Towards a wider cannabis consensus

It has been more than 10 years since the publication of the report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Anan. One of its main recommendations was to end criminalisation, marginalisation and stigmatisation of people who use drugs but who do no harm to others.  

The changes in drug legislation approved by Parliament earlier this week as a result of which the possession of cannabis for personal use was decriminalised was a definite step in the right direction. This does not however signify that all provisions of the approved legislation are satisfactory. It means that the general thrust of the legislation is positive and acceptable. Improvements are however still necessary.

The legislation approved earlier this week is a radical change and as such there is still a reluctance in some quarters and sectors about it. This is understandable. It is however a fact that the decriminalisation of the possession of cannabis for personal use has been generally accepted. This is a reflection of the positive development in our society’s attitudes and should form the basis for the way forward.

The Daniel Holmes case as a result of which the cultivation of a number of cannabis plants for personal use led to a draconian prison sentence is too recent for anyone of us to forget. Until this week, drug legislation was out of tune and not an adequate reflection of what our society is prepared to accept.

The publication of the 24-page White Paper in March 2021 entitled “Towards the strengthening of the legal framework on the responsible use of cannabis” should not be viewed as an end in itself but rather as part of a continuous consultation process with all stakeholders. It has to be borne in mind that notwithstanding the sterling work of the NGO ReLeaf Malta on behalf of cannabis users there are others who, while recognising the urgent need for reform, are however much more cautious and would prefer that the required reforms are more gradual.

Ignoring the rudderless parliamentary Opposition, which does not yet have a clue on the issue, I refer to various proposals on the drug reform legislation which proposals were prepared by a number of NGOs and presented to Parliament.  Parliament was wrong to ignore these proposals and to steamroll ahead, notwithstanding. Such an attitude is not conducive to good governance. Parliament ought to have listened much more before deciding. This applies even if at the end of the day not all of the proposals made by the NGOs would have been taken on board.

At this critical juncture it is imperative that the drug reform is supported by as wide as possible a base. The consensus achieved has to be as wide as possible. This is essential in order to isolate those elements in our society who still believe that the criminalisation of cannabis users should be the rule.

It has been estimated that in 2021 there are around 40,000 consumers of cannabis in Malta. That is the current state of play after 40 years of militarised crackdown on cannabis use in the Maltese Islands. Criminalisation of cannabis users has not yielded any tangible positive results over the years.

The way forward in drug reform is to ensure that possession for personal use can be dealt with differently from trafficking. The legislation which Parliament approved earlier this week does precisely that. It can however be improved by ensuring that there are suitable buffers which protect children and vulnerable persons. This is one of the principal points made by the NGOs, who, to their credit, accept decriminalisation of possession for personal use of cannabis as a positive step forward.

Greens in Malta support the need for drug reform in general and specifically the decriminalisation for personal use relative to cannabis. In fact, the Green Electoral Manifesto for the 2017 General Election was the only electoral platform which presented this as an electoral pledge.

It is indeed unfortunate that Government and Parliament have squandered a unique opportunity at consensus building. It is however still possible at this late hour to remedy.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 19 December 2021

Meħtieġa: politika dwar id-droga b’wiċċ uman

Id-dibattitu ta’ bħalissa fil-Parlament dwar riforma fil-qasam tad-droga messu ilu li sar.

Il-manifest elettorali tal-partit tiegħi għall-elezzjoni ġenerali tal- 2017 kien l-unika wieħed li tkellem b’mod ċar dwar il-ħtieġa li nintroduċu politika dwar id-droga b’wiċċ uman. Il-politika dwar id-droga illum tikkastiga lill-vulnerabbli billi tikkriminalizza l-użu tad-droga. Id-dikriminalizzazzjoni tal-użu tad-droga għandha tkun parti minn viżjoni iktar wiesa’, fit-tul,  bl-iskop li tgħin u mhux li tikkastiga lil min hu vulnerabbli. Dan m’ghandux ikun limitat għall-kannabis, imma għandu japplika għal kull xorta ta’ droga.

