First published in Communist Student no.3

Recently, there have been plenty of stories in the news linking mental health problems and suicides with the consumption of cannabis – clearly in an effort to reverse its classification as a class C drug. James Linney looks at the issues

Drug use dates back to early civilisation. Two archaeological specimens of peyote buttons represent the earliest chemical confirmation that the practice goes back 5,700 years at least. North American Indians believed that the psychotropic properties of the peyote cactus put them in contact with the spiritual world.

Despite the earliest uses being for religious purposes, these days we are well informed by politicians and much of the media that drugs are a symptom of modern-day immorality and a constant threat to us all. It’s a familiar tactic of creating as much fear as possible, hence their constant talk of ‘getting tough’, ‘cracking down’ (pardon the pun) and longer sentencing for drug offenders. By reducing the issue to an abstract moral one, the state can more easily justify its control as so-called protection. Communists must look beyond such pretences to see the truth of the matter as a class issue based in the real, material world.

Reclassifying cannabis to a class B drug would in one foul swoop criminalise up to 30% of those under 26 years of age. And this, while hospitals are literally full of people dying from cigarette and alcohol-related illness.

Heroin is a good example of the damage the anti-drug laws pose to those who are addicted. Dependence occurs quickly and maintaining the addiction often leads to crime. A heavy prison sentence is not a deterrent to the person who craves the drug; neither is it a barrier to its acquisition. It should be blatantly obvious on this basis alone that prison is not a solution, and that addicts need treatment instead of punishment. Instead, the production, distribution and use of heroin are pushed underground and into the hands of criminals.

Heroin death from overdose is due to the depression of the respiratory system, but this is rare compared to the damage from taking in toxic impurities and the many blood-borne diseases spread from contaminated needles.

Of course, legalisation and effective treatment for addicts is by no means the end of the story. Accepting that drugs have been around for many years and will continue to be, irrespective of their legal status, underlines that drugs play a distinct social role. But it is equally as apparent that drugs are used as a way of escaping the drudgery of everyday life. Capitalism relies on a workforce that has been severed from its product, forced to work for survival or consumption only and this leads to social alienation. This is reflected in the relationship between less economically well off areas and drug use.

There is clearly more to alcohol, cigarette and heroin abuse then educating about their dangers. We need a society that offers a viable alternative.