Remarks on the Proposed Cannabis Legalization Law in Lebanon

Shortly after I made the proposed draft law public yesterday, the frustration became palpable with many Lebanese citizens, especially the youth. The reason I posted it immediately without writing a more in-depth analysis, is because it was on the parliamentary committee’s agenda, and we needed to mount pressure quick before they OK it and send it to the general assembly. That seemed to have worked, since it wasn’t even discussed.

Skoun, a treatment center and NGO I absolutely adore and have worked with many times over the years, made a more detailed analysis of the law, and with their expertise wrote several remarks about the law and why it’s a bad one. I will attempt to roughly translate it here from the Arabic version they sent me and which we are forwarding to MPs from every political party.

Skoun’s Remarks:

From Facebook: (as is, not translated)

After reviewing the draft law, Skoun insists on the necessity of revising and amending the current version of the draft, taking into consideration the following concerns:

First, it is surprising that this draft has not once mentioned the decriminalization of drug use and has ignored the proposal to amend the current drug law submitted to the Lebanese Parliament in June 2016. Even more surprising is that some of the signatories of this draft were on the frontline of calling for the amendment of the Lebanese drug law. We believe that the health and rights of our young men and women have always been, and continue to be a priority that is far more important than any revenue that this draft may bring to the Lebanese economy. Therefore, any reform of Lebanon’s drug policy must begin with an end to the criminalization of drug use and an adoption of public health based approach. (We recall here the difference between decriminalization and legalization of drug use).

Second, Skoun objects to the inclusion of “personal consumption” under the penalties and sanctions section of the draft law. Besides the fact that the sanctions carried are extremely heavy and are in contravention of the basic principles of human rights (hard labor for life), the essence of the sanctions associated with “personal consumption” are also contradictory to the direction adopted by the government, civil society working in drugs, as well as human rights organizations that call for the decriminalization of the use of drugs. The Inter-Ministerial Substance Use Response Strategy for Lebanon 2016–2021, developed by the Ministries of Public Health, Interior, Justice, Social Affairs and Education and Higher Education, expressly sets as an objective the revision of the “law towards the decriminalization of illicit drug use in line with international treaties and public health principles.”

Third, Skoun wonders what the law’s vision for this transitional phase between an illicit market and a regulated legal market? What are the mechanisms put in place by the draft law to ensure the protection of the rights of current cannabis cultivators (Farmers)? Will they be included and allowed to profit from the regulated market? Will the new law provide an amnesty to the “cultivation of illegal substances” crimes they have been convicted of, which, under the draft law pose an obstacle to their acquisition of a legal permit to cultivate cannabis?

Finally, Skoun asks will the draft law ensure the access of Lebanese citizens, in particular cancer patients, to the plant for medicinal purposes.

From the statement shared with MPs: (my rough translation)

Granting Permits

The proposal is inherently discriminatory towards current cannabis farmers, given that a main prerequisite is a clean criminal record, when a large portion of current farmers do not have a clean criminal record given most are convicted of the felony of growing hashish. This ignores the rights of these farmers the law is supposed to help, denying them the transition from illegal to a regulated market.

Article 21

The requirement of judicial records for everyone that will be employed in hashish growing is irrational, given most workers in this industry are convicted because of the type of work they do.

Article 39

First, the suggested sentences are extremely harsh. Hard labor goes against basic human rights, and can be considered as torture according to international standards, which comes as shock given Lebanon ratified a law that bans torture recently. This also fails to live up to the notion that the punishment should be equivalent to the crime.

Second, this article puts farming and promoting the use of hashish in the same category with the same penalty, which goes against the principle that the penalty should be comparable to the crime.

Third, the failure to clearly define what is “promoting” leaves the possibility open for abuse of this provision in terms of how law enforcement enforces it, and how the judiciary rules by it. Theoretically, this provision could mean anyone caught with a small amount of hashish can be indicted with “terweej”. A current example is with the current Drugs Law number 673 in Lebanon, where the justice system has found it difficult to properly define “promoting”, leading to thousands of young men and women incarcerated for simply having a small amount on them.