Id-dokument konsultattiv ippubblikat f’Marzu li għadda dwar it-tisħiħ tal-qafas legali għall-użu responsabbli tal-kannabis flimkien mad-dibattitu parlamentari li għaddej bħalissa huma pass sinifikanti l-quddiem.

Għandna nifhmu, li, kif ippruvat tul is-snin, il-kriminalizzazzjoni tal-użu tad-droga ma solva xejn! Kien fl-2011 li l-Kummissjoni Globali dwar il-politika għad-droga, immexxija minn Kofi Anan, ex-Segretarju Ġenerali tal-Ġnus Maghquda, kienet iddikjarat li l-ġlieda globali kontra d-droga kienet falliet u dan b’konsegwenzi diżastrużi kemm individwalment kif ukoll għas-soċjetà.

Ewlenija fost ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet tal-Kummissjoni globali hemm it-tmiem tal-kriminalizzazzjoni, tal-marġinalizzazzjoni u tal-istigmatizzazzjoni ta’ dawk li jagħmlu użu personali mid-droga mingħajr ma jagħmlu l-ebda ħsara lill-ħaddieħor.

In-numru ta’ vittmi hu wieħed sostanzjali. Numru mhux żgħir ta’ ħajjiet intilfu jew ġew irvinati ħtija ta’ din il-gwerra kontra d-droga.   Isem partikolari li jiġi quddiem għajnejja hu dak ta’  Daniel Holmes li dabbar sentenza sostanzjali ta’ ħabs f’Malta għax kabbar il-pjanti tal-kannabis għall-użu tiegħu.  Ma għamel ħsara lil ħadd, imma spiċċa jerfa’ fuq spallejh sentenza twila ta’ ħabs. Din hi l-agħar forma ta’ inġustizzja kriminali.

Il-proposti li presentement hemm quddiem il-Parlament huma limitati għall-kannabis, avolja fost ir-responsabbiltajiet tal-Awtorità dwar l-Użu Responsabbli tal-Kannabis hu emfasizzat li din l-Awtorità tkun tista’ “tipparteċipa fil-proċess nazzjonali tal-ippjanar dwar il-politika soċjali u l-politika dwar il-mediċini perikolużi”. Hu possibli li l-leġislatur għandu pjani oħra f’moħħu għall-futur, imma dawn, s’issa għadhom mhux magħrufa.

Il-proposta għad-dikriminalizzazzjoni tal-użu tal-kannabis tagħmel sens f’kuntest ta’ politika olistika dwar id-droga li ma tibqax tikkonsidra l-użu tad-droga f’kuntest kriminali imma f’kuntest soċjo-mediku. Dan jirrikjedi iktar ħsieb, analiżi kif ukoll studji dwar impatti kemm f’Malta kif ukoll barra. Id-dikriminalizzazzjoni tal-użu tal-kannabis għandha tkun  ikkunsidrata bħala parti minn politika dwar id-droga koerenti, b’wiċċ uman li tiddikriminalizza l-użu tad-drogi kollha.  

Min jagħmel użu okkażjonali tad-droga m’għandux ikun ikkunsidrata bħala kriminal. Il-vittmi u dawk dipendenti mid-droga għandhom bżonn l-għajnuna permezz ta’ esperti mħarrġa inkluż l-għajnuna medika kemm u kif meħtieġ.  

Il-Portugall mexa f’din it-triq u tul is-snin kellu success konsiderevoli li bħala riżultat tiegħu naqas l-użu ta’ kull tip ta’ droga kif ukoll naqset l-inċidenza tal-HIV.  Irridu nfasslu l-mixja tagħna biex nindirizzaw sewwa b’mod koerenti l-użu tad-droga f’pajjiżna.  

