Many thanks to the person who shared that you can ask your local Chinese embassy for a copy of „The Governance Of China“.
I reached out to the Chinese embassy in Vienna and got not only a super friendly response, but also an invite to the embassy + 6 copies of the German translation (2x II, III, IV)!
An invite to the embassy sounds nice. Remember, it’s technically China over there.
Would you be put to death for sneaking in weed?
EDIT: what I gather from all the triggered tankies replying to me is that the answer is “probably”
Pop quiz: Can you name one reason why China might be hostile to foreigners smuggling drugs into their country?
Alternatively, shut up and walk through this door:
Aren’t they also hostile to their own citizens growing/having/smoking weed?
The Chinese government is not big on drugs in general, yes. Part of that is that, like most elsewhere, the higher ranks of the CPC tend to be older and more socially conservative, but also China has some very understandable generational trauma about drugs from the Opium Wars and ensuing century of humiliation.
Of course, their laws aren’t racist. And their opium crisis was also perpetuated by local traffickers and growers as well. (Warlords would fund personal armies off opium sales, for example)
I get the racism around drug laws in the US, but racist laws aren’t the only kind of bad law. It’s whatever though. I’m not here on some “China bad” bs. I just don’t think anyone should be punished for smoking weed.
I mean, I agree, i want global liberalization of narcotic law, really as a right to bodily autonomy first and foremost. But it’s a complicated subject with a fraught history in many countries. Drug criminalization is not just governed by national law but also international treaties at the UN (and LoN, drug laws are old af). And its global criminal status also chokes the supply and transport which makes the drugs trade extremely lucrative and thus lots of shady powerful characters (like the CIA) have a interest in keeping it illegal globally.
It would need to be an international effort negotiated multilaterally like climate change or AI. Until then just leave your blunts at home if you go to Asia, its not associated with fun times and Bob Marley, more like exploitation and suffering unfortunately.
I’m aware of the history and in particular the US DEA role in Asia. It sounds from your comment that we are in agreement around the fundamental ethics of the issue. That’s all I’m really saying. I accept that the present is built on the foundations of the past, and that some things change more slowly than others. I haven’t smoked weed in over 20 years, but that doesn’t mean I think anyone should be punished for it. When I travel I’m more concerned with the quality of the local beer :)
They do have very strict laws regarding drugs largely due to the historical problems they had.
It’s definitely something I hope changes in the future but unfortunately don’t think it’ll be for a while based on talks I’ve had with even young people there.
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It’s more that I would like to move there but the strict drug policy on weed would be problematic for my wife and I. That’s why I said I hope it would change in the future.
Obviously the majority of people there currently do not want that and I respect that so I don’t expect them to change based on my personal preferences or anything like that and would not do anything like that while there visiting.
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Why? Why should a successful policy that protects China and the Chinese people change? This is not like the US’s failed “war on drugs”, this actually works and prevents all kinds of bad secondary effects. You realize that the international drug trade is intrinsically linked with imperialism? From the opium trade of the 19th and early 20th century to the CIA’s drug smuggling, empire has always used drugs to further its nefarious aims.
We recently even had a post about the history of how drugs were used specifically against China, and not just in the Opium Wars: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/7620593
I’m well aware of the history and effect the Opium and other hard drugs have had on China and understand why that’s lead to their current policy.
I was talking about weed specifically with my comment but should have been clearer.
Edit: Also again I’m not expecting them to change policies just for my personal preferences, the majority of people there support the policy so I respect that
About cannabis specifically i agree with you. But given China’s history i also can’t fault them for choosing to be cautious.
Yeah I just had this convo on RedNote. It took fucking decades here in the US to overcome “Reefer Madness”. Hopefully it won’t take China that long.
China doesn’t care about reefer madness, they care about not giving foreign imperialists an avenue to destroy social cohesion by funding organized crime and getting people addicted. Obviously weed isn’t that big of a deal vs harder stuff but they are not in a position to take that risk. The century of humiliation and the opium wars were not that long ago, I think it’ll be a while before the prevailing view changes.
I think it is analogous to reefer madness. It isn’t based on biological or social science. It isn’t even based on history, since opium isn’t cannabis. Why should domestic production of cannabis be a vector of foreign imperialism? Cannabis is not a western invention. Does alcohol not pose the same and more risk to Chinese society? How do they cope with that?
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I have to disagree here, I think for it to be analogous, there would need to be a specific focus on marijuana. China has a blanket disdain for drugs excepting alcohol and tobacco, and that’s only because those were already deeply entrenched in society and it would have been counterproductive to restrict or ban them, though there are now restrictions on excessive drinking and smoking in shared spaces to curb the worst excesses.
I think perspective matters a lot here, because to Chinese people, it isn’t just about weed being no more harmful than tobacco or something; this is something ingrained in the national consciousness, of drugs being foisted upon a people who didn’t want it, and having irreparable damage done as a result. Lumping weed in the same vein as opium or meth might seem like an extreme overreaction to you, but it represents a “we’re not taking any chances with this” mentality that derives from prior experience of having your society torn apart by them, perfectly rational in their experience.
This is one of those things where its not CPC boomers being out of touch and overreaching, this is something that the vast majority of people in China hold an opinion on and have presented the CPC with a mandate to do something about it.
That said, I do think at least laws on weed will be relaxed further as China becomes more secure in its position in the world, especially since there’s precedent for its use in ancient China and its still regarded as having medicinal properties in TCM, its just judged that the risks are not worth it at this time, give it 20 years or something.
not really, 15 days in jail and a 2kYuan fine is not that bad tbqh
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I do agree it is unfortunate that we live in a world where people smoking plants is a contested topic, but there are bigger concerns for the socialist movement and hopefully as the future improves these barbaric laws will eventually no longer be needed. In short, it is what it is.
Hey, at least help ain’t illegal!
Drugs are really no good for society
Empty rhetoric.
Empty if only you don’t consider China’s history with dr8gs
What is drugs? China isn’t unique in its attitudes, and they aren’t immune to being wrong in policy sometimes.
did you post on lemmygrad and get upset over tankies replying to you
who need they embussy hotboxed
I couldn’t imagine being such a tryhard to break laws in other countries, but give it a test, bro. We’ll write you once you touch down in your cell.
The fact that your username is gamer to go with this makes it hard for me to believe that you aren’t a parody.
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10-15 days and a small fine?
Dont they literally put people in prison for 30+ years for the same thing in America?
If you’re a black man yes. Slave labour and whatnot #13thAmendment.
Try it… please.
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