The fact that “personal use” is mentioned as something punishable under this law, with an extremely harsh penalty, clearly contradicts the direction the Lebanese government has been going in recently, as well as civil society actors who work in drug awareness and treatment, and organizations that work on the legal and human rights aspects. The general consensus among all these stakeholders is that penalty for personal use should be abolished. This was clearly outlined in the “Joint Strategy Between Ministries to Counter Drug Abuse and Addiction 2016–2021” which the ministry of public health, justice, interior affairs, education and social affairs worked on together, which included: “revision of the current laws to abolish criminalizing illicit substances to fulfill Lebanon’s commitment to inernational conventions and public health principles”

Cannabis Decriminalization Has Never Been Closer, BUT…

It’s like all the stars aligned to try and help make decriminalization of cannabis in Lebanon finally a reality. Samir Hammoud’s circular to not prosecute drug users, McKinsey’s government-sanctioned study that recommended Lebanon decriminalize cannabis and lastly, many major politicians in Lebanon jumping in front of cameras to voice their support for legalization of cannabis cultivation.

After so many years of lobbying and campaigning for this, it’s an exciting time where the rest of the country finally realizes the error of their ways when it comes to the failed drug enforcement policies in Lebanon. After so many lives ruined, futures aborted and physical and psychological trauma, it might not just be decriminalized, but legal to export for medical reasons too.

BUT

Remember, these are the same politicians. The same ones that have been benefiting from all the terror caused by the aggressive campaign to hunt down kids smoking pot, for bribes of course. They even used it as an excuse to lock up activists in the 2015 uprising after the garbage crisis hit its peak.

A real risk I’m worried about is that these cash-obsessed politicians will find a way to legalize them selling and exporting it, but somehow leave it a crime to use this plant indigenous to Lebanon, by the Lebanese themselves.

They’d do it, they don’t give two shits about the thousands of young men and women arrested every year, they just want to make more money. So we need to have our eyes peeled, and plead the case that the money will not only come from selling our hash abroad, but that millions of dollars will be saved if we stop hunting down and ruining the lives and futures of our youth.

A university sophomore that got caught and tortured, might have started the next big production house, if only he didn’t have that black dot on his record and got scarred psychologically by the harrowing experience that is detention in Lebanon. A young woman who spent 4 nights in jail for being in the same car with someone who had a tiny amount of hash on them, will probably take the first plane out of this country instead of launch her idea for the next big fintech startup right here in Lebanon. Imagine the money we’d save from all the driving around and incarceration and paperwork generated over a bunch of people who did nothing but smoke up in the past few months…

So, Lebanese politicians, please have the decency to end the suffering of your constituents, as you draw plans to make even more money from them. It’s ok if you stop arresting people for smoking the same plant you’re preparing to turn into profit for your pockets.

That’s the deal we propose: stop arresting and criminalizing the use of cannabis, if you plan on legally making money from it. That way, you guys can make money, and citizens’ lives stop getting ruined too! Win-Win if I ever saw one.

VICTORY: Lebanon Will No Longer Prosecute Marijuana Use

I know that most of the news we get in Lebanon, is depressing and hope-killing. But last night, while I was working late, I got a call that made me jump up and down with happiness, then sit down and silently contemplate what it means for Lebanon, and especially its embattled youth.

What is it

Today, Judge Samir Hammoud issued a circular, which is binding, to all district attorneys in Lebanon, ordering them to not prosecute drug users caught in Lebanon anymore. So, it’s not just weed, but all drug use offenses.

This is nothing new, this is the actual law in Lebanon, where users should be referred to the “Addiction Committee” instead of arrested and prosecuted. However, for some reason, only 3% of all cases since this law was enacted were actually referred to this committee.

With this circular, this means that it’s no longer individual judges who decide if they let users go to this committee, the law dictates it, and this order reiterates that in a binding fashion that security forces can no longer hinder or dispute.

This is huge news, and you must inform yourselves and those you care about as soon as possible. If you ever fall into the hell that is being arrested by Lebanon’s drug enforcement, make sure you know your rights, and that your loved ones know and follow it up to make sure no one robs you of your liberty and dignity for absolutely no good reason.