Il-kriminalizzazzjoni tal-użu tad-droga għamlet ħsara ferm iżjed mid-droga innifisha. Ir-riżorsi tal-istat għandhom jintużaw biex intejbu l-ħajjiet tan-nies u mhux biex ikunu ikkastigati dawk li jeħtieġu l-għajnuna tagħna!  Id-dikriminalizzazzjoni u r-regolamentazzjoni tal-kannabis għandha tkun l-ewwel pass f’dan il-proċess.  

ippubblikat fuq Illum : il-Ħadd 21 ta’ Novembru 2021

Wanted: a drug policy with a human face

The current debate on drug reform, in parliament, is long overdue.

My party’s electoral platform for the 2017 general election was the only one which clearly and unequivocally spoke in favour of introducing a drug policy with a human face. Current drug policy punishes the vulnerable through the criminalisation of the use of drugs. Decriminalisation of drug use should be part of a long-term vision that aims to help and not punish the vulnerable.  This should not be limited to cannabis but should encompass all drug use.

The White Paper published last March on the strengthening of the legal framework relative to the responsible use of cannabis together with the parliamentary debate currently in progress are welcome first steps in this direction.

It is about time that we realise that, as proven over the years, considering drug use as a crime has not led to any significant result. It was in 2011 that the seminal Global Commission on Drug Policy led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Anan declared that the global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world.

Foremost among the recommendations of the Global Commission was the end of criminalisation, marginalisation and stigmatisation of people who use drugs but who do no harm to others.

The number of victims is substantial. Many lives have been lost or ruined as a result of this war on drugs. A specific person which comes to mind is Daniel Holmes who was sentenced to a substantial prison term in Malta for growing his own cannabis plants. He harmed no one, yet he was made to shoulder a heavy prison sentence. This is criminal injustice at its worst.

The proposals currently before Parliament are limited to the consideration of cannabis, even though amongst the functions of the proposed Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis one finds that it may “participate in the national planning process relating to social policy and dangerous drugs policy”. Possibly the legislator has some other plans which, however, are so far not known.

The proposed decriminalisation of cannabis use makes sense within the context of an holistic drugs policy which would shift the emphasis on addressing drug use from one based on criminal law to a socio-medical model. This requires much more thought, analysis and consideration of studies and impact assessments carried out both in Malta and abroad. It cannot remain on its own but needs to form part of a coherent drugs policy with a human face which decriminalises all drug use.

Those who occasionally make use of drugs should not be considered as criminals. Victims and those who become addicted as a result of more than an occasional use of drugs should be offered adequate support, through the assistance of trained social workers as well as medical assistance whenever this is required.

Portugal has followed this path and over the years has had a considerable success in reducing use of heavy drugs and HIV.  We have to design our own path towards addressing the uptake of drugs.

The criminalisation of drug use has ruined more lives than drug use itself. It is about time that we use the resources of the state to improve lives and not to punish those who need our help!  The decriminalisation and regulation of cannabis should be just the first step in such a process.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 21 November 2021

Qed tinħoloq bejta għall-kriminalità organizzata

 

 

Hu ta’ serjetà kbira li l-Awtorità dwar il-Lotteriji u Logħob ieħor (Lotteries and Gaming Authority) tirtira liċenzja.

Matul dawn il-ġranet irtirat diversi liċenzji u dan wara rapport ta’ investigazzjoni minn awtoritajiet Taljani li indikaw illi xi kumpaniji tal-iGaming f’Malta kienu qed iservu għall-ħasil tal-flus ġejjin mid-droga negozjata mill-kriminalità organizzata Taljana.

Ġew arrestati numru ta’ persuni ta’ nazzjonalità Taljana, liema persuni kienu identifikati mill-awtoritajiet Taljani.

Din hi biss parti mill-problema.

