NationStates Jolt Archive

Whereas.
Marijuana has accredited medicinal uses in the fields of chemotherapy and pain relief, shown to be effective to victims of AIDS and bone cancer;
Whereas,
Marijuana is less intoxicating than alchohol, not as addictive as cigarettes, and by using a water pipe to have virtually no respiratory damage;
Whereas,
Some states have realized the usefulness of the legalization of marijuana and have already legalized it, allowing police spending that would previously delegated to catching, incarcerating, and tracking those who used cannabis to more useful deparments of security;
Whereas,
The use of marijuana would be confined to a citizens home or licensed private property;
Whereas,
Marijuana has use in it's cousin, Hemp, which is used in textiles, rope, paint, lip balm, etc., but is banned due to it's relation to marijuana, despite studies showing that smoking or ingesting hemp would be more likely to give a subject a headache rather than euphoric effects;
It has become necessary for the UN to make a resolution on marijuana.
This proposal needs approvals. You may begin debating.

I think in order to be a truly progressive nation, you need to give people the right to choose. If they're stoned and late for work, they'll be fired. If they're high and cause a traffic accident, they will pay the consequences. I support the legalization of Marijuana, but there have to be laws in place to ensure moderation.

The Republic of Cannaganja issuse the following official position regarding Proposition: Legalization of Marijuana

WHEREAS: Marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. No one has ever died from an overdose, and it has a wide variety of therapeutic applications including (but not limited to) Relief from nausea and increase of appetite; Reduction of intraocular ("within the eye") pressure; Reduction of muscle spasms; Relief from chronic pain.

WHEREAS: Marijuana is frequently beneficial in the treatment of the following conditions:

AIDS. Marijuana can reduce the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by the ailment itself and by various AIDS medications.

Glaucoma. Marijuana can reduce intraocular pressure, thereby alleviating the pain and slowing -- and sometimes stopping -- the progress of the condition. (Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness. It damages vision by increasing eye pressure over time.)

Cancer. Marijuana can stimulate the appetite and alleviate nausea and vomiting, which are common side effects of chemotherapy treatment.

Multiple Sclerosis. Marijuana can limit the muscle pain and spasticity caused by the disease, as well as relieving tremor and unsteadiness of gait. (Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause of neurological disability among young and middle-aged adults.)

Epilepsy. Marijuana can prevent epileptic seizures in some patients.

Chronic Pain. Marijuana can alleviate the chronic, often debilitating pain caused by myriad disorders and injuries.

WHEREAS: Each of these applications has been deemed legitimate by at least one court, legislature, and/or government agency in the United States. Many patients also report that marijuana is useful for treating arthritis, migraine, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, and depression and other debilitating mood disorders.

WHEREAS: People currently suffering from any of the conditions mentioned above, for whom the legal medical options have proven unsafe or ineffective, have two options: Continue to suffer from the ailment itself; or Illegally obtain marijuana -- and risk suffering consequences such as: an insufficient supply due to the prohibition-inflated price or scarcity; impure, contaminated, or chemically adulterated marijuana;
arrests, fines, court costs, property forfeiture, incarceration, probation, and criminal records.

The Republic of Cannaganja recognizes the opinions of nations which choose to prohibit marijuana in its many forms. Taking into account the afformentioned clauses, Cannaganja fully supports international legalization of marijuana.

The Republic of Cannaganja is aware of the low possibility that this resolution will pass, and is deeply concerned about the lack of international awareness on this issue. Nonetheless, Cannaganja recommends that all nations take steps to investigate the afformentioned items in lieu of their official position on the issue at hand.

The Republic of Cannaganja respectfully recommends that governments of the international community remove state-level criminal penalties for medical marijuana use. Cannaganja affirms its position of international moral responsibility to change state law to: exempt seriously ill patients from state-level prosecution for marijuana possession and cultivation; and
exempt doctors who recommend medical marijuana from prosecution or the denial of any right or privilege.

whoah. I applaud you! Your proposal sounds better than mine :D :wink:

We support this resolution.

it's legal in our country, so a yes from our side

Legalize pot! Give us a communal bong!

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Kûk‡xenisi n!ok‡x'osi xno-k‡xek‡emi.-The state only exists to serve itself.
"Oppose excessive military spending, yet believe in excessive spending on junk food and plastic surgery to make all your women look like LARDASSES!"-Sino, when I criticized excessive military spending.
http://www.sulucas.com/images/steatopygia.jpg
I'm male. Note the pic of attractive women.

We of Korandia also support the global legalisation of marajuana, for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, we believe in civil freedom, the right of the individual to do what she or he will if his actions harm noone. It is for this reason we feel that this issue should be brought before the UN, as personal freedom and human rights are every nations business.