Be Careful Though

You might no longer get prosecuted for using drugs, but for now, it’s still a crime. In other words, you can still get arrested for it, and you will have to undergo an investigation. This means you can spend up to 4 days in custody, before being released, which is 48 hours for “investigation” which can be renewed once, totalling 4 days (more if you’re caught on a Friday, given the weekends don’t count, which is why big drug crackdowns always seem to happen before the weekend, or before national holidays, to maximize the time held in custody, to shake out a bribe).

This news might be great for most of you, but it’s horrible news for all the corrupt people in our government and security forces. Taking bribes for arresting people was a massive, multi-million-dollar-a-year industry. So, this puts a huge stick in the bike wheel of people making a thousand, two thousand or three thousand per case (with more than 3000 a year), to release arrested users before they get to see a judge.

No one gives up that kind of money-making scheme lightly, and some drug enforcement people will be extra malicious in how they try to entrap innocent users.

I’m saying this so you all stay careful. More so now, because even if the law is on taxpayers’ side, we all know how Lebanon’s corrupt system, without any accountability, can backfire and cause hell for you, your family and your friends.

However, this time all eyes are on this matter, and some great cops in drug enforcement are on the people’s side now in fighting this endemic corruption destroying so many lives. Also, people like Skoun have their eyes peeled, and you can let them know when the worst happens to you or someone you know, to make sure no one takes advantage of that anymore

One step closer to decriminalization

Today, the biggest hurdle on the path to decriminalization, and maybe even legalization, has been rendered obsolete. People always used the excuse “hey, that’s the law, we’re just executing it”. Funny they execute that, but don’t enforce decisions to stop new resorts occupying public beaches, or any of the many actual crimes that stay unhindered by the government…

Anyway, the law is finally on citizens’ side, and this means we are a few steps closer to a time where weed is no longer criminalized in Lebanon. Where users don’t even get arrested. Maybe even regulate and tax it, like we do for alcohol and tobacco.

A few words to wrap up

Don’t let this victory make you less wary and careful. Be smart, always be paranoid and never let your guard down. This hurts the bottom line of the most corrupt individuals in Lebanon, so expect a vicious push-back from them, and even bolder attempts to entrap citizens and taxpayers so they can still make money off of your plight and trauma.

But, while you should remain careful and attentive, you should also celebrate this sweet, sweet victory. It’s quite a feeling when after years of work and hope, you get some vindication and a big step closer to a more just and fair country, that doesn’t cannibalize its youth to make a quick buck off their desperation and terror.

I’d like to thank and salute my good friends with beautiful minds and the kindest hearts at SKOUN for the amazing work they’ve been doing over the years, work which turned this once far-fetched dream into a reality today. The country owes you for this great service, and is supporting you to keep marching forward and achieve even more victories on this perilous, difficult road to reform the misinterpreted laws that cause so much pain, loss and terror every single day for thousands upon thousands of innocent people.

Congratulations Lebanon, and thank you to everyone who believed in this, and spoke up against the tyranny. Every little comment on the heartbreaking ISF posts about busting kids for half a joint, helped more than you know ❤

The Tragic Reality of Lebanon’s Drug Enforcement in One Photo

What’s in the Photo

A badly rolled small joint, with a tiny amount of what seems to be hash according to the ISF’s caption. This insignificant amount, of the aptly named “leisure hash” in Arabic, led to the arrest of three individuals.

The people arrested are young, one is only 19 and the two others are 23 years old. Like many of you know, and maybe have survived, or know a loved one who has had the misfortune of being arrested in Lebanon, these three people will go through absolute hell, in conditions that could only be compared to modern-day concentration camps full of dangerous criminals, and innocent suspects caught up in the snail mail justice system we have.

What Happened After it was Posted

Even though this nightmare happens to more than 3000 young men and women in Lebanon every year, this photo might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. I have embedded it below, please skim through the hundreds of comments blasting and chastising this shameless boasting by the ISF for such a meaningless, victimless crime, while the big dealers, wife murderers and armed gangs roam freely, unperturbed by the ISF or any of the government’s security apparatuses.

It’s unacceptable to ruin young people’s lives, because security forces wanna meet quotas of arrests, and in all honesty, make some money off the trauma they inflict on innocent taxpayers every day.

The fact this remains a taboo subject, even though Lebanon produces around 6% of the world’s hash supply, means that few people dare to speak up, for fear of being subjected to the inhumane, brutal process that is drug enforcement in Lebanon.

