Uh dude, yes it can. It's been done before. Check out Singapore.
The pragmatic, conservative position is that we are stuck with the poison, so we might as well make sure our laws minimize the damage rather than exacerbate it.
Do you know any people on drugs? Do you know people who have died from drugs? Do you know people who have gone to prison over drugs?
I have. Interfering with this industry is in fact the best effort to minimize the damage rather than exacerbate it.
“Uh dude, yes it can. It’s been done before. Check out Singapore.”
The U.S. isn’t Singapore. Many states don’t even have the death penalty anymore, and all states are forbidden by the Supreme Court from applying the death penalty to these type of offenses, as it has been ruled unconstitutional.
So, no, it can’t be eradicated by using the “Singapore model”, unless you get the Constitution amended.
“Do you know any people on drugs? Do you know people who have died from drugs? Do you know people who have gone to prison over drugs?”
Yes, yes, and yes.
“I have. Interfering with this industry is in fact the best effort to minimize the damage rather than exacerbate it.”
I don’t agree, since that “interference” doesn’t seem to accomplish anything to lessen the damage. You’ve simply driven the industry underground, put criminals in charge of it, and placed it outside the bounds of any type of regulation, oversight, or liability. You haven’t actually stopped people from using the drugs, or killing themselves, though you may stop them temporarily while you warehouse them in prison, I suppose.