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UVSS HEMPOLOGY 101 CLUB LESSON #7 : FAMILIES AND THE DRUG WAR - Part 1 |
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Though a stated purpose of the war on drugs is the protection of children and traditional family values, the unfortunate reality is that many families and lives are destroyed by prohibition. For several reasons prohibition may actually encourage drug use in youth. The unregulated illegal drug industry allows underage consumers and distributors to enter to market. Young people have few means of earning a good income but the buying and selling of small quantities of drugs can be an easy way to earn money, become popular and support a lifestyle of recreational behaviour. Youth learn from the drug war to disassociate from adults because being honest about illegal drug use could result in a loss of household privileges, educational opportunities or even forced institutionalization for drug rehab. It is common practice in the US to send youth caught using cannabis or other illegal drugs to a drug rehab facility, with many parents forcing kids living at home to submit to random urine tests. Youth get confused about morality if they see adults they respect using illegal drugs, questioning and distrusting authority as a result. Rebellion and defiance are often feelings provoked when using drugs against the law, especially in youth. Children can be used as informants against their parents if they tell school officials their parents smoke pot. In some states in the US, women who are caught using illegal drugs while pregnant are charged with endangering the life of their child and are often thrown into prison while their child is taken away forever by the state. The impact of losing a parent to jail for a child can be very painful and confusing, which can lead to anti-social behaviors and loss of identity. If an illegal drug user is caught
they can lose their job, social status, family and volunteer positions,
along with their right to vote, in the US, often with little or no
recourse. Even if the illegal drug use is for a medical purpose,
there is usually too little sympathy extended to people caught with
illegal drugs, especially single mothers. This includes amateur
athletes who are disqualified from international competition, even if the
country they are from allows the medicinal use and the athlete has legal
protection to use cannabis. Traveling to some countries like the US
can be very difficult after a single conviction for an illegal drug,
making it impossible for many families to get together ever again.
People using, or addicted to illegal drugs, are often treated differently
from those using or abusing legal drugs by family, employers, social
workers, medical staff and the criminal justice system. |
While many children whose parents are involved in the industry never see or hear any violence, there is always the threat of robberies and bad deals in situations where the police cannot be called to handle the problem. In many countries like Jamaica, Afghanistan and Columbia, the gang and para-military violence that controls regional production and distribution networks can affect entire communities, not just those involved in the drug industry. Many families suffer the loss of an innocent loved one due to random violence in the drug trade. Ultimately prohibition, not
illegal drug use, is causing more harm to youth, families and society. |
| International Hempology 101
Society www.hempology.ca |
Cannabis Buyers' Clubs of Canada www.cbc-canada.ca |