Of course, celebrities and rich folks don’t abide by the same rules, with only the most vulnerable, wasta-less and clueless being the victims of this unrelenting witch-hunt against mostly young people whose only crime is smoking a plant that fills Lebanon’s hinterlands from North to South, and of course the Bekaa.

What Needs to Happen

It’s been far too long, and with a new parliament patting itself on the back for alleged “new” faces, it’s time they decriminalize use of hash and any cannabis products in Lebanon.

In the meantime, you should educate yourselves and be prepared in case the worse happens, and you fall into the claws of drug enforcement apparatus in Lebanon. Skoun has compiled an amazing, comprehensive and multilingual “Know Your Rights” guide here.

What You Can Do

Never put yourself in danger, but talk to your representatives. Call or meet your MPs, and tell them this has to stop. Explain to them that the damage this practice is doing, is irreversible and is costing Lebanon way more than anyone would like to admit. They might not want to do anything about the garbage or electricity, because those are hard solutions that need work. This though, needs just a few papers signed and orders transmitted to the ISF and other security agencies to stop their vicious campaign to entrap and take advantage of innocent taxpayers, and focus instead on fighting actual crimes, like random shootings, armed gangs and domestic abuse.

The “culture” war when it comes to weed and hash has already been won, and I know that most Lebanese are completely against Lebanon’s drug enforcement mechanism, even if they aren’t pro-cannabis themselves. The government needs to keep up with the changing times, and should turn this menace plaguing thousands of young taxpayers every year, into an opportunity not just for medical research like LAU is doing, but the economic growth it could stimulate if we can start exporting our medical cannabis to countries that allow that.

Time to decriminalize it. Maybe even legalize it. Enough is enough.

Happy 420 Lebanon! Watch This and Know Your Rights!

Unfortunately, the judiciary in Lebanon has been making this law almost impossible to enforce, with a big chunk of Lebanese judges not even aware of its existence. 43% admitted they never refer drug users to the addiction committee. This is unacceptable, and must change ASAP, because the lives ruined and the grief and suffering people that only “appear” to use drugs go through, is far worse than what a rapist or murderer goes through in this country.

The first step is always knowing your rights. Don’t let this 420 be a nightmare for you and your loved ones. Also, since this year is very close to the elections, the witch hunt is ramping up, so that candidates can give you wastas in exchange for your votes. Be safe and here’s to hoping the next 420 will see marijuana use decriminalized in Lebanon!

Issues to Focus on When Choosing Who to Vote For

I know many of you might not want to vote. The polls I’m running on my Instagram page and the blog’s Facebook page consistently show that 30 to 40% do not wish to go to the ballot boxes on May 6.

This is troubling for me, because the less voters go out and vote, the more secure the current ruling class’ seats are. You have no excuse not to go vote, if not for someone you truly believe in and respect, at least to derail the political parties’ dreams of staying in power forever, and leaving it to their offspring when they’re too old or about to die.

Forget Blank Ballots

Every empty ballot is one extra vote that makes it harder for independents to secure seats, and easier for the ruling politicians to extend their reign of garbage and darkness further. So, the easy excuse of voting blank, is actually helping the ruling elite in this election, not a protest vote.

That’s why you need to do your research in your districts, and see who your best options are. I will also be helping you make your decisions, based on the below points.

Forget Big Meaningless Titles

Independence, freedom, anti-corruption and all the other drivel on the disgusting political ads littering the airwaves and streets, are meaningless. We all know they are all stooges of Iran or Saudi Arabia, that they are all corrupt, and that none of them actually supports freedom and human rights.

The problem with issues such as electricity, decent Internet and proper infrastructure, is that they are all allegedly for such reforms, but their past 30 years in power, shows that will never change as long as they are ruling us against our will.

Here, we have to make our decisions based on things that are much more easily fixable, if we put enough pressure. They don’t need billions of dollars and decades to implement. It takes a couple of signatures and the necessary political will. That’s at least how I’m making my decisions, and below are a few of the points I care most about that are pragmatic goals that we can see as soon as they get into parliament.