Dawn il-kumpaniji tal-iGaming, (logħob tal-azzard online) biex ġew irreġistrati f’Malta kienu eżaminati b’reqqa kbira, qalulna. Anzi “very stringent procedures“. Mhux biss il-kumpaniji, iżda ukoll kull min għandu jew kellu x’jaqsam magħhom. Dan l-eżami bir-reqqa, li jissejjaħ due diligence (kliem tqil biex jippruvaw ifhemuna s-serjetà kbira ħafna li hemm assoċjata ma dawn l-affarijiet) sar kemm mill-Awtorità dwar il-Lotteriji u Logħob ieħor (Lotteries and Gaming Authority) kif ukoll mid-ditti professjonali li jagħtu s-servizzi meħtieġa lil min jaħdem f’dan il-qasam.

Wieħed minn dawn il-professjonisti, f’mument ta’ serjetà kbira, fisser lill media fiex kienet tikkonsisti l-investigazzjoni ta’ għamlet waħda minn dawn id-ditti professjonali. Qalilna li din id-ditta : “carried out its own due diligence process to ascertain that the individuals concerned were of good standing. This was done by requesting certified copies of the ultimate shareholders’ passports, proof of residential address, as well as copies of their police conduct records.”

Tassew impressjonanti, xi profondità ta’ investigazzjoni. Mhux diffiċli biex tifhem li din l-investigazzjoni kif deskritta hi waħda superfiċjali għall-aħħar. Din hi kollezzjoni ta’ dokumenti u bl-ebda mod ma tista’ titqies investigazzjoni jew due diligence.

Fuq il-website tal-Awtorità dwar il-Lotteriji u Logħob ieħor issibu l-ismijiet tal-kumpaniji tal-iGaming li f’dawn il-ġranet kellhom il-liċenzja tagħhom irtirata: Fenplay Limited, Soft Bet Limited, Soft Casino Limited, Uniq Group Limited, Betsolutions4U Limited u Alibaba Casino Limited.

Tul is-snin li għaddew il-Gvernijiet differenti qalulna li l-kumpaniji tal-iGaming [jiġifieri kumpaniji bħal dawn li kellhom il-liċenzja irtirata] kienu qed jiġġeneraw ix-xogħol u kien ġustifikat (qalulna) li niġbduhom lejn Malta billi nagħtuhom rati favorevoli ħafna ta’ taxxa. Fil-fatt, taxxi, jħallsu ftit li xejn.

Qiegħed jidher ċar, u dan hu biss dak li nafu s’issa, illi Malta jidher li saret attrazzjoni għall-ħasil tal-flus mill-kriminalità organizzata. Sfortunatament l-“investigazzjonijiet profondi” li mingħalihom qed jagħmlu l-awtoritajiet Maltin (kif ukoll uħud mill-uffiċini professjonali f’Malta) ma kienux kapaċi jindunaw li mix-xibka tal-kontrolli kollha soffistikati li kellhom, għadda dan il-laqqx.

Ovvjament hemm kumpaniji li ma ħolqu l-ebda problemi. Imma sfortunatament huma l-kumpaniji li rtirawlhom il-liċenzja f’dawn il-ġranet li qed jagħtuna isem ħażin. Minn dan jista’ jbati l-pajjiż kollu. Għax qed nitilfu l-kredibilità u bil-mod qed nieħdu l-fama ta’ bejta għall-kriminalità organizzata.

Xejn m’hu xejn, Joe

L-istejjer fuq il-media l-bieraħ ma naqsux. Kemm fuq il-media stampata kif ukoll fuq dik elettronika.

Iż-Żonqor donnu li jrid jibqa’ fl-aħbarijiet, din id-darba minħabba sejba ta’ droga.

L-istorja fuq l-Independent dwar is-Segretarju Parlamentari Ian Borg  hi inkwetanti ħafna, għax tallega li kien hemm abbuż minn persuna vulnerabbli. Hu allegat li persuna marida mentalment ġiet immanipulata biex hi tbiegħ art fil-limiti ta’ Ħad-Dingli. Ian Borg qed jiċħad dak allegat u qed jilmenta li l-istorja hi ġlieda interna f’familja li ma kellux jiddaħħal fiha. Jekk dak li qed jgħid Ian Borg hu korrett, seta qagħad ftit iktar attent Ian Borg biex jevita li jidħol bejn il-basla u qoxritha.

