[Sherman Logan]

the former are willingly self-inflicted and for the most part affect the rest of society only to the extent that society has chosen (through its elected representatives) to allow itself to be affected.

And their families, and their neighbors, etc., etc.

I'm not a huge fan of the drug war, but I think those who think the drugs themselves are harmless are deluded.

No I wouldn't use drugs myself. Never have and never will. But it is simple human nature and common sense that a less expensive, more readily available and legal product will be used more widely than an illegal, expensive and hard to find product.

Do you want your airline pilot using meth? How about your surgeon doped up on cocaine? What percentage of the drivers in rush hour traffic do you think it would be a good idea to have doped up on anything?

Drugs are, IMO, very bad.

It's just that the Drug War MAY be worse. Especially for Mexicans.

[JustSayNoToNannies]

the former are willingly self-inflicted and for the most part affect the rest of society only to the extent that society has chosen (through its elected representatives) to allow itself to be affected.

And their families,

Hence my "for the most part." Many more families are affected by crimes committed by users to pay drug-war-inflated prices, and by criminals whose crime-committing resources are supplied by those drug-war-inflated prices.

and their neighbors, etc., etc.

How are neighbors, etc., etc. involuntarily negatively affected in anywhere near the degree of the effects of criminalizing drugs?

I'm not a huge fan of the drug war, but I think those who think the drugs themselves are harmless are deluded.

Has anyone on this thread claimed "the drugs themselves are harmless"? I fnot, why bring it up?

Where is the evidence that we'd see "a lot" more? Will YOU start using heroin if it's legalized?

No I wouldn't use drugs myself. Never have and never will. But it is simple human nature and common sense that a less expensive, more readily available and legal product will be used more widely than an illegal, expensive and hard to find product.

Still no evidence in sight that we'd see "a lot" more as you claimed.

Do you want your airline pilot using meth? How about your surgeon doped up on cocaine? What percentage of the drivers in rush hour traffic do you think it would be a good idea to have doped up on anything?

I don't want pilots, surgeons, or drivers drunk - but that hasn't and can't justify a general ban on the mind-altering drug alcohol, because many users DON'T pilot, operate, or drive while intoxicated, so it can't justify a general ban on other drugs.