 | NORML News: Youth drug use a result of cannabis prohibition |
 By Adrian Picot. Norml News Summer 2002/3
Most people want some sanity and intelligence applied to the status of cannabis, but this is prevented by a small group of moralisers, drug educators and “booze and fags” vested interests who have managed to get a clause blocking cannabis reform in the coalition agreement.
Some said that even holding the select committee inquiry into cannabis and allowing people to discus the law was “sending the wrong message to young people”.
There is indeed a wrong message being sent to young people, but not by law reformers.
Drug educators are putting our children at risk by teaching complete lies about cannabis. Politicians are putting our children at risk by retaining a law that puts the supply of cannabis into the hands of gangsters, who have no rules or age limits to follow.
The facts work against those who wish to maintain the current law. In recent international surveys of teenage scholastic achievement, New Zealand came out very well - fifth overall in the OECD nations in terms of reading ability. In one particular category, the reading level of the top 20% of students, NZ high school students emerged as the best in the world. The Netherlands has also had consistently high rates of scholastic achievement.
No good is served by punishing minors for cannabis use, especially when it is obvious to them that a large number of our society uses cannabis responsibly and safely.
Pupils are taught that cannabis damages the brain even though modern scientific evidence has found the complete opposite. There is a positive medical benefit from cannabis but you wouldn’t know it from any current drug education.
Drug education in New Zealand should be the province of the Education and Health departments but much of it is performed by dubious organizations whose motive appears to maintaining their empires built on spreading fear about cannabis use. Corporate sponsors, including breweries, seem content to throw money at organizations that have failed to prevent teenage drug use.
Cannabis use by young people will increase unless pupils are taught the real truth about cannabis instead of warmed-up old reefer madness.
Adrian Picot
Parent of 3 children
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