The Misuse of Drugs Act - Happy 40th Birthday
On 2nd June 2011, the Guardian newspaper hosted an open letter to the Prime Minister. Drafted by the organisation Release, the letter marked the 40th anniversary of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and tried to evoke a mood of change in drugs policy. Signatories included celebrities, peers and academics; tabloid journalism decided to focus on "naive luvvies" and there was an almost deliberate negation of those that have some degree of knowledge in drugs policy. As honourable as it is for the likes of Dame Judy Dench to lend credence, the overlooked figures of: Professor in criminal justice Alex Stevens, former Chief Constable Tom Lloyd, and LEAP member Paul Whitehouse were given no mind in favour of cynical reporting.
Perhaps the biggest casualty in the drugs debate is the impartial reporting of the actualities of the vast subject matter. There is long held fallacy - and a dangerous etymology of language - that keeps drugs policy in an almost deliberate stalemate. It may surprise many people to know - in the UK - we have no such thing as 'legal' and 'illegal' drugs. If we address the subject properly and in terms of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, then we have 'controlled' and 'non controlled' drugs. At first glance, this all may seem pedantic and semantics at their best, but in practice, using false language is where the dialogue breaks down into a quagmire of opinion based discussion. Legal drugs are conceived as good, and illegal drugs are perceived as bad, this notion is simply adolescent. True drugs policy is a discussion for optimal control.
Read the article in full at huffingtonpost.co.uk/jason-reed