Marijuana+Cafes+and+Nimbin



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THE ARTEFACT

The artefact I have chosen for this assignment is a picture of the Hemp Embassy (cafe) and the street rules information sign in Nimbin, New South Wales. Nimbin is a quiet little town situated west of Byron **B**ay in New South Wales. However, most people know it’s a town where there is a culture for drugs on its quiet streets. Nimbin is unique, there are several hippy style stores you can visit but many tourists go there to get marijuana. The drug is still illegal in Australia but it is well known that if you want drugs particularly marijuana, to go visit Nimbin. There has always been a Café in Nimbin up until the year 2000. I still remember as a teen walking past the café trying to understand why it was so “Smokey”. The street sign (artefact) was placed as a general understanding on what is acceptable within the Nimbin community in respects to the aboriginal peoples and other locals in the area. It states, “don’t fight, don’t steal, don’t be greedy”, the town is happy to follow those simple street rules and hope that visitors do the same (Helliwell, 2000).

THE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE

I will be discussing the decriminalisation of marijuana, in particular the town of Nimbin, and how marijuana if decriminalised, could be looked at differently. The drug itself is illegal in Australia but statistics show that marijuana is widely used and distributed throughout our country and is making a huge market. “After three-quarters of a century of prohibition, Australia’s cannabis industry is the same financial size as her gold industry, twice the size of her wine industry and three-quarters the size of the nation’s beer industry” (Treadgold 2000). These statistics show that marijuana or (cannabis) could be marketed in Australia if correctly regulated. There are huge operations of growing and distributing cannabis on the black market throughout the country. Marijuana growth, distribution and consuming can mean charges, serious offences, and jail time.

LITERATURE REVIEW

”Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder in which compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking behaviour persists despite serious negative consequences. Addictive substances induce pleasant states (euphoria in the initiation phase) or relieve distress. Continued use induces adaptive changes in the central nervous system that lead to tolerance, physical dependence, sensitization, craving, and relapse”( Camí and Farré, 2003). MacCoun and Reuter did a study in the year 2001. The study looked at the impacts of decriminalisation of marijuana. The study focused on the Netherlands, The United States, Australia and Italy. The study concluded that there is a positive community benefit correlated with the removal of criminal penalties for possession. Thus reducing the costs to the criminal justice system in those countries. Through reducing the commission of property, and personal offences as well as reducing the involvement of organised criminal networks supplying users. By removing the stigma of criminality, it also stopped casual users from being excluded from work opportunities that require the applicant to have no criminal record. It also opened up avenues for coffee shops in the Netherlands; allowing the removal of criminal penalties, and harm from drug usage and decriminalisation. Holland has since changed its laws to prohibit the sale of cannabis to visitors in an effort to reduce “marijuana tourism”, which has had some negative impacts on the local community. An increase in petty crime committed by visitors and a perception that some visitors are vagrant is just the start to the problems. In the year 2000, Nimbin tried to establish a few cafes that sold marijuana on the main street where some tourists like to visit. On the first day of the establishment in Nimbin, the police raided the businesses and shut them down. To try and stop street dealings and the drug culture, the locals believed the cafes would be a tourist draw card and provide more profits for other local businesses. Decriminalisation of marijuana in Nimbin is a constant point which some locals wish could be achieved (Helliwell 2000). Nimbin still celebrates cannabis with a festival or Mardi Grass every year. Many people from all walks of life join in with the festivities in May every year, providing tourism and profits for the local community. The tourism also brings with it a drug culture and dealers to the area, promoting harder drugs to the local community. The event also sees many police come to the area to drug test many of the locals and visitors to the area. Unfortunately with the festival promoting the drug in question, is always on the hit list for the authorities because of the huge draw it has on tourists and dealers. “Socio-economics and cultural influences on fluctuations in demand, supply-side production, promotion, licensing, access, and sales policies and practices play an important part in patterns of consumption.”(Measham 2006), unfortunately in Nimbin if you stop the supply of one drug it can lead to other harder drugs being used instead. So the introduction of harder drugs within the Nimbin community allowed for drug users to be addicted to injectable drugs like heroin. There is now a problem in Nimbin with injectable drugs such as heroin, allowing dealers the chance to sell drugs of all types in order to get their hit of heroin they need (Helliwell 2000).

CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ANALYSIS

Decriminalisation of marijuana is an issue in Australia. What needs to be addressed is the positive and negative effects the drug can have on users. Although there are obvious negative effects especially for adolescents, there are some positive impacts. Some positives include some medicinal uses that need to be considered a part of the decriminalisation. If the government wants to tax and put a price on the drug in relation to the drugs availability in cafes, it also needs to be illegal for anyone under a certain age to try the drug. If the drug had a legal smoking age attached such as 18 or 21, it could be further regulated like alcohol or cigarettes. Taxes could be introduced and the government could introduce new self-help programs for users of all types of legal and illegal drugs. The criminal justice system may have a reduction of peoples in prison, and also a reduced association of organised crime with the drugs distribution.

