Uncategorized - World War D

Drug policy on the move: 2013 as it unfolds

2012 appears increasingly as a turning point in the drug policy debate, and the trend seems to be accelerating as we move into 2013. I prepared a presentation of the major events of 2013 in the world as they unfold. The presentation is in reverse chronological order to highlight the most recent developments, and is followed by a recap of the major milestones of 2012 and the events that led to these major breakthroughs. I will keep updating it as we go.

Please let me know if I missed anything. Feel free to add your own events in the comments. And of course, like and share on social networks.

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
Author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”

Download a free 50-page excerpt: http://www.world-war-d.com/.

“World War-D” on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984690409/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward
Follow me on Twitter: @JDhywood
Become a better informed activist and support global drug policy reform!
Order your own copy of “Word War-D”

The reference book on the War on Drugs and prohibitionism
A guide to psychoactive substances and substance abuse
A blueprint for global drug policy reform and controlled legalization

Media inquiries- book reviews – speaking engagements: contact promo@world-war-d.com

Breaking the taboo

Let us break the taboo on debate and reform. The time for action is now. Sign the petition http://www.breakingthetaboo.info/

Breaking the Taboo is a global grass-roots campaign website against the War on Drugs, run by the Beckley Foundation in association with The Global Commission on Drug Policy, Virgin Unite, Avaaz and Sundog Pictures. The Mission Statement of the campaign is the Beckley Foundation Public Letter calling for a new approach to the War on Drugs, signed by nine Presidents, twelve Nobel prize winners, and many other world figures. The site hosts a coalition of international NGOs, united in their belief that the War on Drugs has failed and that global drug policy can and must be reformed. An Avaaz petition is hosted on the site, which will be presented to the UN. We hope that by collecting together so many voices calling for change, we will finally be able to persuade governments and lawmakers into adopting a humane and rational approach to drugs.

Mission Statement:

The global war on drugs has failed. It is time for a new approach.

We call on Governments and Parliaments to recognise that:

Fifty years after the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was launched, the global war on drugs has failed, and has had many unintended and devastating consequences worldwide.

Use of the major controlled drugs has risen, and supply is cheaper and more available than ever before. The UN conservatively estimates that there are now over 250 million drug users worldwide.

Illicit drugs are now the third most valuable industry in the world, after food and oil, all in the control of criminals. Fighting the war on drugs costs the world’s taxpayers incalculable billions each year. Millions of people are in prison worldwide for drug-related offences, mostly personal users and small-time dealers.

Corruption amongst law-enforcers and politicians, especially in producer and transit countries, has spread as never before, endangering democracy and civil society. Stability, security and development are threatened by the fallout from the war on drugs, as are human rights. Tens of thousands of people die in the drug war each year.

The drug-free world so confidently predicted by supporters of the war on drugs is further than ever from attainment.The policies of prohibition create more harms than they prevent. We must seriously consider shifting resources away from criminalising tens of millions of otherwise law abiding citizens, and move towards an approach based on health, harm-reduction, cost-effectiveness and respect for human rights.

Evidence consistently shows that these health-based approaches deliver better results than criminalisation. Improving our drug policies is one of the key policy challenges of our time. It is time for world leaders to fundamentally review their strategies in response to the drug phenomenon.

At the root of current policies lies the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. It is time to re-examine this treaty, which imposes a “one-size-fits-all” solution, in order to allow individual countries the freedom to explore drug policies that better suit their domestic needs.

As the production, demand and use of drugs cannot be eradicated, new ways must be found to minimise harms, and new policies, based on scientific evidence, must be explored.

Let us break the taboo on debate and reform. The time for action is now.