Pot Decriminalization

It’s unbelievable that over 3000 young people are arrested every year for a victimless crime, just so a handful of people can get bribed to sweep it under the rug. When the rest of the civilized world is moving way from criminalizing marijuana, it remains one of the only things the security forces here enforce with zero compromise, and often overreaching beyond their jurisdiction and legal rights.

If I’m going to support a campaign, it needs to commit to actually applying the law, and treating drug enforcement as a health issue, not a criminal one. In other words, I don’t want it legal, where you walk into a coffee shop like in Amsterdam. All I’m asking for is that no one ever steps foot in a sub-human jail cell for weeks and months, for absolutely no good reason. It’s basically the current law, where users are immediately referred to the addictions committee and go home, not rot in jail with suspected terrorists, rapists and murderers.

Freedom of Speech

They all claim they are for freedom of expression, but their behavior indicates otherwise. For a campaign to earn my support, they need to be explicitly committed to freedom of speech, online and offline. The age where social media users go to jail for a status or a tweet, needs to end, once and for all.

They might own most of the TVs, radios and newspapers, but they will never own our personal pages on the Internet, and the fact they’re trying to, goes to show you how disgusting and malicious they are.

Civil Status Laws and Civil Marriage

When addressing personal status laws, the current ruling parties always treat it like some unattainable goal that we might be able to reach in the very distant future. No. It’s something we can do now.

Enough archaic, religious courts that decide who can get married, divorced, custody and inheritance. Enough domestic violence that is OKed thanks to ancient laws belong in 1018 not 2018, laws that religious authorities will never update.

I understand that the violent, religious conservatives will have a seizure if women have equal rights, and they prefer the current status quo, so I’m willing to accept civil marriage remain “optional” at first, till the benefits of a secular set of personal status laws proves it’s exponentially better for everyone, even conservatives.

Plus, most of the progressive people who will not submit to dark age laws, are going to Cyprus, Greece and elsewhere to get a civil marriage. Why do we need to go abroad to get married? We should have that option (I’d prefer it be mandatory to protect those that need civil status laws the most) right here at home. Not all of us can afford offshore weddings on islands in better parts of the Mediterranean…

That way, we move large strides towards gender equality, ensure that no minors are forced to marry while underage and encourage people of different sects to marry each other out of love, instead of just someone from the same sect to make their teta happy.

LGBT Rights

The fact that someone can still ostensibly be arrested for being gay, lesbian, bi, trans or queer, is unacceptable. We might be a long way from same sex marriages, but we must surely be closer to that, than eggs being shoved up rectums to “test” for homosexuality. Luckily, this hasn’t happened recently, and wise and prudent judges have exonerated defendants accused of this non-crime. However, the fact that our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ community still face a threat of arrest, torture and humiliation, needs to stop once and for all.

Removing Article 534 from the Lebanese penal code must be part of a campaign’s plan if they expect to get my support.

Member of Parliament Salaries for Life and Beyond

All these disgusting political parties talk about fighting corruption, when they get their salaries long after their terms expire, and even after they expire and die, passing it on to their families. They do that while they hike taxes on us.

If a campaign wants my support, I expect them to fix this immediately, and ensure no one gets a salary for life. They’re 4-year-term members of parliament, not life-appointees to the US Supreme Court. Khlosna ba2a.

I Could Go On

But these topics are ones I see an easy fix for, and will better the lives of thousands and hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people almost overnight. Everyone wants to get us 24/7 electricity, or at least claims to. The issues that should make you decide who to vote for, need to be more specific and quicker to implement and easy to hold the candidates accountable if they don’t fulfil their campaign promises.

Of course, we still expect to see their plans for the economy, infrastructure and overall reform-minded legislation, just don’t dismiss the above, because they will have the impact we feel most and in the very near future hopefully.

Lebanon Produces 6% of the World’s Hashish, But Only Users Are Paying for It

The Numbers

These are the numbers for 2015, from the drug enforcement bureau in Lebanon. I’ve been trying to get the broken down stats for 2016, but with no luck. I can confirm that the number of arrests have spiked significantly in 2016, since between 2011 and 2015, average arrests per year were 2500–2700. In 2016, they were well over 3500 (3669 to be exact).

