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 ...
They may also have strict laws to protect the quality of life so area won’t become haven for bums.
I'm stunned that liberals and libertarians are that scumbag retarded. The apex of stupid.
Well duh. You have to be insane to not see this coming
Ping
Any time liberals talk about “a more compassionate and nuanced response,” you know you’re in for about ten miles of bad road.
And more taxes to subsidize others' poor life choices.
Liberals, including some here, like to repeat the myth that the war on drugs was a failure. Come to Oregon and see the results of having “No war on drugs.” Should we eliminate the “War on murder”, since it is also a failure according to liberal standards?
Explain Portugal’s results with their decriminalization of drugs?
Ye shall know them by their fruits
Perhaps the better thing is to not offer alcohol or nico detox either
(Pause for incoming flaming.)
I think we have to have some compassion for those who made bad choices but want to turn their lives around, and making them felons won't accomplish that.
I'm talking about the drug and alcohol abuse itself. They still need to answer for any crime or damage they cause while loaded.
If the goal was to eliminate drug use, it failed. If the goal was to make government agencies and the drug traffickers rich, then it was a roaring success.
Come to Oregon and see the results of having “No war on drugs.”
The result is the druggies flocked to Oregon. You didn't go to Oregon and start using drugs because they made it legal, did you?
Should we eliminate the “War on murder”, since it is also a failure according to liberal standards?
No, because in the case of murder you're hurting and killing other people. In the case of drug use you're only hurting yourself, just as with alcohol and cigarettes.
If you cause others harm while loaded, then you should have to answer for it, as we already do with drunk drivers. There are plenty of laws in place already, including corrupting kids by introducing them to drugs, to punish anyone who causes others harm while under the influence. Why not just enforce those laws?
Well played!
NOTHING GOOD has happened ANYWHERE drugs have been legalized!
Has anyone seen ANY improvement in life style, habitability, cleanliness, living conditions, community improvement, common decency, public OR private behavior, etc. etc. as a result of legalizing ANY drug?
We have enough problems with alcoholics!
Why add to that problem by legalizing drug use?
How about it San FRancisco? Colorado? Oregon? Washington, DC? California? South Carolina? Virginia?
Any state that has legalized drugs? Notice any societal improvement?
Are you better off now?
I think private entities both faith based and others can work. But not a dime of public monies.
I used to support drug legalization and I have changed my mind—due to the real world.
Folks are just too stupid to handle it.
I also used to support decriminalization. It’s one of those things that looks good in theory but doesn’t work in practice.
No, but we're not spending billions a year that we don't have on ineffective policies either.
Besides, drugs are a result of other problems, one of which is that our younger people can't find high paying jobs anymore because we've shipped them out of the country.
We're willing to spend billions a year fighting drugs, but we aren't willing to pay a few pennies more on American made products so our kids can find work. How has that worked out?
We have enough problems with alcoholics! Why add to that problem by legalizing drug use?
Based on your arguments, we should make alcohol and cigarettes illegal. Then we could eliminate alcoholism and cancer deaths too.
Any state that has legalized drugs? Notice any societal improvement?
Bring back the high paying jobs back and you'll see improvement.
Agree they are the fuel for the fire.
Darwin in action.
I’m ok with this.
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