Principles of Responsible Cannabis Use

[Jimbo]

When cannabis(marijuana) is enjoyed responsibly, subjecting users to harsh criminal and civil penalties provides no public benefit and causes terrible injustices. For reasons of public safety, public health, economics and justice, the prohibition laws should be repealed to the extent that they criminalize responsible cannabis use.

By adoption of this statement, the NORML Board of Directors has attempted to define "responsible cannabis use."

I. Adults Only
Cannabis consumption is for adults only. It is irresponsible to provide cannabis to children.

Many things and activities are suitable for young people, but others absolutely are not. Children do not drive cars, enter into contracts, or marry, and they must not use drugs. As it is unrealistic to demand lifetime abstinence from cars, contracts and marriage, however, it is unrealistic to expect lifetime abstinence from all intoxicants, including alcohol. Rather, our expectation and hope for young people is that they grow up to be responsible adults. Our obligation to them is to demonstrate what that means.

II. No Driving
The responsible cannabis consumer does not operate a motor vehicle or other dangerous machinery while impaired by cannabis, nor (like other responsible citizens) while impaired by any other substance or condition, including some medicines and fatigue.

Although cannabis is said by most experts to be safer than alcohol and many prescription drugs with motorists, responsible cannabis consumers never operate motor vehicles in an impaired condition. Public safety demands not only that impaired drivers be taken off the road, but that objective measures of impairment be developed and used, rather than chemical testing.

III. Set and Setting
The responsible cannabis user will carefully consider his/her set and setting, regulating use accordingly.

"Set" refers to the consumer's values, attitudes, experience and personality, and "setting" means the consumer's physical and social circumstances. The responsible cannabis consumer will be vigilant as to conditions -- time, place, mood, etc. -- and does not hesitate to say "no" when those conditions are not conducive to a safe, pleasant and/or productive experience.

IV. Resist Abuse
Use of cannabis, to the extent that it impairs health, personal development or achievement, is abuse, to be resisted by responsible cannabis users.

Abuse means harm. Some cannabis use is harmful; most is not. That which is harmful should be discouraged; that which is not need not be.

Wars have been waged in the name of eradicating "drug abuse", but instead of focusing on abuse, enforcement measures have been diluted by targeting all drug use, whether abusive or not. If cannabis abuse is to be targeted, it is essential that clear standards be developed to identify it.

V. Respect Rights of Others
The responsible cannabis user does not violate the rights of others, observes accepted standards of courtesy and public propriety, and respects the preferences of those who wish to avoid cannabis entirely.

No one may violate the rights of others, and no substance use excuses any such violation. Regardless of the legal status of cannabis, responsible users will adhere to emerging tobacco smoking protocols in public and private places.

Adopted by the NORML Board of Directors
February 3, 1996
Washington, DC
Principles of Responsible Cannabis Use - NORML

 

[Boss]

Great post!

 

[Jimbo]

Thanks Boss, I just love having this portal for getting everyone involved.
Now maybe our message can have a more positive effect.

I like this guideline for usage of cannabis and I think it is very fair.
If we ever do manage to get our beloved medicine of choice legalized, this will be a good tool for everyone to use as to show that we are indeed responsible citizens of this country and that were not just a bunch of lunatics with a drug problem.

 

[StonyGeoff]

Bravo Jimbo
+rep on a fine post

 

[RaggedEdge]

Re: Principles

I don't like to be a wet blanket, but this list of "Principles of Responsible Cannabis Use" is like a non-binding resolution in Congress. Nice to say, but with no teeth in it and mostly just being a sort of "officially recognized speech or statement of position on a particular issue."

In fact, if one were to change it to "Principles of Responsible Alc*h*l Use" or whatever drug you care to name...it works just the same.
You could even put cellphones down in place of cannabis....or anything else with the potential for abuse. Chainsaws, fireworks, ...the list goes on.

These are good principles to apply during a person's lifetime regarding a wide range of things. I don't doubt that someone could look up an 18th Century philosopher's ruminations about "Moderation en Alle Thynges" or the like and find that this has been done before.

But it has no teeth...or rather, in those places where it should have teeth, the problems are already covered by existing laws - often having nothing to do with cannabis in particular.

There is an analogy in a court case many years ago where the ACLU stepped in and got a silly, BS law overturned.
In that case, which I think was in Florida if I remember correctly, some self-righteous, busybodies got a law passed criminalizing "aggressive panhandling."
(self-righteous busybodies are the people we are really fighting against, I often think)
Anyway, the whole upshot of it was that the law was unconstitutional - panhandling is protected by the Bill of Rights (exactly which one(s), I can't remember) and if there was anything "aggressive" enough to warrant legal action --- it was already covered by existing laws against assault & battery, et cetera....already covered...meaning that everybody's time was pretty much wasted by this stupid, shortsighted, and oppressive law.

Much like Prohibition itself, really.

(actually, if you were to go to NORML's website and look at their position papers, you'd see that they are well-written and more sensible than this list of "Principles." Some good reading there...)