Within our society, some members of the public are thought to pose a threat and become a problem with actions they take with moral panic and the drug marijuana. Usually a drug users social status is low and they do not fit in as a part of the norm in society. People believe that their actions could pose a threat. “Policies implemented within the context of ‘moral panic’, while well-intended, can result in increased awareness of the banned product and the use of new yet-to-be-scheduled drugs with unknown potential for harm” (Bright, Bishop, Kane, Marsh, & Barratt, 2013). Harm reduction policies are already put in place but are not fully utilised by drug users, with the sale of marijuana in cafes the government can start to regulate taxes from the crop and allow further reduction treatments to funded programs to assist in community help programs. Opponent Process Theory of Addiction looks at drug addiction, and the pleasure associated with the emotional symptoms and withdrawal surrounding illegal drugs. Usage of the drug increases as the pleasure from the drug decreases with the body’s ability to get used to the drug and users compensate by increasing their dose and the frequency of use. One consequence is that the cost to the user increases over time, potentially leading to an incentive to commit crime. Within Australia; the ACT, The Northern Territory, and South Australia the drug marijuana is decriminalised. Having small quantities of the drug in possession, you can end up with a small fine if quantities are smaller than 25g. In the ACT you can grow 2 non hydroponic plants. The other states where marijuana is decriminalised have introduced a cannabis intervention requirement of one on one counselling sessions and small fines. In the other states of Australia, it is still a criminal offence, which can mean drug rehabilitation programs, bigger fines and jail time. (NCPIC Cannabis and the Law Fact sheet, 2010)

According Dr. David Helliwell; cannabis cafés would be good for the communities of Nimbin. The introduction would create jobs, more tourists will visit, and it would allow the police to regulate sale quantities of marijuana. It would also increase local business growth within the quiet community and allow the common drug dealers to have healthy competition. It would also allow for better health and rehabilitation programs to exist in the community. “It is about accepting that the consumption and sales of cannabis in Nimbin is an ongoing activity that will not be curtailed by prohibition. If this is so, then we have a responsibility in reducing the harm associated with cannabis use on an individual and community basis. I believe that a Hash coffee shop would be a move in the right direction” (Helliwell 2000).

ANALYSIS OF THE ARTEFACT AND YOUR OWN LEARNING REFLECTIONS

The artefact I have chosen represents a community with different beliefs and understandings. I can understand the issue with moral panic surrounding the quiet town, and also with the drug marijuana. I can see how the drug marijuana can have a negative impact on society. However, I believe their needs to be more studies done on the long term effects of marijuana usage and what the negative effects it has on its users. I believe that people have a right of choice. People will choose whether to use a drug or not. I do not use illegal drugs and I do not intend to period. However I believe that if a drug is decriminalised in some states of Australia, then the rest of Australia should have it decriminalised as well. I believe there should be an age restriction attached to the drug and I believe that no child should be subjected or allowed to acquire any drugs that could affect their growth mentally. However, I do realise that there is always going to be a black market and sales will continue if the drug is decriminalised nationally or not. If the drug was taxed, it would allow the government to finally cash in on the market, allowing for the introduction of new harm reduction strategies and health benefits for users and the general public. It would also help discourage drug dealers on the streets in places like Nimbin because of competition and law enforcement. Funds raised by the government needs to be put back in to the community to help fund projects for growth and harm minimisation. More studies need to be conducted with the medicinal use of marijuana and how it could help many people suffering in pain.

Bright, S., Bishop, B., Kane, R., Marsh, A., & Barratt, M. (2013). Kronic hysteria: exploring the intersection between Australian synthetic cannabis legislation, the media, and drug-related harm. //The International Journal on Drug Policy//, 24(3), 231-237. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2012.12.002

Camí, J. & Farré, M. (2003). Drug addiction. The New England Journal of Medicine, 349(10): 975-986.

Desai, U. & Patel, P. (2013) Medical marijuana: a public health perspective. //International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 2 (//2), 136-143. doi:10.5455/2319-2003.ijbcp20130305

Fuster, D., Cheng, D., Allensworth-Davies, D., Palfai, T., Samet, J., & Saitz, R. (2013). No Detectable Association Between Frequency of Marijuana Use and Health or Healthcare Utilization Among Primary Care Patients Who Screen Positive for Drug Use. //Journal of General Internal Medicine,//

Hall, W., & Degenhardt, L. (2009). Adverse health effects of non-medical cannabis use. Lancet, 374(9698), 1383-1391. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61037-0

Helliwell, D., (2000). Hashcoffeeshops. A prescription for Nimbin? http://archives.hempembassy.net/hempe/ccafes.html

MacCoun, R., & Reuter, P. (2001). Evaluating alternative cannabis regimes//. The British Journal of Psychiatry: The Journal of Mental Science,// 178123-128.

Measham, F. (2006). The new policy mix: Alcohol, harm minimisation, and determined drunkenness in contemporary society. International Journal of Drug Policy, 17(4), 258-268. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from

"NCPIC Cannabis and the Law Factsheet" (login required). //National Cannibis Prevention and Information Centre// (NCPIC). Retrieved 26 March 2010.

Treadgold T. Agribusiness: joint interest in an economy gone to pot//. Bus Rev Weekly 2000//;22(24):60 – 1.

Laura Jonker 8806136 Dr Mangalam Sankypellay