Posted on 07/19/2023 3:05:27 PM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
Three years ago, while the nation’s attention was on the 2020 presidential election, voters in Oregon took a dramatic step back from America’s long-running War on Drugs. By a 17-point margin, Oregonians approved Ballot Measure 110, which eliminated criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of any drug, including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. When the policy went into effect early the next year, it lifted the fear of prosecution for the state’s drug users and launched Oregon on an experiment to determine whether a long-sought goal of the drug-policy reform movement—decriminalization—could help solve America’s drug problems.
Early results of this reform effort, the first of its kind in any state, are now coming into view, and so far, they are not encouraging. State leaders have acknowledged faults with the policy’s implementation and enforcement measures. And Oregon’s drug problems have not improved. Last year, the state experienced one of the sharpest rises in overdose deaths in the nation and had one of the highest percentages of adults with a substance-use disorder. During one two-week period last month, three children under the age of 4 overdosed in Portland after ingesting fentanyl.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
If for no other reason, Captain Obvious exists so that we can have a person in charge of making fun of the idiots on the left. After all, it takes marshmallow-major stupidity to think that legalizing drugs would improve anything...except drug availability.
State leaders have acknowledged faults with the policy’s implementation.
It’s not the implementation of it it’s the stupidity of even thinking about doing it.
Shocking. I mean, the fact that they had to experiment with people’s lives to figure it out. Inexcusable idiocy.
“And Oregon’s drug problems have not improved. Last year, the state experienced one of the sharpest rises in overdose deaths in the nation and had one of the highest percentages of adults with a substance-use disorder.”
This is what they want. This is what was intended.
When rulers despise much of the population of their country, they behave like demons and try to corrupt, degrade and destroy them.
I’ve read that Portugalhas the solution. Drugs aren’t illegal but they’ll do nothing for you if you’re sick or overdosed. Maybe pick up the body and cremate it because it’s a health hazard.
Any time liberals talk about “a more compassionate and nuanced response,” you know you’re in for about ten miles of bad road.
There’s definitely something to be said for that. In principle I have no problem with decriminalizing narcotics … not because I am a libertarian by nature, but because I recognize how impractical — even futile — it is to control what people invest into their own bodies.
Whenever I start a conversation about this madness I get a leftist telling me how great Amsterdam is with legalizing everything.
Not sure there’s a comparison.
For anyone who wants to say that it's stupid to allow people to use drugs and then offer treatment, we do the same thing for alcohol and cigarettes. Maybe we should make them illegal. Then we could not only eliminate drug use, but also use the same policies to eliminate alcoholism and cancer deaths.
Previously, they voted to legalize marijuana which caused the decivilization and collapse of many small communities.
Now they can kill the ordinary citizens off faster.
“What Happened When Oregon Decriminalized Hard Drugs”
Portland happened.
Well, if they got all booster shots, then no problemo.
“Possession of hard drugs is illegal in the Netherlands but the drug laws allow for the possession of small amounts without legal consequences. For hard drugs the maximum amounts are: half a gram of cocaine, speed/ amphetamine, MDMA, methamphetamine. 1 XTC pill and less than 5 ml. of GHB. When you get caught with these amounts the police can confiscate them, but you won’t get a fine. If you posses more you’ll get a fine. Depending on the amounts you carry you can even get a prison sentence.”
https://www.amsterdamredlightdistricttour.com/news/10-amsterdam-drug-laws/
“In Amsterdam, hard drugs (like Cocaine, XTC, Speed, Ketamine, etc) can be tested anonymously and legally at the Jellinek or GGD drug testing service....The costs for these drug tests are 2,50 euro per sample.”
Uh oh. The FreeRepublic Drug Brigade will be here soon to refute this. Led by the FR Pot Regiment, of course.
“Shocking. I mean, the fact that they had to experiment with people’s lives to figure it out. Inexcusable idiocy.”
I’d be willing to bet that there’s laundered drug money going to politicians in Oregon.
They want a Darwin Award society, they’ll get one.
Unless there is something to take the place of criminal penalties when the drug usage becomes a public policy problem you are just going to have a growth in addiction.
But when local governments can no longer enforce or even have vagrancy laws or other means of getting users off the streets and in front of a judge their hands are tied. I also seriously doubt most local governments have the budget to provide facilities for addicts.
The result is a lot of piss in the streets.
There was a recent Oregon article about adding to the needle exchange program. Oregon is distributing ‘fentanyl kits.’ Materials that will assist with fentanyl use, materials that are ‘healthier and safer.’
Re: Make cigarettes illegal. Rush talks about this all the time. If cigarettes were really as bad as they say, why are they allowed to sell them? As usual, the answer is $$$$$. There are State and Federal health programs that are funded by cigarette tax. The smoking public are funding health services; especially health services ‘for the children.’
Wouldn’t the solution to disparity in the income of the accused be to set bail giving weight to certain factors such as risk to community, severity of alleged crime, local ties, flight risk, past record, and employment history?. Only then adjust bail amount to reflect income equity. But not just scrap it all together.
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