Canvassing for Opinion - aka "Blairs Brain on Cannabis": 2012/03

The Fox is in the Hen House.

Image via WikipediaDemocracy severely tested!

The Fox is in the Henhouse.

God forgive the Alcohol Industry overspend...

Could it be ethicaly questionable to uphold the Police as an independent investigator of political breaches of ethics surrounding drug policy.

Lets see if this doesnt go the way of Winston Peters et al experience.

On 16 March 2012, the Electoral Commission referred Mediaworks and the party secretary of Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP) to Police for an overspend of ALCP’s broadcasting allocation for election programmes broadcast at the 2011 General Election. The cost of election programmes broadcast by Mediaworks on behalf of ALCP exceeded the party’s broadcasting allocation by $557.80.
It is an offence under section 80 of the Broadcasting Act 1989 for a person, during the election period, to broadcast an election programme on behalf of a political party, or to arrange for the broadcasting of an election programme on behalf of the political party other than in conformity with the requirements of Part 6 of the Act. The Commission is required to refer such breaches to Police under section 80A of the Act. As this matter is now with the Police, the Electoral Commission will not be commenting further.

Blair Anderson http://mildgreens.blogspot.com

Labels: ALCP, Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, Broadcasting, Electoral Commission, Winston Peters

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Ethics of Medicinal Cannabis, SATIVEX

... and Cannabidiol (CBD), the two active comp...

Image via WikipediaThe medicalisation of cannabis via SATIVEX poses a grave ethical issue with compound outcomes.

see BBC taken in by the Sativex Scam

The problem is all about patient informed consent and the expediency of GWPharma telling lies. The ethics of not telling the truth about what's in Sativex and how it works should be seriously questioned as it affects not just the patients in receipt of their scrip, but all those who would 'otherwise' find cannabis efficacious. The BMJ and the medical community should take an objective interest before the lawyers do.

Blair Anderson http://mildgreens.blogspot.com

Labels: BMJ, cannabis, ethics, informed consent, Medicine, Sativex

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Drug Convention Analysis Misses Kiwi Solution

The TI report "The UN drug control conventions, The Limits of Latitude" (By Dave Bewley-Taylor and Martin Jelsma) content, while excellent, stands in marked contrast to the 'art of the politically possible' constrained and shallow analysis of our constitutional, ethical, moral and public health arrangements delivered by the Law Commission inquiry into drug use. The contestability of the Conventions gets little fellowship from the Drug Foundation who cow tow to treatment, drug courts and the a$$oc health minister of the day.

The only thing scarier to officials than talking about drug use, is talking to a drug user.

No decision about us without us.... anything else is unconstitutional. unethical, and immoral and, thus falls way short of the policy analytic standard required to be called 'best practice'..

On the steps of the union 2 - Re:Vision Drug Policy Network (Photo credit: Re:Vision Drugs)

The pandering to prohibition 'drug court' seminar held this month by the Auckland Law Society is one such case.

It is a disgrace this passed muster as a contribution to the debate. Beguiling proof the UN Conventions maybe best described as a treaty with the devil.

Blair Anderson

Social Ecologist 'at large'