Date: Fri, 12 May 1995
From: ConradBACH@aol.com
To: carlolsen@dsmnet.com
Subject: Draft of treaty proposal

 Greetings! This document is to be presented and read at the June 24 HR 
'95 program and later pursued in whatever forum is most expeditious.  
There are several key differences between what Mikki visualized and what 
I wrote, let alone what you think.  For example, Mikki thinks we should 
label the drug war a failure, and I think we should proclaim a 
conclusive victory.  We both think it should be shorter, but she wants 
to add more details on past and ongoing human rights abuses for 
emotional impact, along with excerpts from the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights, Bill of Rights, etc., and I think it should be more 
general. We're now ready for your input. 

HR '95: Drug War Peace Treaty (First Draft May 12, 1995)

 Preamble:  We, the people, did not choose the rhetoric of warfare as an 
element of drug policy.  We did not declare war on our government, nor 
do we physically attack its institutions.  We do not wish to become 
combatants or casualties in the ever-escalating police actions of our 
own government.  Yet, for decades, ordinary citizens have been subject 
to the unprovoked violence and suffered cruel and unusual punishments in 
this politically motivated and one-sided Drug War.  Having borne more 
injustice than our patriotic forebears ever would have endured, we now 
call for a truce in the drug war to engage our government in negotiating 
a peace treaty, as follows: 

 Whereas the determination whether or not to consume any substance or
medication is a very personal decision reflecting free choice and 
individual preferences of lifestyle and social pastime; 

 Whereas the legitimate power of any just government is derived from a 
mutual respect of the government's laws by its people, and of the 
people's rights by their government; and

 Whereas the existing bureaucracy has made no effort to resolve this 
matter in a humane and negotiated manner, but has unilaterally pursued a 
military/police option with little discussion and no regard for its harm 
to families, individuals and human rights; 

 Therefore, on behalf of the American people, we declare this Drug War 
is ended.  We agree to eliminate the black market in drugs and the 
government agrees to abide by the following terms of agreement: 

 Article 1:  As a token of good faith, there shall be an immediate truce 
and release of all non-violent and otherwise (aside from drug charges) 
law abiding citizens held as Drug War prisoners by either side.  All 
pending non-violent drug charges shall be dropped. 

 Article 2:  The sovereignty of both citizen and state being the basis of
domestic law, the United States shall withdraw from and repudiate the 
Single Convention Treaty on Narcotic Drugs and any other international 
agreement or treaty which limits its ability to settle our domestic drug 
dispute. 

 Article 3:  Medicinal use of any substance is the private decision of 
the patient with the guidance of a health care provider and should be as 
free as possible from government interference.  No patient shall be 
prosecuted nor any physician penalized for use of mutually agreeable 
medications. 

 Article 4:  Cultural distinctions being a natural and inherently 
enriching aspect of civilization, choice of intoxicants or mood altering 
drugs is a human right, as long as they are consumed in a safe and 
responsible manner.  Traditional drug crops shall be allowed in all 
communities and areas where they have been historically produced and 
used. 

 Article 5:  Consistency and fairness being the foundations of justice, 
persons involved with drugs retain all their inalienable, human and 
constitutional rights without exception.  Government agents who engage 
in illegal activities and entrapment or provoke the breaking of laws 
shall be held fully accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the 
law. 

 Article 6:  The role of law enforcement being to protect the rights,
freedoms, properties and personal safety of the people, no consensual 
drug activity undertaken by two or more adults shall be considered a 
crime unless a charge of damages is filed by an affected private party.  
Personal use of drugs is a private matter and exempt from government 
oversight. 

 Article 7:  Protection of public safety being a valid concern of 
government, being under the influence of a substance shall not be a 
valid legal defense, and every individual shall be held fully 
responsible for their own actions.  Performance and coordination tests, 
not forensics, shall be applied to determine impairment in the 
investigation of reckless or negligent operation of a motor vehicle. 

 Article 8:  The private sector being the most capable and effective 
response mechanism to supply and demand, government involvement in the 
manufacture and distribution of drugs shall be regulatory rather than 
direct.  Such regulation may be held analogous to the wine model.  
Commerce in drugs shall be subject to the same legal and ethical 
standards as any other business. 