Imma l-istorja tal-ġimgħa naħseb li hi dik dwar il-Ministru Chris Cardona fuq il-blog ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia: Economy Minister in the dog-house (actually, the Stable). Partijiet mill-artiklu qieshom script għal film. Il-mistoqsija bażika tibqa’ hemm: jekk il-Ministru Chris Cardona irċeviex riġal ta’ użu b’xejn ta’ flat lussuż f’Portomaso mingħand persuna fin-negozju – anzi, persuna li l-familja tagħha hi involuta fil-power station tal-gass f’Delimara.

Il-ħajja privata ta’ Chris Cardona ma tinteressanix. Dik tinteressa biss liz-zekzika.

Imma hu fl-interess pubbliku li jkun magħruf jekk Ministru rċeviex dawn it-tip ta’ rigali u jekk dan ifissirx li qed jikkomprometti l-uffiċċju politiku li jokkupa.

Imma donnu li xejn m’hu xejn. Kollox jgħaddi. Mhux hekk Joe?

Fiċ-Ċukaj għadhom lura

 

Meta taqra l-artiklu ta’ Ivan Fenech fit-Times tal-lum tirrealizza kemm għadhom lura fiċ-Ċukaj. Qiesu għandhom lin-Nazzjonalisti  fil-Gvern.

Fiċ-Ċukaj għadhom ma rrealizzawx li l-vittmi tad-droga protezzjoni jeħtieġu. Għadhom ma irrealizzawx li lill-vittmi tad-droga mhux lill-pulizija għandhom bżonn ma saqajhom iżda persuni b’impenn soċjali li jgħinuhom ifittxu triq aħjar li ma tagħmillhomx ħsara għal saħħithom.

Fiċ-Ċukaj għadhom jiddistingwu bejn l-alkohol u drogi oħra.

Fiċ-Ċukaj għadhom ma semgħux bil-progress kbir li sar fil-Portugall minn mindu iddikriminalizzaw l-użu tad-droga għal użu personali!

Għaċ-Ċukaj il-ħabs għadu soluzzjoni. Meta fir-realta’ hu parti mill-problema.

Id-droga: il-PN u d-dikriminalizzazzjoni

 

Dal-għodu attendejt għal seminar organizzat mill-MŻPN fuq il-White Paper ippubblikata mill-Gvern dwar id-dikriminalizzazzjoni tad-droga għall-użu personali.

Kien hemm bosta interventi utli u studjati minn persuni impenjati.

Il-proposta ċentrali, kif spjegajt fl-intervent qasir tiegħi, hi biex is-soċjeta’ tibni mill-ġdid il-pontijiet mal-vittmi tad-droga. Dan billi tagħtihom l-għajnuna meta tibda tittrattahom ta’ vittmi u mhux ta’ kriminali.

Il-politika dwar id-droga, f’kull pajjiż, hi mibnija fuq 4 elementi: l-prevenzjoni, it-trattament, it-tnaqqis tal-ħsara (harm reduction) u l-kastig.

Sal-lum f’Malta iffukajna iktar fuq il-kastig. Bir-riforma proposta l-pussess sempliċi ta’ droga għall-użu personali mhux ser jibqa’ delitt u s-soċjeta’ tagħna ser tagħmel pass il-quddiem billi ma tibqax tikkunsidra lill-vittmi bħala kriminali. Dan ifisser li ser isir sforz u ser ikun possibli li jkunu dedikati iktar riżorsi biex il-vittmi tad-droga jingħataw iktar għajnuna biex minn l-iktar kmieni  jkun possibli li jgħarfu jrabbu iktar kuraġġ biex jaffrontaw il-problemi li jiffaċċjaw.

