NationStates Jolt Archive

After I had placed my "Medical Marijuana Initiative" under Human rights: Mild, I received the following telegram:

NationStates Moderators
Received: 13 hours ago

"Medical Marijuana Initiative" has been deleted since it belongs under "Recreational Drug Use: Legalize".

For the time being, I have resubmitted the proposal under the recommended category (and even made a few changes). However, I feel that this category does not accurately reflect the true nature of the proposal.

This is a MEDICAL marijuana proposal, not a "legalize marijuana for all purposes" proposal. Although it does call for the legalization of a substance that is often used recreationally, this is only a partial legalization, and it it the legalization of marijuana for MEDICAL purposes, not recreational. If this proposal is passed and enacted, individual UN members will still be free to declare the recreational use of marijuana to be illegal.

In fact, section 1b) of the proposal attempts to reduce the diversion of medical marijuana for recreational use:

1b) If said recommendation was made by a physician who had been previously found guilty of a marijuana-related charge, or previously found guilty of a professional misconduct, said recommendation shall be forwarded to a government agency for further review.

This proposal dres not legalize or encourage the recreational use of drugs. What it does is legalize the MEDICINAL use of a drug that is often used for recreational purposes. By portraying this proposal as a "legalize recreational drug use", I fear that it will lose the support of more conservative nations.

Thank you,

The Republic of Sandpit,
Founder, RFCSN

This is one of those fuzzy areas, when a Proposal can fit in two different categories. I can see how you would put it under Human Rights, but it seems to me that since we have a category expressly for drugs, that it would belong more in there than another category.

Having reviewed the coding for the two categories, I'm leaning more strongly to Recreational Drug use. Even though it'll be listed as "legalize", you can still place restrictions, such as "for medicinal use only".

I'm willing to entertain further arguments, of course.

I really think that the category is costing the proposal some support. People see the category, and dismiss it as "another damn hippie proposal". Only 14 endorsements so far (DOWN form 16 yesterday), versus 4 endorsements in three hours for the original proposal.

I think it belongs in the human rights category, because it is a medical issue. The recreational drug category is for legalizing drugs for recreational purposes. This proposal has nothing to do with recreational drugs. I feel that it would be wrong to put it in the drug category.

Shouldn't there be a "health" category available? It seems interesting that all health issues that the world must deal with (identifying and containing new outbreaks, dealing with pandemics, AIDS, and so forth) must fit under the "human rights" category. I wouldn't really classify medicinal marijuana as a human rights or a recreational drug issue; it's a health issue. As it is, it seems "human rights" encompasses far too broad a range of issues.

I'd agree with Hack on this one; since this does deal with drugs, even legalizing, IMHO, the most acceptable category would be Recreational Drug Use.

I'm planning to resubmit this proposal shortly, with modifications. Please, I hope to get it into the "Human Rights" category this time.

I'm planning to resubmit in a few hours and would like a reply.

Thank you.