Yours faithfully,

President Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia

President Otto Pérez Molina, President of Guatemala

President César Gaviria, Former President of Colombia

President Lech Wałęsa, Former President of Poland, Nobel Prize winner

President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, Former President of Poland

President Jimmy Carter, Former President of the United States of America

President Fernando H. Cardoso, Former President of Brazil

President Ruth Dreifuss, Former President of Switzerland

President Vincente Fox, Former President of Mexico

Sir Richard Branson, Entrepreneur and Founder of the Virgin Group

Bernardo Bertolucci, Oscar-winning Film Director

Carlos Fuentes, Novelist and essayist

Sean Parker, Founding President of Facebook, Director of Spotify

Thorvald Stoltenberg, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Norway) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Asma Jahangir, Former UN Special Rapporteur on Arbitrary, Extrajudicial and Summary Execution

Louise Arbour, CC, GOQ, Former UN High-Commissioner for Human Rights

Professor Sir Anthony Leggett, Physicist, Nobel Prize winner

Dr. Kary Mullis, Chemist, Nobel Prize winner

Maria Cattaui, Former Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce

Wisława Szymborska, Poet, Nobel Prize winner

Professor Sir Harold Kroto, Chemist, Nobel Prize winner

Gilberto Gil, Musician, former Minister of Culture, Brazil

Professor Thomas C. Schelling, Economist, Nobel Prize winner

Professor Sir Peter Mansfield, Economist, Nobel Prize winner

Professor Niall Ferguson, Professor of History at Harvard University

Professor Colin Blakemore, Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford and University of Warwick

Professor David Nutt, Former Chair of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs

Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, Professor of Economics at Cambridge

Dr. Julian Huppert, MP, Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform

Dr. Muhammed Abdul Bari, MBE, Former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain

Trudie Styler, Actress and producer

Professor Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University

Lord Mancroft, Chair of the Drug and Alcohol Foundation

Professor A. C. Grayling, Master of the New College of the Humanities

General Lord Ramsbotham, Former HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

Lord MacDonald, QC, Former Head of the Crown Prosecution Service

Sir Peregrine Worsthorne, Former Editor of The Sunday Telegraph

Tom Brake, MP, Co-chair of the Lib Dem Home Affairs, Justice and Equalities Parliamentary Policy Committee

Professor Noam Chomsky, Professor of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT

George P. Schultz, Former US Secretary of State

Yoko Ono, Musician and artist

Mario Vargas Llosa, Writer, Nobel Prize winner

Jaswant Singh, Former Minister of Defence, of Finance, and for External Affairs, India

Sting, Musician and actor

Michel Kazatchkine, United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS

John Whitehead, Former US Deputy Secretary of State

John Perry Barlow, Co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Javier Solana, KOGF, KCMG, Former EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy

Professor Kenneth Arrow, Economist, Nobel Prize winner

Jeremy Thomas, Film Producer

Professor John Polanyi, Chemist, Nobel Prize winner

Pavel Bém, Former Mayor of Prague

Dr. Jan Wiarda, Former President of European Police Chiefs

Professor Lord Piot, Former UN Under Secretary-General

Professor Martin L. Perl, Physicist, Nobel Prize winner

Lord Rees, OM, Astronomer Royal and former President of the Royal Society

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Former President of the Royal College of Physicians

Professor Trevor Robbins, Professor of Neuroscience at Cambridge

Caroline Lucas, MP, Leader of the Green Party and MP for Brighton

Professor Jonathan Wolff, Professor of Philosophy at UCL

Carel Edwards, Former Head of the EU Commission’s Drug Policy Unit

Professor Robin Room, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne

Gary Johnson, Former Republican US Presidential Candidate

Bob Ainsworth, MP, Former UK Secretary of State for Defence

Nicholas Green, QC, Former Chairman of the Bar Council

Peter Lilley, MP, Former Secretary of State for Social Security

Tom Lloyd, Former Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire

Professor Robert Grayling, Dean of School of Medicine, KCL

Paul Flynn, MP, Labour MP for Newport West

Dr. Patrick Aeberhard, Former President of Doctors of the World

Amanda Feilding, Director of the Beckley Foundation

Breaking the taboo: Massive global campaign for drug policy reform

The Beckley Foundation is getting ready to launch a global campaign for drug policy reform in conjunction with AVAAZ, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, and a broad alliance of reform activists organizations from all over the world (http://www.breakingthetaboo.info/). The campaign will be launched together with the release of a major documentary “Breaking the Taboo”. They intend to collect millions of signatures. Be part of it!