Alternattiva Demokratika taqbel ma dan u fil-fatt fil-Manifest Elettorali għall-Elezzjoni tal-2013 kienet l-unika partit politiku li poġġiet il-proposta tad-dikriminalizzazzjoni fuq l-agenda politika Maltija.

Irridu nitgħallmu mill-esperjenzi ta’ ħaddieħor. Għandna l-esperjenza tal-Portugall li 14-il sena ilu għamlu dan il-pass. Illum diġa bdew jaħsdu l-frott. In partikolari r-riċerka fil-Portugall ikkonkludiet li hemm tnaqqis sostanzjali fost iż-żgħażagħ bejn il-15 u l-24 sena li għamlu użu mid-droga.  Ġie rreġistrat ukoll tnaqqis sostanzjali f’mard assoċjat mat-teħid tad-droga.

Il-futur f’dan il-qasam fih possibilitajiet tajbin.

Nistennew issa x’posizzjoni ser jieħu l-PN u dan billi fid-diskors ippreparat tiegħu il-Kap tal-Opposizzjoni Simon Busuttil qagħad attent ħafna li jitkellem kontra li l-vittmi tad-droga  jintbagħtu l-ħabs. Imma fl-ebda ħin ma kien ċar dwar id-dikriminalizzazzjoni. Fil-fatt qagħad attent li ma jgħid xejn dwar dan. Ovvjament dan hu l-istil tiegħu minħabba li probabilment illi d-diskussjoni interna fil-Partit Nazzjonalista għadha għaddejja.

Jekk fil-fatt id-diskussjoni fil-PN tiġix fi tmiemha għad irridu naraw. Dak li iddeċieda l-PN fil-passat riċenti dwar id-divorzju u dwar id-drittijiet tal-persuni LGBT m’huwiex awgurju tajjeb dwar x’għandna nistennew.

Imma dak, wara kollox, li tista’ tistenna minn partit konservattiv. Nistennew u naraw.

 

Ara ukoll fuq dan il-blog: Alternattiva Demokratika Position Paper on Reform in Drug Policy

 

Jekk trid il-bidla trid tivvota għaliha

 

 

 

iNews il-bieraħ irrapporta li huma biss 14% tal-Maltin li jaqblu mad-dikriminalizzazzjoni tad-droga għall-użu personali. iNews kienu qed jirrappurtaw studju tal-Eurobarometer għall-Kummissjoni Ewropeja fl-okkazjoni tal-Jum Internazzjonali kontra l-Abbuż mid-Droga.

14% biss.

Alternattiva Demokratika hu l-uniku partit politiku li fl-elezzjoni ġenerali tal-2013 kellu programm elettorali li tkellem b’mod ċar favur id-dikriminalizzazzjoni tad-droga għall-użu personali.

La l-Partit Nazzjonalista u l-anqas il-Partit Laburista ma għamlu dan.  Mhux biss. Iżda kull meta kelliema ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika irreferew għad-dikriminalizzazzjoni tad-droga, dawn kien jevitaw li jwieġbu u ġeneralment kienu jitkellmu fuq xi ħaġa oħra.

Fil-fatt fil-Manifest Elettorali tal-AD, fil-Kapitlu 3, intitolat L-Alkohol u drogi oħra jingħad hekk:

“Għandna naħdmu sabiex tonqos il-pressjoni li twassal persuni sabiex jirrikorru għad-drogi kemm dawk legali u dawk illegali. Għalina d-droga mhix biss problema ta’ liġi u ordni iżda hi prinċipalment problema li għandha għeruq soċjali fondi. Fil-fatt l-alkoħol, il-kalmanti u s-sigaretti, minkejja li huma legali, joħolqu dipendenza u problemi b’implikazzjonijiet soċjali serji.

