Party for Socialism and Liberation - Connecticut
Template:TOCnestleft IV Staklo is a New Haven Connecticut based affiliate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Overdose incident
According to IV Staklo and Craig Sinkwich, writing Aug 22, 2018 in Liberation, on August 15, emergency services were called out to the New Haven Green to respond to reports of large numbers of people falling ill. As it turned out, this was due to overdoses caused by a potent batch of K2, a synthetic cannabinoid, being sold and circulated among people who were congregating at the Green.
Norm Clement of New Haven, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, went down to the New Haven Green to observe the city response to the event. He told Liberation: “When I arrived at the Green, I saw police and rescue squads everywhere. It really looked like a war zone.
New Haven Mayor Toni Harp has invited President Trump’s Drug Czar nominee, Jim Carroll, to visit New Haven as part of the city response to the mass overdose event.
Many New Haven activists and residents have condemned the city’s response to the overdoses. Many have pointed out that legal cannabis would decrease the demand for synthetic cannabinoids like K2.
Local LGBTQ health advocate and healthcare worker Layne Gianakos told Liberation: “‘Synthetic’ or ‘fake’ weed is a huge misnomer. K2/Spice is chopped up herbs sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids and is sold legally at gas stations since it is labeled as ‘incense’ and marked ‘not for human consumption.’ There are a variety of synthetic cannabinoids that might be used and none are THC which is the naturally occurring cannabinoid found in marijuana.”
Brett Davidson of the CT Bail Fund said: “I’m so dismayed at the way the city and state – and a lot of the public – are responding to the health crises on the Green.”
Lawyer Peter Goselin, who is running for Connecticut Attorney General, said: “I fought the court case for Middletown Food Not Bombs that led to the state revising its health code. It is perfectly legal to share food with people in public parks, no matter who they are.”
Earlier, in June, youth activist Jerome Richardson was assaulted, injured and arrested by New Haven police for asking a friend why officers were harassing two homeless people on the Green. The arrest sparked outrage among community members, who immediately demanded justice for Jerome and all people harassed by police downtown.https://www.liberationnews.[1]
References
- ↑ [org/mass-k2-overdose-new-haven-city-responds-cops/?utm_source=one_signal&utm_medium=desktop_alert&utm_campaign=liberationnews Liberation Mass K2 overdose in New Haven, city responds with more cops By IV Staklo and Craig SinkwichAug 22, 2018]