So, to sum up: In my opinion, this list of principles is more like a corporate mission statement than anything else. I love NORML and the work they do. And the ACLU as well. These two organizations are working better these days. But who feels obligated to tattoo these principles on their foreheads in reverse? Who out there will follow these principles religiously? A lot of us, I'm sure, but why would we do so?
Because we were already doing so.
Maybe some cannabis noobs will trip over this list and turn over a new leaf, as it were. But some might say that it's just an outgrowth of the Golden Rule.

--------------------
With Prohibition, we are stuck with a law that criminalizes behavior that is not criminal in and of itself. People consume a member of the plant kingdom and actually feel good doing it. Shocking behavior! Why...these people must be stopped! We'd better lock them up and take everything they own!

But in the so-called Drug War, it has all been twisted around.
One of the problems is that cannabis use was not as widespread as alc*hol use when it was banned. That meant that otherwise law-abiding people who were in the small group of users were suddenly part of a criminalized minority group - too small to get the prohibition reversed, unlike the vast number of alc*hol users, who got their own Constitutional Amendment! (I am a livid green with envy. I want a new amendment, too!)

Now there's a larger pool of people we can look to for support. But...

....and here's a monster piece of the problem......

we are trying to make something legal that has been illegal for many, many years. This creates a massive inertia against which we must push. It also give our opponents something they can throw in our faces every time either by insinuations or using it to accentuate our differences with "law-abiding people", or what-have-you. You get the idea? We're on the inside of a jail cell trying to claim that we did nothing wrong, that we're just as good and nice as the people outside our prison. Those on the outside will be (and are) frankly skeptical of any arguments we put forth, as you may have noticed.

No matter how much proof we have (and we've got a fucking shitload don't we?), no matter how logical and reasonable we are, no matter how clearly we point it out to them - we are already painted as criminals for even suggesting that something illegal be made legal.

Now add to this all the deliberate and malicious false information, reports, 'spin', anti-drug propaganda, slanted media reports, and anything else you may have noticed over the last hundred years....and you may come to a conclusion like this:

We've got a right fucking nasty business to wade through.

But we've got the truth, the fucking truth, on our side! Our consciences should therefore be clear, our goals more easily defined, and our methods without reproach - unlike the other folks who'll be trying to keep their lies straight without proof on their side. How could we lose? We're starting to win!
(oh, there's a fucking mission statement for you!)
And we've got a lot of people who, if given a way in which they can help without risking their livelihoods and such, are very willing to help - but the situation would need to be absolutely clear of risk for them. Voting is probably safe enough...but we've got to get things on the ballot first, and we need to be very careful what we write there....
Others, of course, are willing to risk it regardless.
But we have to get organized....oh, wait! We already are! (pat yourself on the back if you feel organized even a little)
We've got NORML, that ancient and honorable organization in front of us.
And we've got the ACLU, which recently started focusing on fighting against civil-right-abusing drug laws, especially cannabis prohibition.

Good on them!

I ask all of you readers...if you are willing to be a member of NORML, please consider joining the ACLU also. Your cannabis consumption rights aren't the only things being trampled by the powers-that-be.

And remember the Golden Rule or reasonable facsimile thereof. You'll be making the world around you a better place.

 

[Jimbo]

(actually, if you were to go to NORML's website and look at their position papers, you'd see that they are well-written and more sensible than this list of "Principles." Some good reading there...)

Well "Actually" this did come straight from NORML, and I think this is more of a guideline for people, and not a set in stone list of rules.

This just gives something for people to strive for, and is subject to interpretation by responsible cannabis users to do the right thing out there in the real world.

There are many guidelines and common since rules that need to be evaluated and drawn up before this war is completely over.

Common since is all we have to go on for now, and this is just a common since tool to use in the efforts of us all.

We MUST show our reefer madness dwelling opposition that we can be responsible and valuable members of our society, and we must stay focused on keeping some sort of sanity amongst ourselves and respect others privacy and well being as we try to make the transition from illegal to legal.

We HAVE to be responsible and respectful...period! If not, then we will have the door slammed shut in our faces and will NEVER see the light of day again.

We also need to take caution in getting too greedy as well.
Greed will only hurt our chances in seeing our dreams realized.

We need positive atmosphere and positive thought process here, because negative energy will only melt away morale for what is already a hard enough fight...we HAVE to believe we are doing the right thing and all of our efforts are not in vain. WE MUST NEVER GIVE UP HOPE!!!

 

[FreakNature]

It's kind of a statement to show people that don't understand the culture how responsible and mature we can be about our use. A tool to help the process of legalization. But honestly, as many of you that agree with the concept, how many of you will limit your use of a motor vehicle while under the influence? Surely not me. Just a rhetorical question, since it's been discussed at length in another thread.

 

[Jimbo]

It's kind of a statement to show people that don't understand the culture how responsible and mature we can be about our use. A tool to help the process of legalization. But honestly, as many of you that agree with the concept, how many of you will limit your use of a motor vehicle while under the influence? Surely not me. Just a rhetorical question, since it's been discussed at length in another thread.

Yup...that's right! I think we are all guilty of that one...lol
But in light of what this stands for, this is more of a guide for personal goals that we should try to achieve.

Nothing can ever be set in stone until legalization has successfully been achieved.

