Why the drugs argument is so frustrating...

For my first post, to anyone who I see on regular basis, this is going to seem like relatively old news. However, the reason I chose this topic to kick things off is that today I was reminded how far away from getting anywhere on this point we really are.

I was listening to five live in the car on my way to lunch, when Kate Silverton and her guests announced they were going to be discussing the current law on drugs. My ears pricked up, I turned the volume level up and quite soon the language spewing out of my mouth was pretty much as foul as it gets (Cat will vouch for this).

The reason for my frustration was not actually aimed at what was coming out of the guests mouths, as of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it was the lack of thought and understanding behind their opinions. It was the same antiquated viewpoints that seems so ingrained in people's mind that just baffles me.

So many people have written about this subject and illustrated the facts that I am not going to bother to do the same. For me, the current situation is beyond statistical quarrelling, and there are so many real life examples (one example being Portugal, where not many people realise that all drugs are decriminalised) that suggest at least questioning our stance on drugs is something we must take seriously.

To put this in to further context, I remember listening to the radio (maybe I need a swear box in my car) a few years back when the then Health Secretary, Alan Johnson was taking questions in Luton. The question arose "should we change our stance on drugs?" The best answer Mr Johnson could muster is that "there is no way we can even think about doing this because of the health implications and what it would mean for society" or something along those lines. In addition to this ignorant and to be honest expected answer he gave, it was the tone of his response that really pissed me off. It was that tone that implicated the person who proposed the question is some thrill seeking drug baron who wants drugs to be legalised so he, and his bong nailing friends can get messed up without any consequence.
Its this kind of attitude that is so dangerous and completely wrong. I thought at the time "you are the Health Secretary for fucks sake, shouldn't you at least explore all the options and take this question seriously?"

There is this strange stigma and taboo around drugs that amazingly so many people hold on to without asking any questions. My argument here is not whether drugs are good or bad, frankly thats obvious, but rather shouldn't we look a little further than the ridiculous Leah Betts type headlines?

Let me ask a question here, which for some of you will be easy to answer, but for some of you it may not:
Even if the results of reclassifying drugs were so positive it was undeniable, would you actually do it because of the moral viewpoints that are stopping you from taking it seriously?

I ask this because in my opinion, its not the facts or the statistics that are stopping this debate being taken seriously, its the bullshit we have been fed since day dot from the media and government that we as a society, simply cannot shake.