evil in this land...

Printed in Northland Age

12 November 2020

A time of evil

In the weeks since the cannabis referendum, we have been considering the whole issue of prohibition – whether it be alcohol or cannabis, and have concluded that prohibition in and of itself is evil. During this time of deep inner-soul searching, we have been led to, and deeply influenced by, the movie Trumbo, and the wisdom of Trumbo’s speech at the end. We saw the parallel between his experiences and those of us under cannabis prohibition, where our human right to grow a plant for our health has been, and continues to be, undermined by those whose personal beliefs have over-ridden our human right to heal ourselves.

With apologies to Trumbo, we would also say: Prohibition is a time of evil and nobody who survives it can come through it unscathed and untouched by evil. Caught up in prohibition, each person acts according to his nature and convictions. It is a time of fear. Nobody is excluded. Thousands of people have lost their homes, thousands have lost their ability to have meaningful employment, their families have disintegrated, and some have even lost their lives through denial of access.

As we live through this dark time it will do you no good to search for heroes, on either side, for there are none. There are only victims, because of each of us has felt compelled to do something – to become a green fairy, lobby government to return our human rights, paid exorbitant amounts of money on TV advertising, made statements easily proven to be untrue, dobbed in a neighbour, or maybe just voted.

We are caught up in a cycle of delivering or receiving wounds which, but for prohibition, we normally would not want to exchange. Cannabis prohibition is unfair and unjust.

These thoughts are not intended to hurt. They are intended to heal, not hurt, and repair the wounds that have been and continue to be inflicted upon each other, and most egregiously upon ourselves, all due to cannabis prohibition.

With such a close outcome from our referendum, our Government has an obligation to demonstrate the kindness of which it speaks, and help our communities to heal by legalising cannabis.

Beverley Aldridge

/Kathleen Pattinson

Seniors’ Voice, Otamatea

 

time to right this wrong!