Cancer Society Logic

The Cancer Society is once again having its routine blabbles over the sale of tobacco and cigarettes in supermarkets, claiming that sale should be out of the public's view and that it is "incomprehensible" that public sale is permitted in supermarkets.

But, as usual, something escaped their minds. What is the substance(s) most discreetly sold in New Zealand, and all over the world?

The answer to that would be: illegal drugs. After all, NO ONE sells illegal drugs in supermarkets and if you want to buy them, you usually have to meet a secret contact somewhere in a dark alley, where sky-high prices are the norm.

There's no market (or government) protection of the industry and those in it in the illegal drugs trade. If you have to rob someone at knifepoint or gunpoint in order to pay for the drugs, so be it. If you get murdered after the transaction, your loss.

Maybe the Cancer Society should consider the effects of making drugs illegal, and driving them underground. Unfortunately, logic escapes such organizations, who are more often than not out to increase their own power base.

BZP Outlawed as of Now

I've been and am continuing to be very busy in my daily events, mostly around school. However, NZ's fascist BZP drug laws are now in effect. Expect the crime rate to be skyrocketing in the next few years, everyone.

But for now, I'll leave it up to Tony Hughes on the Geekzone blog to do the talking.

...And what allows the Gangs to Thrive?

Everyone in New Zealand is appalled by the shocking incident just a few days ago when some piece of filth shot a baby in Wanganui. What horrendous actions carried out by someone who ought to be imprisoned for the next two decades.

But the deeper question behind this is "what is responsible for these gangs going about killing everyone?"

An investigation will quickly reveal that illegal drugs are responsible for the ongoing thriving of gang activities here in New Zealand, and indeed all around the world. As drugs can not be supplied by a free market, the drug market goes underground where it's controlled by gang cartels and shady figures, all out to reap the excess cash and above-market prices that prohibition delievers. It's not a secret that many gang members now and during Al Capone's time in the 1920's like prohibition. Prohibition distorts the actual market price of drugs, making them all the more expensive, and the criminals all the more richer.

I've gone over too many times that this leads many addicts, who are often (or soon will be) parts of the lower socio-economic rungs, to steal, cheat and lie to get their drugs. In a proper market with all the checks and balances (aka competition), the price drops back down to the market rate, and less stealing is required.

Making a crime out of drugs also diverts police funds away from actual crimes, like rape, murder and theft, onto victimless crimes, as the name suggests, without a victim. Prohibition leads to gangs getting away with more horrendous crimes like this.

If drugs are to be controlled by a free market, the price would fall and gangs will have to look for other sources of income. Police dollars can be used on serious crimes, making gangs all the more vulnerable. But the way it is, the law bows down to them.

We wouldn't have so many baby killings, either.

Naivety in a Nutshell

Like many people across New Zealand, I watched the article on 60 Minutes about the boy who spent several weeks in intensive care thanks to BZP*.

Nobody's going to doubt that drugs can do bad things to all different types of people, but we should face the facts. The rate of drug usage in this country isn't going to automatically go down with a simple ban on BZP. Instead, it just drives usage underground. Instead of being controlled by the free market, the drugs are controlled by the gangs in this country, who are already extremely notorious. And drug usage becomes more of a "Ooh, this is a bad thing to do-lets do it!" taboo with New Zealand's children. Even if BZP had already been banned, the teenager affected in the article would've still gotten his hands on BZP, one way or another. I fight the War on the War on Drugs on the principle that banning things doesn't make them go away-it just makes them go underground. Ultimately, it's an adults choice what to put into their bodies-with them taking the full consequences of that decision.

Anybody who thinks otherwise-that banning drugs makes them go away- is a very naive person. I shouldn't need to provide examples, as anybody with a modicum of sense knows what they are.

*It was, in fact, the boy's own choice what he put into his body, and now he has to pay the price.

BZP ban won't stop stupidity

From the Libertarianz' latest press release:

"In the wake of a tragic incident in Greymouth which has left a young man in an induced coma in Christchurch Hospital after taking BZP, Libertarianz Drugs Spokesman Dr. Richard Goode reiterated his party's opposition to a ban on BZP-based party pills."

It's very true that bad things can happen if you take drugs-but it's also very true that a ban on drugs doesn't make those effects disappear. People still continue to use them. Control goes to the gangs, who thrive off the huge prices drugs sell for in the black market. To obtain their drugs, people will steal to pay for their usage. Police resources are seriously drained, making serious real crimes-like murder, rape and burglary-all the easier to commit. Prisons get seriously overcrowded. The whole system becomes a complete and total mess.

In a free market, however, these things will be subject only to the laws of supply and demand. Drugs become far cheaper, meaning gangs will have a harder time trying to survive. Police resources aren't diverted to drug crimes, and serious crimes are paid more attention to. Prisons don't get overcrowded. People don't need to steal to pay for their usage. Crime goes down.

And despite the whole "war on drugs" mania around NZ and abroad, especially in America, the percentage of underage users is far lower in the drug-tolerant Netherlands than it is in "war on drugs" America and New Zealand.

In America, the numbers of 15 and 16 year old's who've used cannabis is 38%. In New Zealand, they are only slightly lower at 35%. England's rate is 36%. Meanwhile, the Netherlands does well at only 8%. Drugs are a rebellion factor in America, NZ and England, and therefore the percentage of teens using them is far higher than in the Netherlands, where they aren't a rebellion factor.

We shouldn't forget that 52% of New Zealanders are criminals, 52% of New Zealanders have used cannabis. A higher number, 62%-ten percent higher-said they would support decriminalisation, according to the TVNZ/TNS poll.

So what about all the drug labs we hear about so often on the news? Wouldn't they be rampant if we decriminalised cannabis?

No, they wouldn't. In fact, they would be non-existent. They would be unprofitable in a free market for drugs. They are only profitable thanks to the huge price for illegal drugs on today's black market.

Medicinal Marijuana should be the first to be legalised. Simply put, it saves lives. If you want proof, take a look at the Libertarian Party of America's Libertarian heroes section. The first story is about a man with cancer. His doctor prescribed him a whole heap of medical drugs. He couldn't keep them down. After trying many different substances, he found one that worked: marijuana.

Afterwards, he was charged with possession of marijuana and subsequently thrown in jail. He died weeks later, thanks to prohibition.

Cannibis, Marijuana and indeed the whole concept of drug prohibtion has been a complete failure. It has had all the wrong implications on society and has actually increased drug consumption. It simply has not worked. Drugs need to be legalisated, in order for them to be subject to the laws of the free market and their levels to be dramatically reduced. After all, what do law-breakers care about the law?

Note: Richard Goode has a site, Stash.co.nz.

Richard Goode, Libertarianz webmaster, launches petition against BZP ban

On January 14, Richard Goode, webmaster for the Libertarianz and Libertarianz spokesperson on drugs, launched a petition against the BZP ban. The petition can be downloaded here.

"The petition calls on the New Zealand House of Representatives not to ban or further restrict the sale of benzylpiperazine (BZP) and BZP-based party pills." Mr Goode said. "One in five New Zealanders has used BZP and they do it because they enjoy it. Banning BZP will deprive these people of a pleasurable, legal pastime.Alcohol causes more grief and mayhem than all illicit drugs combined".

Mr Goode went on to say "Adults own their own bodies. What adults put into their own bodies is their own business, and no-one else's. BZP is a relatively sensible choice."

I wish Richard the best of luck for this petition. It will also become a "Libertarian Crusade".

Once again, best of luck Richard.