Breaking the Taboo supporters includes Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina, ex -US presidents Clinton and Carter, ex Mexican presidents Ernesto Zedillo and Vicente Fox, and former heads of states from Latin America and Europe.

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
Author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”

“World War-D” on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984690409/

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward
Twitter: @JDhywood
jd (at) world-war-d.com

A thought for all our friends stuck in superstorm Sandy

As superstorm Sandy moves on, all our thoughts go to our friends in the affected zones. The extent of the destruction caused by superstorm Sandy is humbling. Cars and trucks tossed around like tinder in a stream, flooded subway stations, massive power outage, the most densely populated part of the US turned into post-apocalyptic ghost towns.

The worse part of it is that if global warming is for real, this is just a taste of things to come. With up to 1/3 of the world population living in low-lying areas, can we take the risk of ignoring the repeated warnings of the scientific community? A lot is at stake if they are right, with absolutely no way to change course, no plan B; if they are wrong, most of what needs to be done to mitigate climate change will improve the air we breathe, clean the water we drink and result in net increase in our quality of life.

Last days for your personalized signed copy

I will be in Los Angeles, where my books are physically located, for few more days, until November 1st. if you order a print copy of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”, before October 31st, I will sign it for you with a personal note. [productspage]
Or order from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984690409/

See what readers have to say about “World War-D”:

“The most thorough and complete book on the subject could possibly be!” Ed Borg, US

“An excellent, well researched and convincing read with copious references and follow up material. This book should be compulsory reading for all politicians, judges and police chiefs around the globe.” Chris Stevens, UK

“Jeffrey has certainly done his homework, researched causes and issues and come up with logical conclusions and solution, worldwide, to the problem. Those who have ears … let them listen.” Dr. Jay Polmar, US, Founder, www.Speedread.org

“Jeffrey has proven his credentials with enormous attention to detail in ‘World War D.’ The arguments are presented in a clear and cogent style written in a manner that will educate, inspire and promote a more positive view of this important issue. I can thoroughly recommend this book as a guide to action in the current drug situation worldwide.” Stuart Aken, author, UK, http://stuartaken.co.uk/

“World War D is a complete history of drug use, abuse, and policy. If you have not read any other book on this topic but have an interest, this is the book. Mr. Dhywood is like a Mike Wallace on steroids seeking facts and asking the right questions. The material presented is well ordered, showing the naked truth about who profits from the drug trade under the current prohibitionist laws, and the harrowing consequences to human beings throughout the planet. Finally he presents a list of options for a post drug war society with real and humane benefits for everything affected by the current system. A must read for anyone in the education, social services or legislative fields worldwide with an interest in truth and solutions. On the downside, some chapters would have benefited from the inclusion of a glossary of terms for anyone interested in the subject without basic knowledge of brain function. Highly recommended.” J.C., US

“Jeffrey Dhywood is a courageous man who has dedicated himself to a cause that continues to be disparaged. Drug legalization makes sense, and Dhywood is keenly aware that doing so would save countless millions of dollars and hundreds of lives each year. However, while there has been a groundswell of public support for marijuana legalization in particular, advocates are often painted as hippies and potheads and not taken seriously. Dhywood is serious enough to make a strong case for putting an end to drug prohibition globally, and is brave enough to face down critics with reasoned arguments.” Jeff Goldberg, Author, US.

“Jeffrey Dhywood is a man with the courage to say what other people are thinking, and the investigative zeal so necessary to acquire a thorough understanding of such a complex and emotive subject. The plain fact of the matter is that prohibition of anything – alcohol, drugs, weapons or anything else which a government decides its subject people should not be allowed to possess – does not work and has never worked. All that a ban achieves is to ensure that demand is stimulated, that organized crime will become heavily involved and, especially in the case of drugs, that the quality of the product will become so varied that every addict will literally risk death every time he or she buys a fix.
Jeffrey explains all this, and more, in a clear, logical and concise manner which even an averagely unintelligent politician should be able to grasp. He is the voice of common sense discussing a subject that most people avoid talking about, and which politicians refuse to discuss at all, relying instead upon blustering rhetoric which simply propounds the misconceptions of this most emotive issue.” Peter Stuart Smith/Thomas Payne (UK & France), author of “Uncommon Sense”

