Marijuana and Cannabis News
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| International Narcotics Control Board |
| Raymond Yans, U.N. INCB: American voters' approval of marijuana legalization sends "a wrong message to the rest of the nation and it sends a wrong message abroad" |
Voters' approval of cannabis legalization sends "a wrong message to the rest of the nation and it sends a wrong message abroad, said Raymond Yans, who heads the U.N.'s International Narcotics Control Board, reports The Associated Press.
Yans' announcement was greeted with a mixture of indifference (a vast collective yawn being the primary reaction) and hostility ("tell that UN moron to go fuck himself," one stoner offered) in the American cannabis community.
Meanwhile, voters in Colorado and Washington were left to wonder when the hell they turned over control of the "messages" they "send" to some bureaucratic pinhead who doesn't understand democracy.
The U.N. offiicial told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he expects Attorney General Eric Holder "will take all the necessary measures" to ensure that marijuana possession and use remains illegal throughout the U.S.
"Legalization of cannabis within these states would send wrong and confusing signals to youth and society in general, giving the false impression that drug abuse might be considered normal and even, most disturbingly, safe," Yans claimed. "Such a development could result in the expansion of drug abuse, especially among young people, and we must remember that all young people have a right to be protected from drug abuse and drug dependency."
"The cannabis on the illicit market today is much more dangerous than that seen in the 60s and 70s," Yans lied.
Both Colorado and Washington are uneasily monitoring the reaction of the federal government as they make plans to tax and regulate cannabis. Many expect the federal Department of Justice to assert federal authority over marijuana laws, as it has often done in medical marijuana states.
The U.N. International Narcotics Control Board is a quasi-judicial body charged with monitoring the implementation of the international drug control conventions governments. It has no ability to actually enforce its silly-assed demands.
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40 comments
International treaties do effect a country's drug policy. The Harper conservatives just north of us used this same international law to shut down the In-site injection clinic for junkies in Vancouver, BC. Reason and risk reduction eventually prevailed but the Minister of Health still cites this treaty in efforts to shut the place down.
Sorry Dick nothing you say has any effect on anyone covered by the United States Constitution. So go blow your useless, moronic, dipshit opinion up some country's ass that gives a flying leep about what you have to say. Yep Go Fuck Yourself dork.
@bullhead He is saying we should throw out the votes of the people. I kind of thought that his blue eyes and commanding looks reminded me more of a documentary I saw about law and order and the "master race" during WWII Germany. He's a real blast from the past.
On another tact,,why would America keep a treaty with the UN,,the Geneva Convention means nothing against terrorist and ask any Native American of our government's track record on keeping treaties.
If my memory serves me correctly,,the feds can intervene in actions such as AZ recent immigration law attempt by the state legislature but isn't a vote by the people a little different and harder to overturn in court?
Can you imagine what will happen if the Gov't goes with this jackass' plan? All those people saying "you don't like the law? change it." will be put in their place as it would then be apparent that even if you did vote to change the law, you're voice doesn't matter.
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My main point is, how can we call ourselves a democratic country if we are even entertaining the idea of blowing off the results of this vote? If they over turn those votes, America is over. It will have been proven that all the voting in the world doesn't really change anything. Those in power will stay in power and Fuck you if you don't like it.
fuck you you stupid uptight foreign faggot, if you keep up with this will legitimately catch a flight just to come over there and shove weed down your skinny throat until your worthless bureaucratic ass chokes to death. since when does anything a stupid fucking Belgian say matter anyways? i"m watching you you piece of shit.
Why can't this guy be one of the cool gargoyles like Jean Paul Sarte? I guess what good is money and power if you can't make the rest of humanity suffer.
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I'm sorry Mr. Yans... but the PEOPLE have spoken. WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAVE SPOKEN MR. YANS. Now go fuck yourself.
We (the US) got it wrong. We (the US) are probably the only ones that can change that. That takes Congress and the President working to change the agreements that we have instituted in the United Nations. Until they get changed, we should withdraw from them on an International level. These agreements written into the UN must be changed. International prohibition does not work.
Prohibition does not work. No matter who is saying it.
We (meaning the US) gave this pinhead the mandate that he thinks he is operating on. We (the US) convinced the world that marijuana was bad. The reefer madness was bullshit and so is this guy. Somebody better start "fessin up" and taking some responsibility for cleaning up this drug war mess that our own country got us into.
Stay outta the states business ...PERIOD,bad enough still got feds disagreeing with it we don't need ur nose in it
They should cancel, Obama being elected then, they do tht ,Thts taken away Wht PEOPLE spoke for an believe we will speak again if this bullshit happens
lol let the states deal with their own issues, fuckin UN tryin to take charge. whatta fuckin fruitcake
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Before everyone gets all up in arms about "damned furriners tellin 'merica what to do". You might take a moment to reflect that this is pretty much a pro forma UN whining, demanded by the drug war treaties america forced on the rest of the world over the last few decades.
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@syninthecity It's no "pro forma" anything, since no U.S. states -- or any other political jurisdictions in the world -- have ever legalized marijuana since the 1961 Single Convention Treaty.This is new territory.
@alapoet2 @syninthecity It's not new territory. The treaty forbids any jurisdiction from encouraging any market surrounding illegal drugs. This includes ALL schedule 1 narcotics; there's little to distinguish pot from others on the list.
@syninthecity @alapoet2 you didn't sign anything, if by we you mean the citizens of the u.s.a. you are wrong. Less people in America support how drugs are enforced and treated in America, Then support the drug war. Nothing the government signs into effect is to benefit the people. Just remember that, The two states that have passed legalization legislation have stood up and spoken for what they want. Nothing the Federal Government, The United Nations, or any other government in the world has the right to arrest or tell those people they cannot smoke pot. The Government can bully all the other countries all they want they can blow them off the map. It's a little more difficult to blow Washington and Colorado off the map which is why the states are able to stand up to the u.s.a. if mexico legalized marijuana the government would take over their country soo fast.
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@alapoet2 i'm not actually disagreeing that it's unprecedented, but the UN commision on dangerous drugs, and the treaties we've signed to further our own drug war and prevent other countries from even entertaining the idea of legalization, is almost certainly at the base of this. <shrug> it's just as toothless as every other UN pronouncement though.
It is generally agreed that the Portuguese model is decriminalization, not legalization.
Under the Portuguese plan, penalties for people caught dealing and trafficking drugs are unchanged; dealers are still jailed and subjected to fines depending on the crime. But people caught using or possessing small amounts—defined as the amount needed for 10 days of personal use—are brought before what's known as a "Dissuasion Commission," an administrative body created by the 2001 law.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=portugal-drug-decriminalization
http://www.businessinsider.com/portugal-drug-policy-decriminalization-works-2012-7
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So this man acts as if he is king of USA and just demands as he wishes? What is democracy, good sir? Is a voter useless as long as the 'higher power' exists?
@thinkingveryclearly Unfortunately, yes. I am against war but I agree that it is necessary. Peace talks do not work with a sworn enemy.