Second: Marajuana has been proven to have a multitude of very useful medical applications

Third: Prohibition has in the past proven to be highly fiscally inefficient, and to generate large amounts of crime. Alchohol prohibition in the United States clearly shows this.

Fourth: Prohibition has not been shown to affect use of a substance. We find that the legalisation of marajuana will not greatly affect the frequency of it's use. Those that wish to use it now do so regardless of its legal status.

Fifth: While there are health concerns and these affect medical costs to a nation, considering our fourth point these costs should not change dramatically. However, given the massive amount of money saved in the enforcement of the current laws, prosecution of offenders and their imprisonment, far more money would be available to Health Care and other government agencies.

I agree, but not all countries have government run health care and not all countries even have government.

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Kûk‡xenisi n!ok‡x'osi xno-k‡xek‡emi.-The state only exists to serve itself.
"Oppose excessive military spending, yet believe in excessive spending on junk food and plastic surgery to make all your women look like LARDASSES!"-Sino, when I criticized excessive military spending.
http://www.sulucas.com/images/steatopygia.jpg
I'm male. Note the pic of attractive women.

I agree, but not all countries have government run health care and not all countries even have government.

Of course. However, countries without government are unaffected by this legislation anyways, and countries without government run health care are also unaffected by that point.

How do you enforce a law in a "country" without them?

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Kûk‡xenisi n!ok‡x'osi xno-k‡xek‡emi.-The state only exists to serve itself.
"Oppose excessive military spending, yet believe in excessive spending on junk food and plastic surgery to make all your women look like LARDASSES!"-Sino, when I criticized excessive military spending.
http://www.sulucas.com/images/steatopygia.jpg
I'm male. Note the pic of attractive women.

The Republic of Cannaganja recognizes that nations without government and/or state-sponsored healthcare would be unaffected by the resolution. However, Cannaganja invites delegates of all nations to formally address this issue in hopes that an international consensus may be reached.

You don't. Let the people's opinion be law, and if you feel compelled to step in and tell the other person to go stuff it, you do!

Caucasians-the other with meat.

Caucasians-the other with meat.

What about someone who is part white and part Tu'lîmi?

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Kûk‡xenisi n!ok‡x'osi xno-k‡xek‡emi.-The state only exists to serve itself.
"Oppose excessive military spending, yet believe in excessive spending on junk food and plastic surgery to make all your women look like LARDASSES!"-Sino, when I criticized excessive military spending.
http://www.sulucas.com/images/steatopygia.jpg
I'm male. Note the pic of attractive women.

Because we believe personal liberty to be a fundamental right, and one more important than any consideration of either the impact on that individuals health or the broader social impact, the Republic of Citagazze endorses this resolution.

I have no problem with any one nation legalizing marijuana, however, I do not like the idea of the UN comming in and changing my nation's drug laws. Let the nations each decide these issues for themselves.

I don't particularly like the UN changing my spam laws either. But that's the price ya pay for when you join the united nations. If I could, I would propose that we have the option of whether or not we enforce the laws, if it didn't have to do with gameplay. But still, if you wanna change the world, ya gotta take the bad with the good.

The Republic of Arthuria-Elizabetia cannot support this resolution.

While we hold civil rights sacrosanct, we cannot approve legalization of any drug, especially one as easily obtainable as this.

With legalization (or even decriminalization), young people suddenly have access to drugs that will lead, we are sure, to terrible consequences.

Marijuana is a drug like any other. It destroys lives, and ruins the potential of thousands of young people every year. Like any other drug, it needs to be kept off the streets, not legalized.

If we legalize marujana then it would be a major blow to the drug trade,so I say it's a good idea,but we would have to impose somethings on the law saying where you can only smoke it.

[quote]
The use of marijuana would be confined to a citizens home or licensed private property;

"Licensed" private property? What does that mean?

Getting high is properly legal anywhere as long as the property owner consents.

It destroys lives,
So? It's their life to destroy if they so desire.
and ruins the potential of thousands of young people every year.
So? It's their potential to destroy if they so desire.

Although The Republic of Cannaganja affirms its own position that marijuana will remain legal within its own borders, it feels the need to address the comments of the nations which failed to accurately read the stipulations of the proposal. Cannaganja's position officially recognizes the rights of individual nations which choose to maintain strict prohibition of marijuana. The proposal may be confusing for the delegates of some nations, however The Republic of Cannaganja takes into account nations which lack in adequate education programs. Specifically, the afformentioned proposal emphasizes the necessity that all nations research the issue of marijuana legalization AND/OR decriminalization. Cannaganja further resolves to raise international awareness regarding the issue, and expresses its hope that delegates will in the future more carefully discriminate among operational clauses prior to issuing official statements which address no relevance to the discussion.