L-użu personali tad-drogi għandu jigi dekriminalizzat. Vittmi tad-droga għandhom jitqiesu bħala nies li jeħtieġu għajnuna, u mhux bħala kriminali. Fl-istess ħin, dekriminalizzazzjoni tiżgura wkoll li dawk li jużaw id-drogi għal skop rikreattiv, inkluż dawk li jikkultivaw id-drogi ħfief għall-użu personali, ma jigux kriminalizzati minħabba l-mod ta’ għixien tagħhom.”

Il-parti l-kbira ta’ l-14% tal-votanti Maltin li jaqblu mad-dikriminalizzazzjoni tad-droga għall-użu personali għażlu li ma jivvutawx għal AD, għax AD ġiebet 1.8% tal-voti. 12.2% tal-votanti Maltin tilfu opportunita tad-deheb li jkunu rappreżentati minn partit politiku li jaqbel magħhom.

Il-vot tagħhom mhux biss kien jiswa’ iżda kien jagħmel id-differenza għax 14% tal-voti kienu jissarfu f’bejn wieħed u ieħor 10 siġġijiet Parlamentari. U meta tqis li d-differenza bejn il-Gvern u l-Opposizzjoni fil-Parlament illum hi ta’ 9 siġġijiet, altru li kien ikun hemm differenza.

L-14% li jaqblu mad-dikriminalizzazzjoni tad-droga għall-użu personali tilfu opportunita’ tad-deheb.

Hu l-mument li kulħadd jaħseb ftit. Jekk trid il-bidla trid tivvota għaliha. Ma sseħħ l-ebda bidla mingħajr il-vot tiegħek.

L-użu mediku tal-ħaxixa

Il-bieraħ fil-Parlament, waqt l-aġġornament, it-Tabib Godfrey Farrugia li sa ftit ilu kien Ministru tas-Saħħa għamel diskors importanti dwar l-użu mediku tal-ħaxix – il-kannabis.

Id-diskors tiegħu ġie riprodott fl-Independent u iNews  . 

Nieħu pjaċir li t-Tabib Farrugia ħareġ b’dawn l-ideat. Ideat li jisfidaw il-preġudizzji u l-kontroversja.

Huwa tajjeb iżda li nfakkar li fil-programm elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika għall-elezzjoni ġenerali tal-2013 hemm preċiżament din l-istess proposta li għamel it-Tabib Farrugia.

“L-użu tal-kannabis għal raġunijiet mediċi għandu jkun regolarizzat.” [ara Manifest AD Kapitlu 3, intitolat Alkoħol u Drogi oħra]

Id-diskussjoni dwar id-drogi għandha tibda issir bis-serjeta’ f’dan il-pajjiż. Huwa verament ħasra li Alternattiva Demokratika biss, fost il-partiti politiċi fittxet li tagħmel dan. Id-diskors ta’ Godfrey Farrugia huwa xhieda li dan hu possibli li jsir. Kemm dwar l-użu mediku tal-ħaxixa kif ukoll dwar il-ħtieġa urġenti ta’ programm ta’ dikriminalizzazzjoni tad-droga għal użu personali. Hemm ħafna x’nitgħallmu minn dak li għamlu pajjiżi oħra.

Mill-ġdid, prosit Godfrey.

Alternattiva Demokratika Position Paper on Reform in Drug Policy

Paper Presented to the Justice Reform Commission by Robert Callus

AD Spokesman on Social Policy

All countries in the world use a combination of 4 measures to tackle the even increasing drug problem. These are: Prevention, treatment, harm reduction and punishment.

Unfortunately most countries (including Malta) have so far focused too much on punishment at the expense of the other three. The biggest problem with punishing drug users is not only that it uses financial and human resources that could have been used for the other three measures but also that it directly interferes in their success rate.

The Portuguese model is so successful mostly for this reason. Hard drug use, crime and transmitted diseases would not have significantly decreased if it just decriminalized personal use (remove punishment.) What Portugal did was take this opportunity to strengthen the other three more successful measures in combating this problem.

