On making changes in life. On the new year. For inspiration.

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice–
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
‘Mend my life!’

each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do–
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Mary Oliver

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Los afectados

Investigadora en políticas de drogas evalúa posibles cambios a nivel internacional a partir de experiencias de despenalización.

Zara Snapp es mexicana, pero vivió en el estado de Colorado, Estados Unidos, desde los nueve hasta los 25 años. Hizo la licenciatura en Políticas Públicas en Colorado y más adelante la maestría en Harvard, y se ha especializado en investigación en políticas de drogas, además de trabajar en el Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad de México, que nuclea a familiares de víctimas de la guerra contra las drogas. Desde México, evaluó los cambios que implica la propuesta de regulación de la marihuana aprobada en Uruguay y la recién estrenada legalización de la marihuana recreacional en Colorado. Asegura que los cambios en materia de

política de drogas deben surgir desde América Latina.

Last week, I did some interviews with the uruguayan media on drug policy reform, the implementation of legal marijuana in Colorado and the current situation in Mexico. For posterity’s sake, I decided to post them below. You can find a direct link here. Thanks to Paula Barquet for providing the opportunity.

“Creo que hay una ola legalizadora de la marihuana”, dijo Zara Snapp, experta en política en drogas

For many people, today is a historic day. Beyond being International Human Rights Day, this is also the  day that the Uruguayan Senate votes on a comprehensive bill which regulates the production, cultivation, sale and consumption of cannabis.

The objectives of the law are to reduce the illegal drug market by exerting state control and separating markets, reduce the age of initiation among young people and provide a quality, accessible product to marijuana users. The law also provides for both personal cultivation, medicinal and recreational access, thus becoming the first country in the world to recognize that there are various uses for the plant. President Pepe Mujica promoted the initiative, although there was concerted international pressure from organizations such as the International Narcotics Control Board of the UN and neighbor countries such as Brazil. But Mujica has stayed strong, understanding that this law will radically transform their drug policy strategy and that it is a first step in ending the prohibitionist paradigm.

The Uruguayan Congress (or lower house) voted on this measure in June of this year and that was an uncertain vote as it was unclear whether the ruling party, the Frente Amplio, would succeed in getting the 50 votes needed to pass the bill to the Senate. But it did pass and today the Senate will debate the merits and drawbacks of this bill. It is expected to easily pass as the Frente Amplio has a clear majority. If you are interested in watching the vote live, please click here (in Spanish).

A group of civil society organizations, Regulación Responsable, has produced a series of videos that explain the law and that have English subtitles (just click on cc at the bottom).

While many people believe that marijuana has been legalized in other countries, such as the Netherlands, it is important to note that these countries have not actually regulated the full supply chain, but rather have decided to make enforcement of marijuana laws a low priority. By not fully legalizing and regulating, these countries continue to be aligned with the international drug treaties of the UN. Drug policy reformers around the world have celebrated the marijuana regulation initiatives in the Colorado and Washington State, but these measures fail to transform federal law. For this reason, the proposed law in Uruguay goes one step further—openly breaking the UN consensus and clearly stating that prohibition has not worked for their country.

As Mexico and other parts of Latin America (and the world) continue to suffer the consequences of the war on drugs, witnessing high levels of violence, criminalization, homicides, disappearances and full militarization, civil society raises its voice to insist on a change in strategy. Social movements such as the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity in Mexico have come out in favor of the regulation of drugs to move away from war, towards peace and justice. When those most affected by the war on drugs demand respect for human rights, harm reduction and a focus on health, governments need to listen. Today, Uruguay provides us with hope and a first step towards change. Today is a historic day and is the beginning of the end of the war on drugs.

For the next three weeks, I will be on the road with the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity. We began in Denver at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference and we will end on November 15^th with a panel with Javier Sicilia and Michelle Alexander.

We began the day at the medical examiners office where they shared about the “undocumented border crossers” whose remains are brought there, the cause of death and how they work to identify the bodies (or in many cases, the remains). On average per year, in the Pima county area, they are brought 175 remains, mainly dead from undetermined causes (but usually exposure to the elements) and they are able to identify 65% of the remains. As you can imagine, this presentation was difficult to hear.

