A step forward for cannabis users?

international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Monday March 23, 2009 11:22 by Conor. M liberalconormurphy at ymail dot com

The Obama administration signaled it was ready to repudiate the prohibition and ''war on drugs'' approach of previous presidents, and steer policy towards prevention and ''harm reduction'' strategies favoured by Europe.

will the authorities turn a blind eye?

Seattle police chief, Gil Kerlikowske has been nominated for the post of director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the nation's drug czar. Kerlikowske has built up a reputation in Seattle for pursuing drug policies based on harm reduction. The state has an established needle exchange programme, has legalised marijuana for medical purposes and has made marijuana among the lowest priorities for law enforcement. President Obama has even said he is putting ''science above politics''. In a statement recently announcing the nomination of the new drug czar, Obama said: ''With escalating violence along our Southwest border and far too many suffering from addiction at home, never has it been more important to have a national drug control strategy guided by sound principle of public safety and public health.''

Former presidents of Mexico, Columbia and Brazil have dubbed the war on drugs a ''complete failure''. Each president is conservative but have called for an approach based on public health, including the legalisation of marijuana.

Is this a step towards the sick, the elderly and the toker gaining personal freedoms? What we eventually need is for the European Union and the United State to abolish the prohibition on marijuana and introduce legislation so the sick can get their medicine, the elderly can get their relief and the 'ordinary Joe' can enjoy a spliff in his house, like most people enjoy a beer, without fear of being labeled criminals. For now though, tokers the world over need to take advantage of the governments relaxed views on marijuana and join the right side on the 'war on drugs'.

Whether you smoke or not, if you believe cannabis users are not criminals be to sure to join the cannabis march in Dublin and Cork on May 9th.