I just saw a undercover cop show the other night. They had the undercover guy dressed as a heroin addict, a team of 6-8 other protecting the cop (two were on bikes, a couple cars, a video van), surveillance equipment, the whole nine yards. Who did they bust? A guy who sold ten dollars of drugs to him. The surveillance team swarmed on this seller. OK, I thought, this is just one transactions, maybe something bigger will happen. So, the 'junkie' went on his way looking for the next drug deal. They scored on this one, the 'junkie' bought twenty dollars of drugs. What an absolute waste of tax payer's money, 6-8 cops at a salary, plus all the paper work, lawyers, da's, judges time, etc. These cops should have been out there looking for rapists, murderers, terrorists, or the drug king pins, not the small street users. If they can (A big IF, because it has not been effective yet) stop the supply line, they wouldn't be arresting kids getting high. So, is the solution to regulate it like alcohol or tobacco and tax the heck out of it? (The gov has probably a written plan of action if they go that way, laws and guidelines, etc already developed) Maybe, it would be far more effective doing it that way than what they did on that cop show. Anyway, the more I see how ineffective the WOD is, the more I say we should give up that effort.
"(The gov has probably a written plan of action if they go that way, laws and guidelines, etc already developed)"
The government does not make plans waiting for the perfect time to impliment them. They do look at trends and determine how to respond. Most of the time, though, the people of the government have their heads up their behinds trying to figure out how they can keep their cushy job rather than how they can impliment some grand scheme.
Society should not encourage elements of society that break society down. (They should not for example encourage homosexuality for the same reson.) But the War on Drugs has reached a point where everyone involved has a vested interest in the status quo.
I would favor busting all users as well as suppliers and putting them in mandatory treatment centers. Coupled with a media campaign to show that "all you are gonna do is spend you best years in treatment".
That said, if we are not willing to go far enough to stop the use, then decriminalization seems the next step. I believe the full legalization (like alcohol and smokes) has been tried and has not been pretty . (the Netherlands)
That is one of the most stupid lines of reasoning I've ever encountered. Let's just let petty crime go unabated, because the dollar amounts are so low. Graffiti? No big. $20 muggings? Let it slide. Ripping off hubcaps? So what, cops should be pursuing Mafia Dons instead.