Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1093354
OPINION 27 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MARCH 2019 Rolling our eyes will simply mean a greater divide Evarist Bartolo Evarist Bartolo is Minister for Education and Employment THE upcoming European elections are an important crossroads for the con- tinent because they will either build the momentum of populists or bring it to a halt. In times like these, elections become much bigger than the vote they represent – almost a philosophical refer- endum on the future of Europe. There have been many mistakes in the past. The modern economy has isolated a chunk of our population, with mainstream politicians then trampling over them. This has been a bounty for populists who will say and do whatever is needed to grab power. However, we are also guilty of rolling our eyes at these voters across Europe. They are people in our communities, people who might have abhorrent views on an array of top- ics but who also have a superficial under- standing of them. Rather than help them understand, the default response has been mockery. Let's make fun of them. Let's make fun of their Trumpian way of talking, of how they reasoned out Brexit, of their conspiracies and the 'alternative news' content they share on social media. This is a fatal mistake. As I said, most of these people are just average Joes in society. They do not live in a tent in the woods looking for CIA satellites, rather they lead regular lives and have regular jobs. The mainstream politics of Europe must understand that bridging with these people, listening and under- standing their concerns, does not mean endorsing them. It does not mean losing one's principles. Brussels, more often than not, is only capable of talking down to such people and this is wrong. This is not something strictly related to politics. In Malta, just like the rest of the world, there is a growing num- ber of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. If this trend continues, some truly nasty diseases may return to haunt us. However, we need to seek to understand where these parents are coming from. What was the journey that led them to such ill-conceived choices? A lot of states in the US have gone through this and found that outreach programmes – through education and information sessions – can help a great deal. Again, rolling our eyes and mockery does not help. We live in a very divided time. As the world wide web reaches its 30th year, there is a lot to say about how the internet has further divided societies rather than helped them move forward together. It is very easy to create barriers on social media and to be entrenched in the ideology bubble that does not allow users to be exposed to differing opin- ions. Showing disdain and a patronising attitude will go a long way to widen this divide further. 'The forgotten will be forgotten no longer' was an important vow by Presi- dent Trump during his inauguration speech and it was quite clear who he was talking to. The modern economy has distanced us – and created inequalities – between us. The haves and the have nots have increased and we're experi- encing this throughout Europe. Which is why the true progressives of Europe must step up their game in reaching out to those who, today, are seen as beneath them. If this doesn't happen we'll continue to see more voter discontent and more extreme views. The progressives must understand a cardinal point in politics: the voters are never wrong and their concerns, even if manifested in abnormal ways, are still true and real. I was disappointed to read Andrew Azzopardi's article on MaltaToday (4 March 2019) regarding the sup- posed risks of regulating the personal recreational use of cannabis. As Dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, Azzopardi should really know better than this. While there is no denying that canna- bis does possess some mild unwanted effects, there is insubstantial evidence to prove it is connected to psychotic disorders. In his article, Azzopardi quotes "that regular cannabis use increases the risk of developing psy- chotic illnesses, such as schizophrenia, particularly in adolescents" (Dr Marta di Forti, King's College London). Unfortunately, what Azzopardi fails to mention is that the studies were conducted on high potency cannabis, which is specifically grown to contain high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This drug, more commonly known as skunk-like, was investigated since it is very frequently found ille- gally in the streets of South London. I am not sure whether Azzopardi acted in good faith or not, however, whatever his intentions, he used this singular case study and rushed to con- clusions without considering all of the variables. To date, there is absolutely no hard evidence that relates natural cannabis to mental illnesses. On the contrary, latest evidence indicate that people with psychiatric issues, can help alleviate their symptoms by us- ing cannabis. In fact, researchers are investigating whether it could be used as a possible treatment for schizophre- nia and depression, since cannabidiol (CBD) may possess antipsychotic benefits. Actually, the research conducted by Dr Marta di Forti, which Azzopardi is referring to, makes the call for canna- bis regulation an even louder one. The current system that demonises people who use cannabis for recreational purposes has failed miserably. No mat- ter how they try to justify it, illegal and harmful use is still on the increase. If we keep on insisting on this path, the so-called 'war on drugs' will just mean more waste of valuable resources on the persecution of people. It is obvious that it has failed people and it has only benefited the underground and illicit empire created by drug traffickers. It is also disingenuous to compare cannabis to other deadly drugs and substances. There is only one way forward – we need to accept that prohibition is ineffective and instead shift to a harm reduction policy, if and where there is harm. How? By putting proper laws into place that control and license the selling and the growing of cannabis for personal use. It makes sense to shun the capitalist system where multina- tional companies, as they did with tobacco, take over cannabis. Intelligent regulation can achieve this. It can also drastically reduce illegal traffick- ing of much more harmful synthetic drugs from our streets. Alternattiva Demokratika had already mentioned in 2017 that there are various cannabis regulation models that experts could look into. Such a model can be found in Colorado (USA), where cannabis was regularised in 2012. Natural can- nabis sales in Colorado are subject to tax in the same manner we tax tobacco and alcohol in Malta (which, by the way, are much more harmful legal activities!). While in Malta we keep on wasting money on curtailing cannabis, the State of Colorado tackled the prob- lem in a more social and cost-effective manner. By introducing regulation, tax revenue generated by cannabis sales is reinvested where it is really needed, such as in public schools and social services. The UN Global Commission on Drug Policy "examines how governments can take control of currently illegal drug markets through responsible regulation, and provides a practical roadmap that tackles the real implica- tions and recognises the difficulties of transitioning from illegal to legally regulated drug markets." Contrarily, Professor Azzopardi wants Police to be 'trained' to deal with issues relating to cannabis use. Leave the Police out of this. They have far more important things to do. To conclude, allow me to go back to Andrew Azzopardi's re- marks on the supposed dangers of can- nabis regulation. His paranoia verges on the absurd and it is unfortunately derived from years of misinformation and propaganda that is stopping us from changing for the better. Luckily for us, society is moving forward and it is amending past mistakes by introduc- ing policies that put people first. Cannabis regulation is the only way forward Luke Caruana Luke Caruana is AD spokesperson for youth and sports and Mellieha Local Council Candidate luke.caruana@alternattiva.com Luke Caruana