Source: Drug Enforcement Bureau, Lebanon — 2015

Analysis

58% of those arrested were for hashish. That’s almost 1600 people in 2015. That’s four people every day. That’s one young man or woman every six hours throughout the year. If we assume the percentage of those arrested for weed/hash is still the same for 2016, that’s 2100 people. 6 people every day. One person every 4 hours.

Despite the general misconception that less people are being caught, the numbers obviously point otherwise. This wrong idea might be due to the government not acting much against the growers and big-time dealers, citing the excuse of fighting terrorism and being too busy to crack down on the drug trade.

If that’s true however, that begs the question how did they arrest almost 1000 extra users last year? Was the threat of terrorism non-existent when they’re waiting for clubbers outside clubs to strip-search them in public?

The Real Reason

It makes them a lot of money. Busting hashish smokers is easy, and the process is such a traumatic one, that people would do and pay anything to avoid the inhumane and brutal treatment when you get arrested. Just the social stigma itself would be enough for any law-abiding citizen to seek the power of the wasta or bribe.

Drug users are also defenseless. They’re young, unarmed, peaceful. They’re the perfect prey for crooked law enforcement. Prey that will not fight back like the big time dealers and growers.

The Government Needs to Act

They all talk about how they want to decriminalize and legalize marijuana and hashish. However, they’re all part of the police state system that’s ruining the lives of thousands of young Lebanese each year. At a time when big swathes of the world have decriminalized, or even legalized the consumption of hashish.

The problem with this topic, is most people think of the economic value of “exporting” the infamously good Lebanese product. That’s not the point. How can you export something and make money off of it legally if your own citizens are hunted down like terror suspects for consuming it?

The money being made by cartels and political parties backing them, can go to the government’s coffers. Instead of absurd tax hikes on Lebanon’s non-existent middle class and overwhelming majority working class, as the politicians fix deals for electricity ships and other overt theft and spending of public money for commissions and kickbacks…

If this is the government of change and reform, where the taxpayer has rights and dignity, this is the first step, and it is an easy one. An easy one that will have a lot of benefits, both economically, politically, socially and security-wise.

The Goods

Less people will be spending time in jail and with black dots on their records. This means more people who can get employed, start businesses, vote and run for elections.
Less money will be made by the drug lords that shoot up innocent tax payers, like this week in Zahle and many other instances.
More taxes will mean the budget won’t need us to add taxes on law-abiding citizens.
Increase in tourism will make up for the lost tourism because of the GCC countries boycott of Lebanon for political reasons. It will attract young people from around the world who would love to try Lebanon’s famous hash while experiencing the awesome nature, clubbing and food Lebanon has to offer, minus the risk of jail and deportation a few dozen foreigners face each year because of smoking hash.
Human rights will be respected in the country that helped write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The biggest crime since the early 1990s is the hell brought down upon Lebanon’s youth, but one wrought with so much stigma, that no one talks about it. No one talks about it, but everyone knows someone arrested or was arrested themselves, but because of the shame, no one speaks out.

The Choice

Decriminalizing marijuana needs to be on the election platforms for the upcoming elections. This is a subject directly affecting a big part of Lebanese society that no one seems to be willing to address, apart from a wasta on the down-low or protection for dealers and growers under their patronage.

Will Lebanon’s government keep hunting down and entrapping innocent, young tax payers while the dealers roam free? Or will Lebanon be progressive enough to end this witch hunt and focus on more important things that actually hurt the country, like corruption, violent crime and terrorism?

We’re the 3rd biggest hash producers after Afghanistan and Morccco. It’s time we enjoy the benefits of this plant, and reduce the exponentially more harmful effects of legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco…

BBC Pop Up’s Lebanese Hashish Documentary

You probably already saw the documentary above, but if you still haven’t, I suggest you do. There are several things in it that are very important, but maybe not new. Here are some:

Impunity for Druglords

The hash part is definitely not the surprising one for most folks. What is though, is how druglords who openly admit to murdering a lot of people, still roam free, while Lebanese drug enforcement agents lurk around gas stations to follow and entrap young Lebanese folks who buy rolling papers before going to their home and minding their own business.

