Legalization of drugs urged: Ex-police officer says 33-year-old 'war' is a failure

The Arizona Republic ^ | Sept. 21, 2003 | Judi Villa

[MrLeRoy]

It sounds radical. Even more so when it comes from a former narcotics cop.

But Jack Cole, a retired detective lieutenant with the New Jersey State Police, says the nation's 33-year "war on drugs" is a failure and the only way to really save lives, reduce addiction and lessen crime is to make drugs legal.

[Protagoras]

Legalizing drugs alcohol will increase the number of users, increase the number of innocent victims killed by drugged-out drunk freaks and increase crime.

There I fixed it for you. Welcome to the 1920's.

[MrLeRoy]

Conservatives see law as a set of rules made to allow the optimum functioning of society as a whole with as little incursion into the individual's rights as possible.

And since the War On Some Drugs has no demonstrable effect on the functioning of society as a whole, but does intrude on individuals' rights, it is not a conservative policy.

[BnBlFlag]

We're about to legalize drugs and outlaw cigarettes. Go figure!

[narby]

Now, ya can't legalize drugs!

Once the people think they have a right to control what goes into their bodies, they'll think they won't need a Dr's perscription either. Then what will the Dr's do for a living???

[Protagoras]

Never in recorded history has drug legalization prohibition worked.

There I fixed that for you as well.

[KDD]

Man shot by Collier deputy claims he didn't have cocaine in his home

Saturday, September 20, 2003

By BRIGID O'MALLEY, bmomalley@naplesnews.com



The man shot by a Collier County deputy earlier this week questions why he wasn't arrested if authorities say they found drugs in his house when they served their warrant.

Edwin Mesadieu, 30, said that he didn't have cocaine in his Golden Gate home and was shot while standing naked in his bedroom door when the sheriff's SWAT team busted through his front door, his attorney, James Zonas, said Friday.

"He said they busted in the front door and he was getting his clothes on and shot him," Zonas said.

http://www.naplesnews.com/03/09/naples/e8745a.htm

Authorities say Mesadieu didn't comply with deputies' orders and was shot. They won't say if a weapon was found inside the apartment.

Drug investigators say they found 5 grams of powder cocaine and 10 pieces of crack cocaine along with a scale inside his home.

"He's under strong suspicion for the drugs," said sheriff's spokeswoman Tina Osceola.

The search warrant served Thursday morning was signed Wednesday by Collier County Judge Eugene Turner and said that a confidential informant working with an undercover investigator bought $100 worth of crack cocaine at Mesadieu's home. Deputies say Laroche let the informant into the house.

When the informant returned, the undercover investigator was handed crack cocaine that had been purchased inside, the warrant says.

Tests of the evidence, including the cocaine found at the apartment, are still being done.

[headsonpikes]

Let me add one word...'loosers'.

[tdadams]

What's a failure is the decriminalization and liberalizing of drugs in nations like the Netherlands, where drug use, drug dealing and crime have all dramatically increased over the past 15 to 20 years.

Do you think that by repeating a canard over and over again, it will eventually become true?

Claims similar to yours are made all the time, probably by people who fervently believe it's true. But it's not true (in fact, the opposite is true) and I've yet to see anyone who makes those claims back it up with facts or statistics.

[Protagoras]

No, we don't need to diminish the quality of life in the US so greedy politicians can have more money to spend.

Good thinking. Now start pushing for the elimination of 90% of the taxes and stop the nonsense about substances.

[pageonetoo]

I would beg to differ...
WOD has created more social outcasts, dependents on government largess, and general sucking of tax dollars, so making it to have been the largest drain on our society since WW2!

[Orangedog]

That's why conservatives oppose drug legalization while Barney Frank and Joycelyn Elders support it.

I though that conservatives opposed unconstitutional uses of federal power? Please site the part of the constitution that gives the federal government the power to make drugs illegal.

[MrLeRoy]

Claims similar to yours are made all the time, probably by people who fervently believe it's true.

It's a variety of urban legend.

[xrp]

Then, you're a totalitarian and a supporter of government execution of American citizens without trial by jury. You're actually the liberal because you apparently support BIGGER government to tell American citizens what they may and may not ingest into their bodies. How would you like it if I got government to force you to stop eating steak and chicken?

Cigarettes and alcohol are both legal, both of which are more addictive and more deadly than most [currently] illicit drugs.

If illicit drugs were legalized, would you start using them? Anyone who wants drugs now can get them, just at hyperinflated prices and of questionable manufacture.

[MrLeRoy]

since the War On Some Drugs has no demonstrable effect on the functioning of society as a whole, but does intrude on individuals' rights, it is not a conservative policy.

I would beg to differ...
WOD has created more social outcasts, dependents on government largess, and general sucking of tax dollars, so making it to have been the largest drain on our society since WW2!

You're right---I should have said "the War On Some Drugs has no demonstrable POSITIVE effect on the functioning of society as a whole."

[MrLeRoy]

Anyone who wants drugs now can get them, just at hyperinflated prices

Indeed---the War On Some Drugs is just welfare for drug dealers.

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[KDD]

You'd better take a look at the stats on how booze is destroying society. Much worse...on the order of several magnitudes.

Outlaw booze now!?

According to the federal Household Survey, there are more than 48 million Americans who use alcohol an average of one or more days each week of the year. This is more than the combined total number of Americans who have ever tried cocaine, crack, and/or heroin (29.7 million), and two and a half times the number of Americans who have used marijuana once in the last year (18.7 million).

http://drugwarfacts.com/alcohol.htm

[Cheapskate]

mabye they like the idea of selling that canadian "Shaft Weed" for big bucks

[jmc813]

Do you support the Federal War on Drugs?

[robertpaulsen]

Similar approaches in Switzerland ... 22 percent of heroin addicts given free drugs stopped using them."

And the other 78% of them cost Switzerland $625,000 (US) per addict per year to provide them with free shooting galleries, free heroin, free medical, and free drug classes.

In the US, we have about 900,000 heroin addicts. So, if Jack Cole has his way, this will cost you and me about $500 BILLION per year, just for the heroin addicts.

As a comparison, the federal government spends about $20 billion per year now on the War on Drugs.