ACTION TO SAVE THE SHROOMS IN THE NETHERLANDS

A demonstration will take place Saturday the 27th of october in Amsterdam between 13:00 and 15:00 at The Dam. Ask for ”De Dam” once you’re in Amsterdam. Every Dutch person there is likely to know where it is. We will post more info later on. In the meantime, if you want to help us organising this, you can Mail to paddo@reddepaddo.nl.

Ministers Ab Klink (Christian democrat responsible for the Healthcare department) and Ernst Hirsch Ballin (Christian democrat responsible for the justice department have decided put in effect a ban on all hallucinogenic mushrooms. This is done without waiting for the last RIVM report that is about to be published, which describes the risks involved with use of shrooms for the individual and society. Next week the second chamber decides on this issue. We have started a petition, currently only for Dutch people, to try to stop this ban.

These are our arguments against the ban on magic mushrooms:

* Mushrooms are not addictive, this is proven by the risk analyses done by the CAM (RIVM). Also according to the same report, shrooms are not bad for your health. There are no cases known, where someone has died from shrooms. A person may have died for being poorly informed about shrooms.

* Except among young foreign tourists, the use of shrooms has not lead to problems at all. Irresponsible use can be prevented by the three-day plan, proposed by major Cohen from Amsterdam.

* Shrooms are mind expanding and enable it’s user to look at oneself and the world from a different perspective. With responsible use, this is often a special and positive learning experience.

* Shrooms are a natural phenomenon growing in the wild all throughout Europe, users can look for shrooms in the forest with the risk of picking poisonous even deadly mushrooms. (in France people supposedly died because of this)

* Through a few simple measures the sales of shrooms can be regulated via about 120 smartshops with a good reputation. Controlled by the food authorities instead of the department of Justice.

* A ban pushes the sale into the underground crime scene.

* A ban on natural psychedelic substances will lead to an increase of synthetic substances in the scene.

* Illegal substances attract young people.

* Shrooms are easily grown at home out of spores, regulating this homegrowing is virtually impossible.

* After ten years of legality, the shroom has become part of the Dutch culture in such a way, that a ban will not reduce use of the shrooms. Instead, a ban will turn many people into criminals from one day to the other.

More information: paddo@reddepaddo.nl

Red de Paddo

 Postbus 58213

 1040 HE Amsterdam

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