The war on the war on drugs

The Reporter ^ | feb 3, 2012 | jimshi

[jpsb]

I wrote this for two reasons one I think it is time to legalize marijuana and two I finally got around to getting my web server back on line after EVERYTHING got wiped out in hurricane Ike so I wanted to test it.

[Clintonfatigued]

I'm not a drug user, but the war on drugs is not a success and a lot of Americans have had their rights trampled on for a relatively minor offense (smoking weed). I wish more conservatives would speak out against it.

[jpsb]

I agree, the issue has been simmering with me for a long time, but this election has placed it on the table so I am throwing my 2 cents in, lol

[arthurus]

and the breakup of families effected should it be

Affected.

[KoRn]

We as a population haven’t learned a DAMN THING from the most recent prohibition of nearly 100 years ago. Every time a prohibition against anything where there is a demand, it will FAIL, and the prohibition itself is more harmful to society than what all the nanny state ‘doo-gooders’ are looking to prohibit.

The bottom line is YOU CAN’T CHANGE BEHAVIOR. If someone wants to use drugs, they’ll do it. The more you try to use the force(farce) of the government/law to change that behavior, the more harm will be done.

[jpsb]

oops, thanks I will correct on my web site

[guitarplayer1953]

I have a friend who has Hep-3 fibromialga and can not take drugs due to the harm full effects they have on his liver. He lives in a state that does not have medical weed and he has to buy from other people. Smoking weed has not caused him to seek out other drugs that some claim that weed is a gateway to other drugs. He works when he can stand to due to the pain levels he has to endure. The weed takes the edge off his pain and does not harm his liver.

with that said I for one am in favor of the legalization of weed. The war on drugs has been as successful as the war on poverty.

[count-your-change]

“Marijuana users are not drug crazed criminals looking to rob and mane. They just hungry munchkins out to get a bag of chips”.

But the people who supply the dope are and their products are blood stained.

[Downinthedixie]

"But the people who supply the dope are and their products are blood stained." Hence the failure of the war on drugs. Eliminating the law would get rid of the murders and crime.

[donna]

Throw them all in jail - otherwise taxpayers will be forced to pay their medical costs.

Jail is cheaper.

[count-your-change]

Eliminate laws on murder and save money. Eliminate all traffic laws and drive free! Right

[Downinthedixie]

That made no sense. When did I say anything about eliminating laws on murder? I simply said that the drug traffickers would no longer traffic in marijuana if it were legalized.

Thereby stopping the crime associated with it.

[microgood]

But the people who supply the dope are and their products are blood stained.

Sorry, but that blood is on the hands of the prohibitionists.

[TigersEye]

Everyone in jail has all their medical costs paid for too. Including dental. And they can get whatever drugs they want.

[microgood]

Throw them all in jail - otherwise taxpayers will be forced to pay their medical costs.

You want to throw 25 million people in jail? Since 99% of them have jobs and pay taxes, you will not only lose that revenue but the cost alone at $45,000 x 25 million would be 112.5 billion a year.

You should become a member of Congress. You think just like they do.

[ClearCase_guy]

Sorry, but that blood is on the hands of the prohibitionists.

If some guy robs a store and shoots the clerk to death, would you sue Smith & Wesson? Do we blame the shooter, or the corp?

If a drug user dies or kills someone, do we blame the drug user, or do we blame the bureaucrat who enforces the law?

I'm not necessarily opposed to changing the law, but I also think people should be accountable for their own actions. People in the drug trade do damage lives and they are not blameless -- trying to say the prohibitionists have blood on their hands is really misrepresenting reality.

[jpsb]

Jail is expensive, let’s just kill them that would be a lot cheaper. And since we are trying to save money on medical care we could get rid of old folks too at the same time, and anyone that has a serious medical condition. Also the not too bright need a serious looking at. /s

[Darth Reardon]

Since 99% of them have jobs and pay taxes

You might want to think about that again.

[count-your-change]

It’s always other peoples fault. An uncorked and sour whine.

[microgood]

I'm not necessarily opposed to changing the law, but I also think people should be accountable for their own actions.

I think that is a fair point, but the policy makers who implement these laws knowing what the effects will be in the massive increase of crime, corruption, loss of civil rights, and lawlessness are culpable for those bad policies.

They are not directly responsible for the deaths that the drug dealers commit, but accepting the fact that 50,000 deaths is an acceptable cost for waging their policies is in my opinion, grossly negligent on their part.