Reform Drug Policy Resolution passes at Democratic

[cannabis_flower]

I was on the resolutions committee at Texas SD 7 in Houston and we got lots of good resolutions past. Of interest to this group we got Reform Drug Policy to Decrease Harm and Increase Public Safety passed. It is essentially drug policy reform, medical marijuana and needle exchange all rolled up into one. In 2004 the Texas State Democratic Convention passed some of the most progressive resolutions and platform of any state. I helped get this resolution passed. I am going to see if I can get on the resolutions committee and get this one passed too.

Besides this resolution we also got Abolish the Death Penalty, Campaign Finance Reform, and about 20 others passed.

Here's the text of the Drug Policy resolution that passed at SD 7:


Reform Drug Policy to Decrease Harm and Increase Public Safety

WHEREAS it has become increasingly apparent that policies seeking to redress the negative consequences of drug use and abuse via prohibition and criminalization have failed; and

WHEREAS, drug abuse is principally a health and social issue best addressed through a combination of education, prevention and treatment, and

WHEREAS, the criminalization of all aspects of production, distribution, sale and use for certain classes of drugs is the proximate cause of a criminal justice system strained by non-violent offenders, and

WHEREAS, current drug laws, including mandatory minimum sentences, tend to disproportionately affect people with few financial resources, leading to selective enforcement and disparities in sentencing, and

WHEREAS, the Federal Higher Education Act prevents students with drug convictions from obtaining student loans forcing many students to quit college, and

WHEREAS, current laws prevent physicians from prescribing some drugs with medically proven uses for the alleviation of pain and suffering, and

WHEREAS, consistent with the principles of personal responsibility and liberty, the possession and use of regulated intoxicants should not be criminalized in the absence of a compelling public health concern, thus freeing the criminal justice system to focus on violent criminal activity, and

WHEREAS, providing unbiased, scientific information about the health, economic, and social consequences attributable to the use and potential abuse of currently illegal drugs will provide a rational basis for responsible decision making by individuals and public policy officials, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Texas Democratic Party supports implementation of rational drug policies, such as funding needle exchange programs and legalizing medical marijuana, that invest in research, education and treatment, respect civil liberties and use harm reduction as the standard by which they are assessed.




--
Tammera Halphen

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

In EVERY case, "Barriers to Trade" and "Restrictions on Corporations" were created to protect something valuable!

[400Years]

1. good job