prisons, you don't even flinch All our taxes paying for your wars against the new non-rich Minor drug offenders fill your prisons, you don't even flinch All our taxes paying for your wars against the new non-rich [Chorus] Oh, oh All research and successful drug policy Shows that treatment should be increased Oh And law enforcement decreased While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences Oh All research and successful drug policy Shows that treatment should be increased Oh And law enforcement decreased While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences Utilizing drugs to pay for secret wars around the world Drugs are now your global policy, now you police the globe ...
Whoa whoa whoa. Cocaine is way better than whiskey.
Trump Monkey Paw USA: Bans Whiskey again
Okay, but the combination of coke and alcohol dramatically increases your risk for a heart attack, so having both really available is potentially an even worse health crisis.
And the risk of alcohol and cars dramatically increases your risk of death and yet…
Alcohol is one of the worst substances to get addicted to. All the people I’ve known who did cocaine on occasion were incredibly productive & successful. But the alcohol, it ruined so many marriages & lives.
Cocaine has also ruined many lives. Both are horrible and some people cannot control their consumption.
Both can be horrible.
Much less lives than alcohol though.
How much of that is just due to how massively available alcohol is though?
Read the studies. It is mind blowing. Does this study offend you? How much do you drink?
You are making a false equivalence when you compare alcoholics to casual cocaine users. You should compare alcoholics and cocaine addicts.
So I should compare to alcohol which is about 10x more addictive in studies? There is no comparison.
No you should compare addicts to addicts because otherwise you are making a worthless statement.
Fuck it. Might as well at this point.
I am against drugs. I think no one should be using drugs. I think drugs like Alcohol, Meth and Cocaine are a making of the devil. Ideally drugs would only be used as medicine.
None of the problems related to drug use are solved by criminalization. None of the societal and personal problems leading to drug use are solved by criminalization. Instead they are made worse. The most reliable way to reduce drug use in society is by removing economic hardship and lack of opportunities from people and providing better support to people in difficult emotional situations. The most reliable way to help existing drug users to stop using, is by reducing harms associated with drug use, while working on improving their life situation.
