NationStates Jolt Archive

The Democratic Republic of Nadnerb has submitted the following proposal to the UN and respectfully asks all UN delegates to consider endorsing it. Below is a copy of the proposal as it appears before the UN. Voting ends September 4th.

Thank you for your consideration.
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Marijuana Legalization Act
A resolution to ban, legalize, or encourage recreational drugs.


Category: Recreational Drug Use Decision: Legalize Proposed by: Nadnerb
Description: UN Resolution

Industries Affected: Various

Proposed By: The Democratic Republic of Nadnerb

Description:
This Resolution shall be known and may be cited as the Marijuana Legalization Act of 2004.

The People of the Democratic Republic of Nadnerb hereby find and declare the purposes of this Resolution are as follows:

Recognizing that:

* Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug, behind only alcohol and tobacco; (1)

* Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose; (1)

* There are many activities in our society permissible for adults, but forbidden for children, such as motorcycle riding, skydiving, signing contracts, getting married, drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco. However, we do not condone arresting adults who responsibly engage in these activities in order to dissuade our children from doing so;

* Various parts of the marijuana plant (also known as hemp) can be utilized in the making of textiles, paper, paints, clothing, plastics, cosmetics, foodstuffs, insulation, animal feed and other products; (2)

* Hemp produces a much higher yield per acre than do common substitutes such as cotton and requires few pesticides; (2)

* A growing number of health professionals are praising hemp seeds' nutritional value, noting it's second only to soy in protein and contains the highest concentration of essential amino and fatty acids found in any food;

* Modern research suggests marijuana is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications including pain relief, particularly of neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage), nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia. (3)

* The release of prisoners whose only offense was the possession of marijuana for personal use would create space for more deserving offenders. (4)

Proposing that:

* The development of a legally controlled market for marijuana, where consumers could buy marijuana for personal use from a safe legal source. This policy would reduce many of the problems presently associated with the prohibition of marijuana, including the crime, corruption and violence associated with a "black market”;

* Taxation of marijuana sales and profits from hemp based products will lead to an increase in governmental revenues;

* As with alcohol consumption, marijuana consumption can never be an excuse for misconduct or other improper behavior. For example, driving or operating heavy equipment while impaired from marijuana should be prohibited. Most importantly, marijuana consumption is for adults only, and is inappropriate for children;

* Grant patients immediate legal access to medicinal marijuana under a physician's supervision;

* Release and pardon any incarcerated persons whose sole crime was the possession of marijuana for personal use.

It is so resolved.

Footnotes:
(1) Nadnerbian Health Ministry Sub-Committee Report, "Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Marijuana in the DRN: A Comparison" 2003
(2) Nadnerbian Agricultural Ministry, 2002
(3) Nadnerbian Physician's Association Clinical Marijuana Study, 1998-2003
(4) Nadnerbian Correctional Oversight Committee Annual Report, 2002

I don't know who we have to tell, or where we have to put the sign, but drug policy falls distinctly within the bounds of domestic affairs. For the UN to legislate on such an issue is an abuse of it's powers, and completely unjustifiable according to any definition of soveriegnty or the mission of the United Nations. Just because there's a category for it does not make it a good idea.

Wow, very professionally done. I like the Mikitivity-like footnotes at the end. Oh wait, oops. He doesn't like me using him as a reference for anything. Unless it's complimenting the supreme greatness of his resolutions.

Anyway, even though I personally do not support such a proposal and even though I agree with Sophista about it being a more national issue, I like your work a lot.

Keep it up

I have to agree with Powerhungry Chipmunks. It's a very well-presented proposal, but we still don't support it. However ...Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia. (3) ... we're really tempted to vote for a bill that makes 'the munchies' a matter of international law.

::grin::

I will only vote for medicine use of marijuana, not for pleasure.

* Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose; (1)
The point is, marijuana does mess with your brain. it may not cause death DIRECTLY, but that doesn't mean it's good for you. "Smoking pot
affects concentration, perception, coordination and reaction time."(1)

There are many activities in our society permissible for adults, but forbidden for children, such as motorcycle riding, skydiving, signing contracts, getting married, drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco. However, we do not condone arresting adults who responsibly engage in these activities in order to dissuade our children from doing so
Adults know the risks of "motorcycle riding, sky diving"and "drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco". Adults can be responsble of "signing contracts, getting married". Children can't, that's why they are children!

(1)www.theantidrug.com/steerclear/

The point is, marijuana does mess with your brain. it may not cause death DIRECTLY, but that doesn't mean it's good for you. "Smoking potaffects concentration, perception, coordination and reaction time."(1)

So does lack of sleep. Is it reasonable to mandate that everybody must go to bed early every day?

Adults know the risks of "motorcycle riding, sky diving"and "drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco". Adults can be responsble of "signing contracts, getting married". Children can't, that's why they are children!

You missed the point. The author was countering the argument that allowing adults to smoke pot would set a bad example for kids - on the same lines, you can't ban skydiving for adults just because we don't want kids to do it.

I like this, although I have five points to make. First, nowhere in the arguments do you include what is, IMO, the most important relevant principle: why should governments tell their adult citizens what they can and can't do to themselves? Second, those footnotes appear to be from your own nation's made-up publications, which is really misleading, because I could correspondingly do this: "It has been conclusively demonstrated that the use of aspirin causes a significant number of people to sprout demon-like horns and a tail" [Source: _Myopia_ Department of Healthcare Annual Report on Clinical Trials]. If you're going to back up your arguments, do it with real sources please.

Third, I think you should leave nations the option of disallowing public use, and even private use around children, since we don't really know about the possible effects of passive cannabis smoking.

Fourth, another argument you could include is that for nations with state-provided healthcare any increased costs in healthcare could be balanced by the decrease in costs for policing (both directly from not having to police marijuana, and indirectly form having less organised crime and terrorism to deal with - since cannabis especially is a major source of income for both).

Finally, I'm not sure if this draft would allow employers to stipulate that employees may not be under the influence while working. We don't want surgeons, say, to be allowed to smoke a spliff during their breaks.