What I meant by licensed properties was clubs/bars who buy a marijuana distribution license, so the "government" (if you have one) can regulate it.

If Drugs are not legal, they will be sold on the black market.

I say that we should legalize it and then tax it as much as tobacco.


General Zircon, Desra

OOC (I was directing that specifically towards the RETARDED comment posted by Arthuria-Elizabetia)

While we hold civil rights sacrosanct, we cannot approve legalization of any drug, especially one as easily obtainable as this.

If marijuana is so easily obtainable, it's obvious that the present legal consequences and efforts to stop people from using marijuana just plain aren't working. Legalization remains an alternative to the money wasted and police hours spent on trying to fight the marijuana trade every day.

With legalization (or even decriminalization), young people suddenly have access to drugs that will lead, we are sure, to terrible consequences.

Marijuana is a drug like any other. It destroys lives, and ruins the potential of thousands of young people every year. Like any other drug, it needs to be kept off the streets, not legalized.

The link between marijuana use and "ruining one's life" is very shoddy at best. Marijuana has many myths attached to it. That it's addictive, that it causes brain damage, that it causes more lung damage then cigarettes, and that it causes an amotivational syndrome that causes apathy in young people. These myths are all either false or unprovable, as shown here. (http://marijuana.com/myths.php3) I believe this statement is based on a backwards belief that marijuana causes people to be a certain way, when it is only that certain people are a certain way and also use marijuana, not that it is the marijuana causing them to be that way.

We are all Humanoids have long held a pro drugs policy, and while a small nation have not suffered for that. We would endorse this proposal, our only reservation being that such proposals are, in our opinion, the realm of a national governement not of the UN!

For Further elaboration our position is that:

The definition of a drug - "any substance that amends the human brains
perception"

Whereas all 'drugs' will be cut with a substance that is not incompatible with the operation of the human body, this 'cut' will be to a level of 500% ie one part drug to 5 parts 'cut'.

Further the drug will be taxed at 1000% of total cost price, to include labour at national minmum wage or the average wage of the lowest paid 25% of nations workers.

We are all Humanoids believe that if such policies were implemented the health of the 'drug' user in knowing the strength of his / her drug would overall reduce drug related fatalaties. Also worldwide the effect on organised crime would be devastating. Further while an intial increase in addiction and therefore an effect on GDP is to be expected, we are confident that with accurate targetting of the massive increase in state revenues such problems could be ameliorated.

For clarification, yes this defintion would include Coffee, Tea, Alcohol and Nicotine. Reductions in the taxation level could at a nations discretion be implemented for drugs deemed to be 'medicinal'.

Finally We are all Humanoids repeat our belief that this is a consideration for nations not the UN and should therefore be rejected!

I believe this statement is based on a backwards belief that marijuana causes people to be a certain way, when it is only that certain people are a certain way and also use marijuana, not that it is the marijuana causing them to be that way.

Couldn't have said it better myself...

Same here


General Zircon :mrgreen:

This IS an issue for the UN. It deals with human rights, medical care, industry, and whether or not the government can regulate what we put in our bodies!

Communists-The other red meat

Come on. Lets get some debating going.

OOC I agree... I know everyone has opinions on this, so why don't we at least have a little fun!

Proposal ends today. WE NEED APPROVALS!

POT IS BAD! I would like to kill the Soddamized States for this idea. Pot kills, and so does the Saddamized states.

POT IS BAD! I would like to kill the Soddamized States for this idea. Pot kills, and so does the Saddamized states.

POT IS BAD! I would like to kill the Soddamized States for this idea. Pot kills, and so does the Saddamized states.

If this proposal becomes a resolution I will vote AGAINST it. In the event it passes Golden Simatar will not go along with it.

If this proposal becomes a resolution I will vote AGAINST it. In the event it passes Golden Simatar will not go along with it.

That's your right of course, but by denying your endorsement aren't you essentially denying a free vote on this issue?

Btw - I always thought it was spelt Scimitar? Or is this a reference I'm not getting?

The Democratic States of The Nieve Nine strongly supports this proposal.

If this proposal becomes a resolution I will vote AGAINST it. In the event it passes Golden Simatar will not go along with it.

That's your right of course

Actually it isn't. When a UN resolution passes, all UN members have the law automatically enforced. There is NO (real) WAY to get round this short of leaving the UN BEFORE the resolution passes. I say real because of course he could role-play that pot is legal but nobody in his nation ever chooses to smoke it - but that won't make any difference to the law or the fact that it will positively affect his Civil Rights rating.

POT IS BAD! I would like to kill the Soddamized States for this idea. Pot kills, and so does the Saddamized states.

It's your body, not the State's body. You should be able to put whatever chemicals in it you want.