Shetland Greens drugs policy motion for legalisation is voted through at Edinburgh conference
The Shetland Greens’ motion on drugs policy which seeks to end prohibition and introduce legal regulation has won “overwhelming” support from party members.
The local branch presented its motion at the Scottish Greens conference yesterday (Sunday) when 93 per cent of party members voted it through.
It has now become the party’s official policy on drugs.
Ahead of the conference, branch members Alex Armitage, Talitha Lee and co-convener Amy Garrick-Wright published a video on social media explaining why they believed drugs policy needed to be reformed.
Dr Armitage said the current approach had led to thousands of drug deaths each years, tens of thousands of children being recruited by organised crime and billions of pounds of public money being wasted.
“This is the price of prohibition,” he said.
He acknowledged legalisation and regulation may sound like a “bold proposal”.
“But if you care about reducing crime and disorder on our streets, if you care about providing high quality, individualised treatment and support for people who use drugs, and if you care about preserving billions of pounds of public money, then this is the only sensible solution to our drugs crisis,” he added.
Ms Lee said drug-related harm was a “political choice - and we can do better”.
“If politicians were doing their jobs properly, you would expect them to take a step back, realise things are going badly wrong, and put the control of the drug market back into the hands of professionals with a duty of care people who suffer from addiction need compassion and support from doctors and nurses, not punishment from prison and police officers,” she added.
Ms Garrick-Wright highlighted the problems of leaving the supply of drugs to the “criminal underworld”.
“There's no regulation, no safety checks, no licencing.
“In fact, the only thing that controls the drugs trade is violence.
“The lesson of the last 50 years is, the harder the police try and crack down on drug dealers, the more violent they become.
“Prohibition drives the drugs trade underground, brutalising our communities and causing danger in our streets.”
The 25-point motion calls for” honest communication” with the public about drugs and an acceptance the people have always used drugs and always will.
It seeks to end the prohibition of drugs by repealing existing drugs legislation and devolving drugs policy making to the Scottish parliament.
Other policy points include the provision of drug consumption and testing facilities and the end of custodial sentencing for all non-violent drug offences.