Prevention

Most drug users start at a young age, mostly in their early and mid-teens.

There is a surmounting amount of research on why some young people take drugs (and/or become addicted on them) and some don’t. For instance self esteem, vulnerability to peer pressure, stability in the family are the most common of variables that indicate whether a person is at more risk than others.

However, as simple as this may seem, there is one common reason that comes out clear from  any research available or even from a short conversation with a drug user: These people use drugs because they believe they need them. (The only possible exception to this rule of thumb is in the case of people who have used drugs occasionally due to peer pressure only. However these people are the least likely to become drug addicts and one should be more concerned about the rest)

Be it to overcome shyness, depression, anxiety, or tiredness, drug users – especially the ones who go on to become addicts – feel, at that point in time that the pros of overcoming that negative feeling are higher than the cons of using the drugs.

On the other hand, as is made clear in the Global Commission Report on Drug Policy, http://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/reports/ fear of the law (unlike fear of addiction) is not a common deterrent for young people not to take drugs.

Thus in order to prevent as many people as possible from commencing drug use society needs to focus on our children’s coping mechanisms because if that fails, they
are very likely to try to cope with drugs, irrespective of whether they legal or not.

Treatment

According to Hazelden’s drug treatment organization  www.hazelden.org   (whose extensive work on the 12 step model is widely used with very successful results today including in our own OASI rehabilitation centre), drug addiction is a disease and should be treated as a disease by policy makers.

And like HIV or cancer won’t go away if you threaten the afflicted with punishment, neither will drug addiction.

Thus, our first goal is to get as many addicts as possible realize that they actually need to be treated. Once again this is what Portugal managed to do with successful results.

Since decriminalization, if a person is caught with drugs for personal use in Portugal, all he is obliged to do is one thing: Be interviewed by a Commission for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction which consists of a social worker, a psychiatrist and an attorney. Though the Commission does have limited powers (including giving a fine of up to 150 Euro if a person refuses treatment) its main aim is to give advice and if need be invite people to seek further help. http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/drug-decriminalization-policy-pays

The rationale behind this is that while society has literally “lost” every person arrested for drug possession by placing him on the wrong side of the law, through this system, a substantial amount of these people realize that they do need help and that society is offering it.

Instead of burning bridges with drug addicts, it works on building them.

Once again, the increase in demand for treatment services, is financed by money that would have otherwise been spent on prosecuting drug addicts.

Harm Reduction

Some addicts, either just can’t quit (once again this depends on numerous variables such as age of onset of drug use, social support networks, childhood traumas etc) or do not consider it the right time to do so.

While complete abstinence should always be the ideal to be reached, the concept of harm reduction is that “if you’re still going to use, at least do it in the least harmful manner, for yourself and others”.

Malta already practices harm reduction such as through free syringe distribution and methadone maintenance programmes.

More could be done especially if more resources are allocated. The possibility of prescribed heroin for long-term addicts as practiced in the UK and Switzerland should also be explored (the substances added to street heroin are usually more harmful than the heroin itself).

Aside from the financial aspect, criminalizing drug addicts is also working against harm reduction in a psychological sense. If that same society that’s telling you that you’re a criminal and should be punished is the same one telling you on the need for clean syringes or that many diseases can be also transmitted from the spoon (on which the heroin is cooked) apart from the syringe, you’re less likely to take that advice.

Conclusion

I hope that in this brief position paper I have provided enough arguments to show we need to move towards a more humane policy towards drug use and addiction. Not only because it’s morally the right thing to do but also because it is more successful.

We should not fool ourselves that the day will come when we win the war on drugs. Drugs are here to stay. But if we do move away from a more populist policy that may provide a feel good factor by temporarily removing people from the streets to behind bars but has so miserably failed, towards one that an abundant amount of research shows to actually reduce drug addiction and the problems they create we can make a significant step forward in tackling this serious and escalating problem.

26 July 2013