We tried to prohibit alcohol once. It didn't work. 13 short, unsuccessful years after Prohibition started, it ended. Why? I think, in part, it was the fact that alcohol has always been part of our American culture. It is used responsibly in religious ceremonies, social settings, in celebration, as part of a meal, as a gift, even in medicine. All other recreational drugs are part of the subculture, introduced into our society in the last 100 years or so.
Simply inaccurate paulsen, as you well know.. 'Other drugs' were perfectly legal and had been used for hundreds of years prior to the 20th century. -- They were used responsibly in medicine, religious ceremonies, social settings, as a gift, just like alcohol. - And they were abused, just like booze.
I think it's disingenuous for you to conclude that a drug is a drug is a drug. I don't see a burning need for our society to be consistent on this issue -- ie., if we legalize alcohol (actually considered a hard drug) then we must legalize all recreational drugs.
Both drugs & alcohol are 'legal'. Prohibitions on both were illegal, -- inconsistent with due process under our rule of law, as our Constitution delegates no power to prohibit.
robertpaulsen nitpicks:
-- your excepts from that link start in the early 1900's. Where's your support for those drugs having been used in the United States for "hundreds of years prior to the 20th century"?
Same place you got your 'bold' comments bobby.
-- Lord, - you two are funny today. - In the worst sense of 'funny'.
Day is night, black is white, crimes are legal, laws are illegal...
Ah, the "logic" of the left.