Then, we can start putting regulations and standards on it to try an keep people from abusing any morals that may be compromised.

But, the regulations and standards as well have to be responsible common since procedure.

There has to be some middle ground and compromise on both sides of this coin.

As it stands now, our opposition is only making a one sided argument, and that's what needs to be changed.

They have to be made to see that their one sidedness is only effecting the innocent and that there is a whole other side to the story of cannabis that they have been sheltered from by our government.

That's that re-education process we keep talking about

 

[RaggedEdge]

There has to be some middle ground and compromise on both sides of this coin.

I am convinced that finding any middle ground and working out compromises is something done at the negotiating table. Unless you mean middle ground et al of the convincing-others process. That is probably unique to each individual. Very problematic.

I like, no, I absolutely love the idea of getting into real negotiations over these issues. But nobody elected us and we are not representing anyone else per se.

"We're an autonomous collective..." - Monty Python and the Holy Grail

But those leaders of, say, NORML, and the like, are representing their members, and should be definitely considered should any such situation present itself. They've got some smart people and considerable resources to work with.

But how do we bring the opposition to the bargaining table? We have plenty of common sense ideas and such, enumerated or not. We have things to bring to the table, but where are they? Stomping around and ruining lives.

A petition drive is probably out - when you live in a ghetto, you don't hand over a list of everybody hiding in the attic to the stormtroopers loading the trains. (sorry for that nasty mental image, but it is very close to our actual situation.)

I think we need a good and clear message, like "REGULATION not Prohibition! Take control of the failed Drug war by opening our society back up and helping our citizens with regulation, treatment, medicine, and compassion!" (or some such thing.)

Is our position so hard to define? We have medical marijuana - something I wasn't sure I'd ever see in my lifetime!

Now the biggest problem with MMJ is the Federal / State's Rights issue, but that seems (to me) to be a fairly easy fix. Treat it like alcohol. Federal guidelines for quality, minimum age, safety, and a bit of tax burden (face it, people, it will probably be a necessary condition at the table), while the states control everything else about access. It should be comparable to the patched-together ways of alcohol regulation because cannabis is a very soft drug. Softer than alcohol and tobacco. We've got federal and state taxes on cigarettes, and a minimum age for possession, etc.
And it WORKS! Nobody's doing drive-by shootings over a carton of cigs (I hope), and whiskey doesn't contain wood-alcohol, like it sometimes did during Prohibition.
The advantages of regulation over prohibition are LEGION. A smorgasbord of problems that go away when you change prohibition into regulation.
I won't list them. I doubt I could even think of them all.

But there will still be some self-important, overweight, bigoted sheriff somewhere who is convinced to death that total eradication has to be the only way...Rush Limbaugh or some other hatemonger told him so. There's a lot of Dittoheads out there. But if we could just bypass all of them by contacting our legislators, and maybe even work something out with the future Prez while he's still approachable, we could see an amazing change in our society for the better.

We need a small set of discrete goals. An actual list that does not change.
We need clear talking messengers who will speak for us, because persuasion is not everyone's talent.
We need clear messages that reflect our short list of goals. Messages that go to the heart of the problem.
And we need funds, resources, advertising, powerful lobbyists who work for US, and more.

It could be we need a little more time, too.

 

[Jimbo]

If you'll check further into these reform groups, you'll see that they have been trying for years to get the opposition to the negotiation table, and not only that, they have been begging them for a serious debate, in which the powers that be, will not even respond to their many invites for such debates.

I know in my gut that drug czar, John Walters and his Nazi constituents are just hoping that they will just give up and go away, but it's them that needs to go away, and it's still going to take a massive collective voice to make our arguments heard.

We can either bitch amongst ourselves and complain about being oppressed...or, we can at least support the cause and help gather our troops to do the same thing for the final push.

Look...there are two federal bills on the tale right now, and if WE just sit back and complain that we are not being represented correctly, but are not willing to be a part of the solution, then all this is just idle talk.

We need to quit throwing stones in glass houses, and be a part of the solution, and quit proving to our opposition, that we are just an easy target.

If we are so willing to just cave in and let them win without fighting for what's right, then we might as well just pack up the camp and conform to them like good little sheep...otherwise, we need to show support to EVERYONE that thinks the same way we do.

I don't see anyone taking us seriously, until we mass together in a large collective group and fight along side of every reform group out there.

It's real easy to come here and point out the faults of other people that are only trying to be part of the solution, but jumping in there and trying to help be a part of the solution yourself is the hard part.

Look...if history tell us anything, it tells us that lies and propaganda never seems to be a winning solution in the end.

Our opposition is against the ropes here, and it's up to us...I MEAN, ALL OF US! to spread the truth and debunk the lies being so strongly embedded in our society.

For every lie that is being told, there are at least two truths that can be used to counter them, so that tells me that in the real world, WE have the upper hand here. We just have to be willing to go out there and set the record straight.

We are only hurting ourselves by just sitting back and letting someone else do our bidding...We have to gather our strength by way of re-education and the spreading of the truth.

I know in my heart that I'm willing to get my ass in the grass to help find a solution, but the real question here is...how many others are truly willing to do the same?