Page 144 - Daggabay Magazine Issue 9

Fields of Green for ALL • Collectively Reforming South African Cannabis Laws

6.3 Prevention, Education & Harm Reduction

“Instead of endorsing responsible education programmes, policymakers continue to appeal to tired fallacies
that have long lost their influence on our young people. Any young person with a bit of curiosity will find evidence
(both through personal experience and through access to information) to discredit the intellectually hollow
“Say No” campaign. I suggest that we need to replace this failed approach with honest information giving and
open discussion that respects the complex choices facing young people.”
- Andre Croucamp “The Anatomy of Prohibition” 4

We are firm in our opinion that the current The Canadian toolkit lists 10 elements that should
system of “drug education”, particularly in guide Cannabis education and harm-reduction
schools, is sorely lacking in substance and often interventions:
blatantly wrong. For example, South African
learners are taught that Cannabis is a “gateway
drug”, despite this having been disproved many 10 ELEMENTS FOR EDUCATION
times over. In consultation with experts in this
field, the current curriculums for drug education • “Education grounded in evidence-based
in schools, tertiary education institutions, information;
community organisations and the workplace • Non-judgmental, open dialogue that
will have to be revised and updated for the uses interactive approaches;
21st century. Cannabis education must not be
the sole responsibility of schools. Rather, the • Meaningful inclusion;
responsibility for education should shift to the • Delivery by a trained facilitator or peer;
Office of the Cannabis OmBUDsman in order • Starting education earlier, with age-
that evidence-based education can be carried appropriate content;
out across all sectors of society. • Supporting open parent-child
In Canada, a series of projects have taken place communication;
to update Cannabis use-related prevention, • Inclusion of harm reduction;
education and harm reduction. In 2018, a • Education tailored to the specific
“Sensible” Cannabis education and harm context;
reduction toolkit for the youth was published, • Ongoing education available to youth;
based on the idea that “the central purposes
of drug education are to provide accurate • Attention to overlapping issues of racism,
social justice, and stigma.”
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information and awareness of resources, develop
decision-making skills and health literacy, reduce
risks of consumption, and support increasing an
individual’s risk competency.” This embeds into
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the internationally recognised need to harmonise In the same direction, the Centre on Drug Policy
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dependence-related prevention (particularly in Evaluation released an inspirational guide titled
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educational settings), as best results are met “Using Evidence to Talk about Cannabis” , which
when all psychoactive products are addressed provides for a thorough and recent take on all
together: tobacco, alcohol, Cannabis and other concerns related to dangers that might be linked
drugs . to Cannabis consumption.
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100 CANNABIS IN SOUTH AFRICA • THE PEOPLE’S PLANT • A Full-Spectrum Manifesto For Policy Reform