Subject: DPAlliance Seminar 'Shifting The Cannabis Debate' with Alex Wodak Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 09:07:51 -0400 To: From: Bob Armstrong I mentioned this event after I got the notice and was confused by Preston's confusion about what I was talking about and only since then realized that it had just been filtered into my same mailbox . In any case , yesterday I got to : =09DPAlliance Seminar in NYC, Wed July 16, 4 PM: 'Shifting The Cannabis Debate' with Alex Wodak Here are my minimally edited notes : / =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D / wed.jul.20030716 /= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D / 16 / 70 W 36 / 1608 / Drug Policy Alliance Library : Ethan := moved frm 59 & 9th Alex Wodak , MD : Australia / optimal Cannabis Reform in 21st= century speed of reform glacial compared w strength of argument . Debate framed by opponents ; toxicity - unresolved -= unresolvable , specious arg schizophrenia ? Control like tobacco & alcohol / Prohibitionist cannot lose FEAR argument Reformers can't lose taxation & regulation argument / least= worst way Cannabis does have some harms - as any smoking does . " even the most extreme libertarian would not argue having 5 & 6= yr olds smoking . " Tax it like other commodities . currently "taxed" by criminals &= corrupt cops Tax revs "hypothecated" ( earmarked ) to pay for prevention &= treatment . Australia Cannabis .01 of GDP / abt 2* other drugs / Tax must be below existing black mkt or will stimulate black mkt= / Was taxed in US from 1937 - 71 / Regulate : cultivation , sale wholesale & retail / ban= advertising (?) Netherlands shops cannot sell other psychotropics . Tobacco rare until cigarettes & advertising SF vs Netherlands - SF 2* likely to be offered other drugs -= separation of markets reduce access to young . / health warnings "surgeon General= warns MADNESS " Product Quality Control . Encourage alternate path to smoking / vaporizers - [ &= transdermal ] Saving in Law enforcement costs / Tobacco studies Richard Dole(?) after WW2 . Tobacco usage frm .70 -> .21 .19 ( O-> , O+ ) in Austr over= last cpl decades . Driving While Stoned ( DWS ) still illegal / not currently tek= feasible Some allowed level of personal cultivation / very large police pop in Australia - lot of corruption / Cannabis Education currently not credible Would Tax & Reg increase use ? Alcohol use might fall . West Austral economists study of U students - speculated . Real data from US under Reagan - Drinking age up , Pot use up in= age grp substantial fall in road deaths . Evidence of= cross-substitution . WHO study : Cannabis causes far less damage than Alcohol . these notions marketable . need to cement opinion makers Demographic changes making reform inevitable . Use same approach to other drugs ? National authority ? Tobacco in France & Austria were gov= owned Finland owned alcohol . Ontario licquor outlets / 1656 / Qs : Peter Moskos wrote Washington post op-ed last wk / Med MJ debate ? reductionism in Western pharmacology - served us= well pure extracts rather than plant / Who are opponents ? Political Class / DWS test research ? poor correlation between blood based tests &= intoxication I : functional testing ? Cannabis Lippophilic - stays in tissues= . some recent evidence : 0 ) computer psycho motor performance -= none convincing including simulated driving 1) actual cars - also no effect / 3) epidemiologic - vs control= grp . fault in crashes may be higher barbiturate & alcohol of course much worse Basically evidence equivocal / Australia ? 3 states have "expiation" 60$US fine pay if in 24= hrs in Capital , Northern & Western territories / Northern did to= save money . Generally less Draconian than US / / 1715 / Russell Simons already spent 300k4 -- Chatting afterwards it turns out the guy IS a tobacco warrior= and pull out the argument that there is some class of people so weak= of will and skill that they can't get any jobs other than work in= bars and they must be protected from second hand smoke . Cf , Preston's excellent rant a couple of days ago on that= crazyness . --=A0 =A0Bob Armstrong -- http://CoSy.com -- 212-285-1864 =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A02003/07/17 8:44:19 AM