“World War D helps to expose the reforms needed for backing out of a War on Drugs that is a never ending quagmire of deception, ethically bankrupt political power plays, and economically motivated crime syndicates, for-profit prison systems, and morally bankrupt pot Doctors”, Eco-Green, US

“Jeffrey’s writings should not be ignored: it is well researched and he updates regularly. Read this man’s work and weep….Then ACT” Andria E-Mordaunt, UK, Harm-reduction activist

“Jeffrey’ well-documented insights offer an important frame of reference for anyone seeking ideas for the re-legalization not only of Marijuana but of all traditional medicinal plants that have become caught up in the government-induced drug paranoia.” Bill Drake, www.cultivatorshandbook.com

“Jeffrey Dhywood has done his research. My hope is that everyone will read this book and take action.” Mr. S. K. Allison

Marijuana Legalization initiatives are under pressure and need your help

10 days before election-day, the marijuana legalization initiatives are slipping in the polls; Washington I502 is still ahead, but support is softening; Colorado 64 is in dangerous zone; Oregon Measure 80 is trailing badly. We need a general mobilization of the drug policy reform activists. We need unity, not internal infighting.

I urge the marijuana activists who are OPPOSING the marijuana legalization initiatives in Washington or Colorado to reconsider their position.

Will these initiatives grant all the policies on the activists’ wish list? No, they won’t! But it will be a vast improvement over the existing regulations, which are medical marijuana in both states, just like medical marijuana is an awkward compromise, but that is vastly preferable to prohibition. With the Washington and Colorado initiatives, the medical marijuana will lose the tax-free easy profits it has been enjoying in the legal grey-zone where it has been operating for the past few years. On the other hand, it will reduce the fear of the Feds, the raids in the wee hours of the day, the drug squads knocking down your door in your sleep. It won’t eliminate the threats from the fed, but instead on fighting on your own, the state will fight for the industry, which makes a huge difference.

Yes, the initiatives on the ballot have restrictions that are questionable within the activists’ community. Could the initiatives be less restrictive? For an answer, let’s look at the polls: I502 in Washington is the most restrictive of the three initiatives on the ballot. It is the one with highest polling and the only one with a very good chance of passing. Amendment 64 in Colorado is not as restrictive but is in a thigh race and sagging support as we get closer to election-day. Measure 80 in Oregon, which is the closest to the marijuana activists’ wish-list is trailing badly in the polls and stands little chance of winning. It is quite clear that with all their flaws, the initiatives are already pushing the limits of what voters are willing to accept.

The lessons we can draw here are quite clear: the general public might be ready for some restrictive form of marijuana legalization under tight control, but is not ready for more lax policies. In particular, the public wants reassurances on protection of minors and driving under the influence. The public wants to make sure that we do not replace bad policies with even worse policies. Last but not least, drug prohibition has been going on for over 100 years, marijuana prohibition for 75 years. For all that time, the public has been bombarded by a constant and sustained barrage of propaganda, depicting drugs in general and marijuana in particular as evil and worse. It will take a long time to undo the effects of a century-long propaganda machine. We need incremental steps to reassure the public that the sky will not fall after marijuana legalization. The public has legitimate concerns about the children and youths and will not accept alternatives that do not restrict underage access. The current medical marijuana laws in California for instance, have provoked serious backlash as dispensaries were popping up all over the place, especially around schools, with hawkers peddling marijuana cards on street corners.

Finally, legislations are not written in stone; they change and evolve, as we are currently witnessing. Alcohol regulations were quite restrictive when prohibition was first lifted, and have become increasingly lenient as time goes by. The same will happen with marijuana regulations if we ever get to end prohibition.

Bottom line: Do you prefer to fight from a purist, principled position that doesn’t stand the slightest chance of ever winning enough support, or are you ready to settle on a reasonable compromise that can move the debate to the next step?

