Scottish Greens autumn conference motion to end drug prohibition
The Shetland branch of the Scottish Greens is bringing a motion to change the national party’s drugs policy to call for the end of prohibition and a system of legalised regulation.
Greens councillor Alex Armitage said he was “incredibly proud” the local branch was seeking a new approach at the party’s conference this weekend.
“The drugs trade is controlled by violent organised criminals,” he said.
“Most politicians’ response is ‘more police, more sniffer dogs’ but this approach has not worked.
“In fact, the lesson from the last 50 years is that drugs gangs are more brutal, more dangerous and more corrupting than ever.
“The only way to deal with this problem is to put the organised criminals out of business.
“This is only possible through legal regulation.”
The full motion contains 25 points including evidence as to why legal regulation is better for public health, reducing crime and supporting personal freedom.
It says in most cases the limited use of drugs for recreational purposes is not harmful and can have the potential to “enhance human relationships and creativity”.
Harmful drug use, the policy adds, is underpinned by poverty, isolation, mental distress, physical illness and psychological trauma.
“Prohibition of drugs only serves to deepen these problems, driving people away from help and support,” the policy states.
In a video shared on social media ahead of the party conference, Dr Armitage talks about how the current approach has led to thousands of drug deaths each years, tends 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 says.
Branch member Talitha Lee also features in the video, in which she says drug-related harm is a “political choice - and we can do better”.
“Back in the 1960s they thought that the best way to reduce harm was to put an out right ban on drugs,” she added.
“On the surface, this may have seemed like a good idea, but it backfired spectacularly.
“You see, the drugs market used to be in the control of doctors and pharmacists, but what prohibition did was to take this control and place it right into the hands of organised criminals who stop at nothing to make money, and often off the backs of the most vulnerable in society.”
Shetland Greens co-convener finishes Amy Garrick-Wright the video with an appeal to party members.
If you're a member of the Scottish greens, please use your voted conference this weekend to support drug policy reform. Together, we can end the disastrous policy of prohibition that has destroyed so many lives.
The motion is due to go before the party conference tomorrow (Sunday).