The INCB dinosaur and Dare to Act

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is the “quasi-judicial control organ monitoring the implementation of the United Nations drug control conventions” (makes me queasy just writing it). It is also the most out-of-touch hard-core international drug warrior body out there. Unfortunately, it has, for way too long, had significant influence in determining international drug control efforts. However, its rabidly ridiculous approaches are getting more and more obviously irrelevant as time goes by. Eventually, there will be a clash as governments refuse to be taken in by this charlatanism.
Well, the INCB has come out with its new report and it’s the same garbage as always. Pages and pages of dreck, covering every country in the world, with such nonsense as:

The Board is concerned that in the United States, the disagreement between the Government and several states regarding the use of “medical cannabis” continues. […] The Board calls upon the authorities of the United States to continue its efforts to stop that practice, which is in contradiction to national law and is in violation of article 23 of the 1961 Convention. [not true, by the way]

Or with the Netherlands:

The Board has longstanding concerns regarding certain policies adopted by the Government of the Netherlands, in particular the policy that allows small amounts of cannabis to be sold and abused in so-called “coffee shops”.

Note the “abused” word.
Of course, the INCB never addressed one very important question related to the coffee shops. A question asked by Dr. Frederick Polak. It’s a simple question that he has asked the head of the UNODC (Costa) four times, and each time Costa refused to answer it. (I witnessed one of those times in New Orleans a little over a year ago.) Here’s the question:

How do you explain that in the Netherlands, where cannabis is legally available for adults, the level of cannabis use is lower than in most other EU countries and in the US?

Good question, Mr. Costa. Why won’t you answer it?
Dr. Polak has now created a website — Dare to Act — based solely on asking this question, and giving you the opportunity to help him ask the question. Give it a shot.
Ask the question.