Legalize It Poland

When Kanaba.info joined the global coalition for reasonable and effective drug policy, in 2003, the political climate in our country (Poland) was not favorable to discussion about rational drug policy reform. Although our campaign to "Spread the Seed," had helped Polish Cannabis activists to unite, it didn’t induce much public discussion or debate.

At that time, public opinion polls regarding drug policy were very rare in Poland. The only poll that had been taken, was done by the government in 2002. As one would expect, the poll was not very representative, as sampling for the survey was taken from too small and selective a group.

The government’s 2002 report stated that only 3 to 6 % of Polish society favored Cannabis legalization. It is worth mentioning that only 20% of the people surveyed supported criminal punishment of Cannabis users. Fortunately, due largely to Kanaba’s activities and the worsening of drug-related crime in Poland, the issue was increasingly recognized by the Polish media.

First, an internet poll taken during the middle of last year, by www.wp.pl (one of the largest Polish internet portals), showed that 39% of respondents advocated decriminalization of Cannabis 57% were against decriminalization and 4% were undecided.

In the next Internet poll, done by a popular Polish socio-political weekly magazine called "Polityka" at the end of 2003, decriminalization was favored by 77% of the readership. The most recent Internet poll (currently underway, by lewica.pl portal) indicate that by an overwhelming majority, 70% of the respondents favor complete legalization of Cannabis !

The natural consequence of this growing public support is political support for liberalization. The last few months have been quite eventful. The Warsaw Youth SLD - FMS (Democratic Left Alliance) have announced support for Cannabis legalization in their manifesto. Kanaba has established contact with "Unia Wolnosci" (Freedom Union), and cooperation with previous allies (including the UPR -Real Policy Union and the FM UP - Youth Union of Labor) is increasing. After extensive meetings, we have convinced people at Poland’s new Green Party to take up the subject of drug policy reform. The result of these discussions is the "Krakow Drug Policy" which unfortunatly was decilned in national voting at the end of February, and failed to become the official party line of the Polish Green Party.

The year 2004 is already very promising. Our goal for this year is to progressively influence Polish drug policy, directing political changes toward tolerance and rationality, based in science, compassion and reason. We hope that by coordinating new opportunities, cooperation and resources, which are developing, we can achieve Cannabis legalization in Poland within the next five years. Because of election time,it is entirely possible that major improvements could be made in 2004. If you participate actively in our efforts, we could achieve decriminalization of Cannabis for personal use in Poland, this year. This is in line with what has been done in several other countries in the European Union, Canada, South America and some regions of Australia.

There are still challenges and opportunities before us. From April 28th to the 30th, many high-ranking International and European representatives will arrive in Warsaw. For this occasion Alter-Global Movement is preparing a series of public demonstrations, directed against those who want, at all cost, to maintain the status quo.

Kanaba, together with the European NGO Council on Drug Policy (ENCOD) and the international coalition ICN will take part in actions called The Alternative Economic Summit, by organizing a session dedicated to European drug policy reform , on Friday, April 30th. We have invited many authorities on drug policy to this session from Europe and the United States. Help us to be prepared to receive them properly and effectively !

In addition to the conference, a day earlier on April 29th, a large demonstration against the World Economic Forum (WEF) is being coordinated. Kanaba decided not to directly take part in but instead we will be hosting our own "Million Marijuana March", a gigantic, global street celebration, Saturday, May 1st. Literally millions of people who hunger for peace and justice in cities all over the world, will be celebrating on this day ! Please join us in Warsaw to demand an end to the "black market", and the beginning of Cannabis Freedom ! These are critically important events, which are essential to peaceful liberalization of global drug laws and an end to the manipulation, by people who now control our future !

All of these events will be recorded and added to the full-length International digital video documentary, "Return to Reason," currently being made in the Unites States by International filmmaker, ecologist and Cannabis scholar, Paul von Hartmann, a founding member of The Cannabis College in Amsterdam.

Events included in "Return to Reason", so far, are the "Festival du Chanvre" in France ; DRCNet’s "Out From The Shadows" conference in Mexico ; "Expo 2002" at the Cannabis demonstration project Chanvre Info in Switzerland ; and testimony from ENCOD’s drug policy reform session at the European Parliament in Belgium.