In the afternoon, we were taken to the federal courthouse to bear witness to Operation Streamline. Operation Streamline began in 2005 and was implemented in 2008 in the Tucson region. It is a program that ultimately seeks to criminalize migrants and punish them for crossing the border. Rather than simply deporting these folks, the government has chosen to turn them into criminals. Each day, 70 migrants are brought before a judge and are essentially given the option: either plead guilty, get a misdemeanor offense and serve from 1-5 months in prison, or take your chances at the higher

level court, plead your case and probably receive a much higher sentence. Clearly, most people choose the former “option.”

Today I watched 70 people, mainly from Mexico and mainly young men be criminalized for simply seeking better economic opportunities. These young men (and some women) will serve time in prison, have a criminal record and will be charged with a felony and a longer prison sentence if they attempt to re-enter the United States. Today I watched people shackled at the wrists, waist and feet. They will enter a private prison system where they will work for free and ensure that these private prisons are at capacity. This is called modern slavery. This is state-sanctioned slavery.

When I saw so many of my fellow human beings deprived of liberty and treated so badly, tears welled in my eyes and my heart hurt. As Javier said in his speech tonight, this is an example of people not being protected by the state, but rather being completely criminalized for doing something that does not hurt anyone else. Every day at 1.30pm, I will be thinking of those 70 unique human beings who are being sentenced to a prison sentence simply for crossing an arbitrary line in search of an economic opportunity.

I encourage you to learn more about this—there is some hope. On October 11, activists shut down Operation Streamline by chaining themselves to the buses and not allowing it to continue. For that one day, they could not “streamline” people. Contact your legislators to let them know how you feel. We cannot continue to treat people this way.

Earlier today, I watched two videos that on the surface might not have that much to do with each other, but within the context of drug policy and the work of both the Open Society Foundations and the Drug Policy Alliance…well, they are clearly aligned. The first video is about human rights, plan and simple. Distinguished academics, public officials and celebrities discuss the importance of human rights and the need to continue

claiming our rights. Sometimes I get goosebumps watching videos like this because it reminds me of all the work we have in front of us, but also all that has been achieved throughout the world. I hope you enjoy.

The second video is from the International Harm Reduction Conference which was held last week in Lithuania. This conference brings together the best and brightest in harm reduction, as well as current and former drug users, sex workers and advocates. Although I wasn’t able to attend, I have been watching some of the videos and this video of Ethan Nadelmann (executive director of DPA) is one of the best. Ethan is always an excellent speaker, but you can see in this video how the discourse on rights has expanded. It is both about the human rights of users, but also about reducing the harm produced by these failed policies.

These two videos create a strong argument for connecting drug policy and human rights. I hope these provide a space for reflecting on that to you as well.

A dear friend sent me a TED talk this past week by a woman named Meg Jay, which was titled Why 30 is not the new 20. This seemingly nice psychiatrist explained that the choices we make in our 20’s are much more important than we think and that in fact, the people we date, the jobs we accept and the lives we lead in our 20’s are really just preparing us for the rest of our lives. In theory I agree with her premise, but I felt her talk was lacking.

When I finished watching, I was depressed. I turned 30 a few months ago and have been struggling with the significance of it. (I realize that we are the ones who imbue these otherwise meaningless moments with so much importance). If 30 is not the new 20, what is it? To me, her talk failed to really outline what are the decisions we should be making in our lives. I assume that many of the experiences in my 20’s were worth something and I am reaping the benefits  of that wisdom now, but how can I know that? I suppose those answers can only be answered by ourselves, primarily as we reflect on where we have been and where we want to go.

On the other hand, my dear friend also sent me this article about taking advantage of your 20’s to really explore the world. Rather than focusing on building your CV, this article details the importance of enjoying those years and understanding that all those random skills you gain will come in handy later on. And it is hilarious.

I’m not exactly sure if there is a moral to this story, except that it is always good to have friends that send you articles prior to group skype calls. And since I met both of those lovely ladies in my 20’s, I must have been doing something right!