It reiterates the feeling that most Lebanese have, that the government is only powerful against the helpless and innocent. Against the criminals, it dares not budge a finger, and if by some miracly they do, the political godfathers swoop in and send their private armored cars (paid for by your taxes) to bail them out. As for those kids they pounced on for buying rolling papers? They rot in jail with ISIS members till someone pays somebody off or gets a wasta, or a judge that isn’t from the Dark Ages.

Gross Incompetence by Drug Enforcement Officials

I’ll just put some quotes from drug enforcement chief Chamseddine here to illustrate just how sadistic and misinformed drug enforcement is in Lebanon

“The hashish, is the most dangerous drug for the human being”

Seriously?

“We arrest thousands of people. Hundreds for drugs dealer, but thousand for addicts. Two thousand. Three thousand during the year.”

How shameful is it that 1–3 thousand taxpayers are arrested each year for smoking hash? That’s between 3 and 9 people every single day, who go through the living hell that is Hobeich police precinct, under conditions that can be described as inhumane at best, and medival at worst.

“I can put you in jail for 3 years, if you smoke hashish”

For a victimless crime, when those who boast about killing people that wrong them, roam free in their fancy villas.

“Our ability, it’s not enough to make big ride to there, because most of guy there have maybe weapon, more than police”

It’s enough to catch 3000 people though. That needs a lot of ability and effort and resources, why don’t you spend them on the ones doing actual crimes?

“Nobody can touch him? If I have 100 soldier, I can go and put him like a mouse, ok?”

So, we have less than 100 soldiers in Lebanon? Our soldiers can bounce back ISIS fighters, I’m sure druglords won’t be an issue for them. There must be a different reason they aren’t being caught “like a mouse”, while innocent Lebanese taxpayers get treated worse than a lab mouse…

“We treat addicts and users like sick people”

If that’s true, sick people need care and support, not enhanced interrogation techniques and subhuman detention conditions

“It’s war between the good guy, and the bad guy”

How is the good guy the ones that wait outside of clubs in the morning, then cut off a car full of young people going home sober, and strip-search them on the street and threaten them when they’re clean?

“I cannot expect in some day, the hashish will be legal in Lebanon, ok?”

Luckily, that’s not for the police to decide, and no one is asking for it to be legal, just not a criminal offense. Maybe when it’s no longer treated like a violent crime, they might have enough capability to actually bust the real criminals?

Incalculable Harm to Lebanon’s Youth

Let’s not kid ourselves. A lot of people smoke hash in this country. A lot get busted for it too. The physical and psychological trauma caused by being put through Lebanon’s judiciary is one that is decimating Lebanon’s youth. Even if you don’t spend months and years locked up with murderers and terrorist in an overcrowded prison, the fact you got caught and spent a few nights behind bars is tantamount to social suicide. No one will want to be your friend anymore. No one will trust you. You will forever be “that girl who went to Hobeich” or “that guy who was in Roumieh prison” as Sadek put it in the last part of the documentary.

As if that wasn’t enough, for a non-violent crime with no victims or harm, even just smoking hash, will get you a “black dot” on your criminal record which you cannot appeal to remove for at least 3 years. That’s 3 year you’ll probably not be able to land a job, go to grad school, get a residency permit abroad, vote, run for elections and pretty much everything else that needs a “background check” (sejjel 3adle). For what? Smoking hash? For real? When serial killers and genocide architects hold elected and appointed office? For shame.

It’s Time To Speak Up

The taboo around this subject is the main obstacle it has. Most people are with decriminalizing, if not legalizing. It’s 2017. We cannot let 3000 lives be ruined every year so that some folks can make money off bribes by taking advantage of the helpless, while turning a blind eye to the real criminals and actually dangerous hard drugs.

Politicians sometimes say they support legalization, and even though that’s just talk to pander to their disgruntled base, they wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t almost at its tipping point. The elections are around the corner, and many of you will be voting (I hope) and some of you will be campaigning and a few of you will be running. It’s time to make decriminalizing hash one of your priorities. If you don’t smoke hash, someone you love surely does, and trust me, you don’t want them getting arrested for that. Khallas, it’s enough. Till then though, be careful and inform yourself. Check out Skoun’s Know Your Rights guide so that the next time someone tries to set a trap for you thinking you’re a “mouse”, you’ll be a smart mouse that knows its rights and how to demand they be respected.