[FITZ]

The same drugs---opiates---were legal in the USA until the early 20th century, and the addiction rate never exceeded 0.3%.

Since drug addiction rates are quite a bit higher than that now ---how would making drugs legal convince the addicts to clean up? I don't see the correlation ---I think back when opiates were legal before, there wasn't welfare or Medicaid ---people probably were more motivated not to live in a drug-induced haze because they had to earn their own living.

[MrLeRoy]

Since drug addiction rates are quite a bit higher than that now

According to government figures, "Among past year users of heroin in 2001, [...] 0.2 million were classified with dependence on or abuse of heroin."

---how would making drugs legal convince the addicts to clean up?

I'm not saying it would; I'm saying that historic addiction rates in America are more predictive of what would happen in America than are historic rates from China.

[eno_]

Just about everyone here, including the people in favor of drug legalization, want also to reform Medicare/Medicade. One aspect of drug War hypocrisy is that while we are funding a hideously expensive and ineffective Drug War, we are also funding a bunch of Dr. Feelgoods keeping their patients doped up on prescription drugs. No to the Drug War, yes to high deductables and MSAs.