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[robin9880]

I agree that the policy in Belgium concerning cannabis is not like it should be. I think it’s weird that the gouvernment didn’t adapt any of their laws regarding cannabis yet, as there is an explosion of scientifical studies being carried out nowadays. Our southern neighbours have legalized it for over 50 years, and they even built coffeeshops to sell this kind of soft drug. Obviously there are a lot of negative and positive things about the use of cannabis, but I think we should all recap in short what kinds of “soft drugs” are the most dangerous. 

Everyone is always talking about cannabis in a way that it has a lot of dangerous consequences. On the other hand, a lot of people don’t realize what the excessive use of alcohol does to your mind and body. It is also a soft drug which has been accepted nearly all over the world. Keep in mind that each year 3 million people die because of this, representing 5.3% of all deaths worldwide.

Alcohol causes violence and criminality, but are we as a community to addicted to tighten these laws? I think that the alcohol industry’s part in the global economy has grown too much to even think about tightening these laws. It’s not only about health, but also about money, and that’s why it might be a battle that has already been lost.

Belgium and it’s archaic cannabis policy

I am proud to be Belgian. Not only because of the fries and chocolate, but because we have always been pioneers. The basis of the EU, the second country on earth to legalize gay marriage, the country that fought for euthanasia. Yet this time Belgium disappoints me. We are no longer among the first. Worse still, where most countries are taking steps forward, we take steps backwards.

Allow me to explain.

In recent years the positive effects of cannabis on our physical and mental health have been proven. Due to this we have seen a trend of decriminalization in many countries. The positive effects of this decriminalization in itself have also been proven. This is in sharp contrast to what is currently happening in Belgium. A 2015 circular (COL 15/2015) even tightened the policy by making seizing of cannabis for personal use mandatory again, even though the possession of maximum 3 grams for this purpose is legal. In addition to that, studies have shown that alcohol and tobacco are more harmful to health and yet these substances are legal. It therefore seems appropriate to treat cannabis in a similar way, at the least.

Why is Belgium lagging? The answer to this question can be found in our legislation, which dates to 1921. Since then there have been alterations and updates of the corresponding Royal Decrees and Ministerial Circulars. It is in fact this amalgam of sources that causes uncertainty and ambiguity. Because our drug policy is spread across so many sources it is hard to amend.

As a law student I know that the legislative process is complex and that it takes into consideration different insights. Furthermore, these negotiations are long and arduous, and it often seems easier to reach a compromise based on old legislation. This, however, should not be an excuse. A tabula rasa is required. There is a need for a separate cannabis policy disconnected from the current “general” archaic drug law that considers the recent social trend and scientific evidence. This legislation must be uniform and clear.

I refuse to accept that Belgium lags on a matter such as this, of which the benefits have been proven and the direct impact on the population is real, simply because it is “too hard”. This population does not benefit from regulations that only contain references to other regulations. This population needs clarity. This population needs innovation.

[robin9880]

How robotics take over the world

Some of you have probably woken up this morning by an alarm clock, walked down the stairs and drank a cup of coffee produced by your Nespresso coffee machine. Within 5 minutes of your day, 2 robots have already helped you with your waking-up-process. Given these points, are we aware about the help we receive from these electronic friends? And where does this futuristic journey end?

A lot has definitely changed since the past centuries. It’s almost unbelievable to mention but we are living in a very small moment where everything wants to be done as fast as possible. For example in the industry: manufacturers want robotic arms to do the job as quick as possible.

As a result of the increasing extent of automation, the entire industry is changing exceptionally fast in every manner you can possibly think of. Who has ever thought a lawn mower was going to be replaced by an electronic friend which does all the gras cutting for us? Everything is being made to make us lazier than ever before. It is possible to control our roller shutters with voice-assisting, but also unlocking our backdoor with fingerprint detection isn’t even unthinkable anymore. But where is the stop button in this whole automation-process? Is it necessary to make this evolution stop, or should we encourage it?

As it stands today, people are losing their jobs due to robotics. Results from new inventions using AI (Artificial Intelligence) are astonishing. Never before we’ve had the chance to build machines that would help us with all the problems we’ve ever wanted to face, but then again they mean a potential threat to humanity. Robotics are everywhere in the world, and hopefully we can control them to stay our electronic “friends”, and not our electronic enemies, because that would mean we are fighting a battle that has already been lost.

“I visualise a time when we will be to robots what dogs are to humans, and I'm rooting for the machines.” - Claude Shannon