 Article 9.  The elimination of the black market in illegal drugs being 
a primary purpose of this agreement, persons already engaging in the 
marketing of illicit drugs shall be given the opportunity to legitimize 
their operations without penalties for prior illegal activities.  
Testimony of satisfied customers shall be presented in support of such 
application. 

 Article 10:  The health and welfare of the people being a rightful 
concern of government, the following harm reduction measures shall be 
implemented: 

 1.  Age of consent for social drug use shall be determined by the local
community.  Care shall be taken to preserve the family unit.  Policies 
shall be designed to protect family properties and to avoid disruption 
and separation of the parent/child relationship.  Collection of a body 
of unbiased medical research shall be encouraged. 

 2.  Children shall be discouraged from drug use.  Education shall be 
accurate based on personal safety measures, the relative risks involving 
such substances, and the importance of waiting until adulthood.  It 
shall stress positive behavior patterns and promote abstinence, 
tolerance and personal responsibility. 

 3.  Cannabis shall be separated from other drugs through a lower age 
limit of 18 years and by permitting open concessions of soft drugs, 
including cannabis seeds, plants, clones, cured flowers and resins that 
are free of contaminants.  Package labeling shall accurately describe 
its contents and weight, include a potency rating, and list all 
additives. 

 4.  Policies shall favor substances in their natural raw form and 
discourage use of hard drugs.  Drug crops may be legally and 
commercially cultivated and distributed with a permit from the proper 
oversight agencies in agriculture and public health.  Package labeling 
shall accurately describe all contents, potency, dosage recommendations 
and list all additives. 

 5.  Chemical compounds derived from such plants shall be regulated with
synthetic pharmaceuticals and kept available at a pharmacy level.  
Restrictions on access shall be based on an impartial and uniform 
standard of health risk assessments and addictive potential.  Package 
labeling shall accurately describe its chemical content, recommended 
dosage, health warnings, and symptoms of overuse.  Accurate information 
shall be included on responsible use, and the physical and mental 
effects of the compounds taken alone or in combination with other drugs. 

 6.  Private shamanistic, religious, spiritual or other psychological 
training shall be recommended before anyone's first use of 
hallucinogens.  Persons exhibiting addictive or abusive behavior shall 
be encouraged to undergo humane treatment. 

 7.  Clean syringes and non-judgmental health care information shall be 
made available to intravenous drug users to prevent the spread of 
infections via shared needles.  To prevent addicts from engaging in 
property crimes, physically addictive drugs shall be made available 
through the public health care system at an affordable cost.  To clean 
up the streets, communities shall provide a sanitary indoor environment 
and discreet health care supervision for intravenous drug users. 

 Article 11:  The national debt being a pressing problem, all foreign 
aid for anti-drug programs shall be terminated immediately.  This 
includes the transfer or export of herbicides and equipment intended 
for drug surveillance and eradication operations. 

 Article 12:  Violent crime being a serious problem, narcotics police
agencies, personnel and resources shall return to normal law enforcement
investigations and prosecutions of violent and property crimes to 
protect the public. 

 Article 13:  Police resources being scarce, specialized forces and
surveillance equipment shall be used to combat terrorists, toxic 
polluters, criminal fraud, and illegal arms traffickers. 

 Article 14:  Bribery being a form of corruption, testimony given in 
exchange for money payments, reduced penalties, or commission on 
forfeited goods or assets shall not be used in a court of law. 

 Article 15:  Property rights being central to our social order, no 
property or assets may be taken by the government without due process 
and just compensation.  A jury shall be required to determine the 
validity of any such government claims and seizures. 

  Article 16:  Urine testing being an inaccurate, invasive and costly 
process and an affront to human dignity, it shall not be required for 
employment, insurance, parole, probation, or access to government 
benefits or programs.  This ban shall apply to all other chemical tests 
for inert compounds. 

 Article 17:  Commercial farming and production of non-drug industrial
cannabis sativa, L. or true hemp products shall be resumed and 
encouraged in proportion to its value as a commodity and shall not be 
subject to any drug enforcement oversight.