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
Author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”

“World War-D” on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984690409/

www.world-war-d.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward
Twitter: @JDhywood
jd (at) world-war-d.com

Order before October 31 for a personalized signed copy

I live far from Los Angeles, where my books are physically located, but as I am currently there until November 1st, if you order a print copy of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”, before October 31st, I will sign it for you with a personal note. [productspage]

Or order from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984690409/

See what readers have to say about “World War-D”:

“The most thorough and complete book on the subject could possibly be!” Ed Borg, US

“Jeffrey’s writings should not be ignored: it is well researched and he updates regularly. Read this man’s work and weep….Then ACT” Andria E-Mordaunt, UK, Harm-reduction activist

“Jeffrey Dhywood has done his research. My hope is that everyone will read this book and take action.” Mr. S. K. Allison

Is milk a gateway drug?

A recent study to be published in the November issue of the prestigious Journal of Fake Science has shown that 99% of drug users had used milk in their infancy and early childhood, which leads researchers to conclude that milk is the mother of all gateway drugs.

Find out more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfTQDuKpt-A

http://ohnimus.wordpress.com/2012/08/01/how-the-war-on-drugs-became-a-war-on-milk/

Sneak preview of “Legalize It – the movie”, debate with Judge Jim Grey, Book signing with Jeffrey Dhywood – October 24, Long Beach, CA

I will be available for book-signing on October 24th at the sneak preview presentation of “Legalize It – the movie”

On October 24, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), in conjunction with Willie Nelson’s Luck Films and award-winning filmmakers Dan Katzir and Ravit Markus, will host a special screening and discussion panel of the film at the Art Theatre of Long Beach.

• Legalize It, a documentary about the Prop. 19 campaign
• Wednesday, October 24, 2012 7-10pm
• Art Theatre of Long Beach, 2025 E. 4th Street, Long Beach
• Tickets are available online and start at $10. There are also a number of sponsorship packages available. Please see the website www.leap.cc/california-benefit/ or contact Diane Goldstein (diane.goldstein@leap.cc or 714.232.3722) for more info.

For the documentary, filmmakers followed members of the campaign for eight months, documenting the unlikely alliances that developed and the minor victories and setbacks of the first serious effort to legalize marijuana in the United States. Legalize It is a sensitive and humorous behind-the-scenes look at a colorful campaign, the unlikely people running it and the disparate groups who both opposed and endorsed it. Several LEAP speakers appear in the film.

“In any battle, the people who go in first are going to take one hell of a beating. In the fight to legalize marijuana, the Prop. 19 campaign folks were those people. If and when ballot measures in other states succeed, it will be because these folks cleared the way.”
– LEAP Executive Director Neill Franklin

After the film, a discussion panel including a former LAPD deputy chief who appears in the documentary, drug policy reform advocates, local dignitaries and one of the film’s producers will discuss the Prop. 19 campaign as well as the current political outlook for similar efforts at reform.

See more about the film and its Long Beach screening at www.leap.cc/california-benefit/.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) represents police, prosecutors, judges, corrections officials and others who, after fighting on the front lines of the “war on drugs,” came to believe that prohibition only serves to worsen substance abuse and violence. More info at www.CopsSayLegalizeMarijuana.com.

See you there, and do not miss this opportunity to get your signed copy of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization” while meeting all the great people at LEAP and Willie Nelson’s Luck Films.

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
Author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward
Follow me on Twitter: @JDhywood
LinkedIn: http://hk.linkedin.com/in/jdhywood

LEAP and Willie Nelson’s Luck Films present Prop. 19 Documentary “Legalize It” on October 24 in Long Beach, CA

Pro-Legalization Law Enforcement Group Screens Prop. 19 Documentary

Special Preview and Panel Discussion Planned in Long Beach

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – As debates over ballot measures to legalize marijuana heat up in Colorado, Oregon and Washington, a group of cops, judges and other law enforcement officers calling for an end to the war on drugs is holding a special sneak peek at Legalize It, a new documentary about Prop. 19, the 2010 California campaign to legalize and regulate marijuana like alcohol. On October 24, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), in conjunction with Willie Nelson’s Luck Films and award-winning filmmakers Dan Katzir and Ravit Markus, will host a special screening and discussion panel of the film at the Art Theatre of Long Beach.

See more about the film and its Long Beach screening at www.leap.cc/california-benefit/.