The DC inbox is a microcosm of the SA Dagga situation.
We received this FB message this morning. A story about a young lady and her relationship with the cannabis plant.
It is also a story about the continuing abuse of people on LONG STREET, CAPE TOWN. We are sick to death of the stories we hear about police abuse on Long St. It’s got to be the shittiest street in the country:
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“hello, as you could imagine this is not my real name. I have been forced to hide myself from everybody I know because of what I do.
I suffer from Fibromyalgia, chronic nausea, chronic fatigue and chronic pain amplification syndrome. There are no medications that have helped me enough to live life properly.
This started at the beginning of grade 11- I felt as if I was going into a never ending cycle of pain- I couldn’t handle walking, eating, or even facing life. I slept through school and life scared of the pain.
Until -I tried marijuana. Doctors were shocked at my improvement on marijuana oil. I was finally able to attend school. Able to go out and live life.
I believe that I am still alive today because of Marijuana.I passed Matric with a bacholars because of Marijuana. I don’t vomit every hour because of Marijuana.
But, it is illegal. For people like me who have no other option get arrested and discriminated against for something we have to do in order to live a vaguely normal life.
I wanted to share this summarized story to you because I believe that what you are doing is VERY important. I want help end this war on drugs.
I was in town last week – long street. I was with 4 other people, all colored. Firstly undercover police searched our car as we parked- as well as me(by males) and all my friends. an hour later after we got let go I was pulled into the back of a police van while all of them got searched in a public street. I was stripped and asked if I was trafficking drugs through my vagina. The next day my friend and I, both white got searched for joints at a bus stop while waiting for a bus in town.
I did not have any drugs on me- neither did my friends.I am scared to go out because of the police. I am traumatized.- the brutality and aggression towards young people in the streets labeling everyone as a drug addict.
This is a real issue- pulling people into the back of police vans and being searched in private areas without even a shred of cause. They are abusing us over this prohibition law. ” …read more