War On Drugs Is STUPID!!!

[Rageaholic]

Before I start, I want to say that I've never done drugs, never smoked, and rarely drink any alchohol. So my reasons for this post aren't "bcuz i want 2 git hi". I never had any desire to touch that stuff and I most likely never will.

With that said, is putting people behind bars really the answer? Yes, drugs are stupid and all that, but the mere act of using them is only affecting the user. Locking someone in jail for doing something that's hurting themselves seems counterproductive.

I know this topic has been brought up before (and I have a lot more to say about it), but I really believe that the way drug "offenders" are handled is doing more harm than good.

[Andara Bledin]

Remember, it's really the War on (Some) Drugs.

Honestly, it's a stupid idea that wastes resources and costs millions.

One has to wonder about who is getting paid to keep such a farce rolling.

^-.-^

[Rageaholic]

Remember, it's really the War on (Some) Drugs.

Honestly, it's a stupid idea that wastes resources and costs millions.

One has to wonder about who is getting paid to keep such a farce rolling.

^-.-^

It has to be a revenue thing. The state can use this as a reason to fine people.

Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the cops sell the drugs they confiscate to other buyers. That is if they're not using them themselves. But that's probably best saved for another topic...

[Greenday]

Do I like drugs? No. Nor do I think anyone should be abusing them. But at the same time, I think the police have more important crimes to be dealing with that hurt people.

[crashhelmet]

It is a revenue thing, but it's not a "we're fining you now to make revenue off of it" thing. It's a "We don't know how to regulate it well enough to make substantial revenue from it" thing.

If they could figure out how to make marijuana damn near impossible to grow for your own personal usage, so that you had to buy it from a store where they can tax the shit out of it, they'd make it legal. They'd then open up "bars" where you could go smoke it as well, while taxing the proprietors, and hold you to same the driving under the influence type laws as alcohol consumption.

One slight correction... That's if the liberals figured out how to regulate it. If the conservatives figured it out, it would be by prescription only and could only come from Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, or whomever else they had lobbying for them.

Until then, we have a War on Drugs that will never end.

[HYHYBT]

Of course they make revenue off it now. Forfeiture laws are insane, but the Supreme Court says they're OK, and so we have police seizing property (often cash) and getting to keep it without even having to prove a crime was committed, much less that the person whose stuff they took did it.

[Racket_Man]

Remember, it's really the War on (Some) Drugs.

Honestly, it's a stupid idea that wastes resources and costs millions.

One has to wonder about who is getting paid to keep such a farce rolling.

^-.-^

as George Carlin once said (and I am paraphrasing) "they are all for the war on drugs UNLESS it has a lable that says Johnson&Johnson or Bristol/Meyers/Squibb."

anyone notice the HUGE uptick in legal/prescription drug abuse in the last 10 years or so. but then again "legal/perscription" drug abuse has been going on forever. remember all of the perscriptions for Anphetimeines (diety pills) and Valumn (stress reliveres) that were handed out like candy in the 1940's through the 1960's?????/

[draco664]

as George Carlin once said (and I am paraphrasing) "they are all for the war on drugs UNLESS it has a lable that says Johnson&Johnson or Bristol/Meyers/Squibb."

anyone notice the HUGE uptick in legal/prescription drug abuse in the last 10 years or so. but then again "legal/perscription" drug abuse has been going on forever. remember all of the perscriptions for Anphetimeines (diety pills) and Valumn (stress reliveres) that were handed out like candy in the 1940's through the 1960's?????/

Go back a few more decades...

[Gravekeeper]

The "War on Drugs" is one of the greatest failures in US history. Sadly, all its given you is the highest prison population in the entire world.

[bara]

You can't fight with an inanimate object. You certainly can't declare war on them. Look up the studies on what hemp can be used for other than smoking.

Doesn't take long to figure it out. It would demolish many other established industries, and it would do so being a completely renewable resource. Cloths, wood, bio-fuel, food, healthcare products, plastics.

Its also important to note, that hemp and marijuana are cousins. Hemp has far less of the drug than marijuana. I think Canada has made it legal for industry in the late 90s.

[cath]

drugs dont just affect the user......and here i am talking about addicts. drugs affect their families. drugs cause people to commit crime to raise money to buy their fix which in turn leaves a victim of crime.............

yes the war on drugs is largely ineffective but a another way of looking at it is the 'war' is providing countless people with jobs.

things should be different- cannabis for one should be legal in my opinion. if nicotine can be legal then why not cannabis?

maybe the big question is- why do people have this desire to alter their state of mind? (drugs/alcohol etc)????????

[ExRetailDrone]

You can't fight with an inanimate object. You certainly can't declare war on them. Look up the studies on what hemp can be used for other than smoking.

Doesn't take long to figure it out. It would demolish many other established industries, and it would do so being a completely renewable resource. Cloths, wood, bio-fuel, food, healthcare products, plastics.

I'm pretty sure that's why marijuana became illegal in the first place. One of the big newspaper moguls (William Randolph Hearst maybe? I need to research it again to be sure) was afraid that hemp would take over and cut into his profits or something, and so he helped back the Marijuana Tax Act. Its criminalization had nothing to do with health concerns and everything to do with politics. What else is new?

[telecom_goddess]

things should be different- cannabis for one should be legal in my opinion. if nicotine can be legal then why not cannabis?

Cannabis is hardly the same thing as nicotine. Nicotine doesn't make one high like pot does. Not even remotely close.

[Andara Bledin]

drugs dont just affect the user......and here i am talking about addicts. drugs affect their families. drugs cause people to commit crime to raise money to buy their fix which in turn leaves a victim of crime.............

Sorry to say this, but I have to call bullshit.

Drugs don't make people do anything, except for some specific nasty effects out of some things that should be rightfully strictly controlled (PCP and those bath salts that cause dangerous euphoria).

People are responsible for their own addictions and what they choose to take, and how they respond.

I grew up in a family with major drug use. Not only can I say that drugs had no effect on me directly (after all, it's not like my dad got drunk and beat my mom - that was my grandfather's thing), but the only crimes committed by my family in relation to drugs was the fact that they did drugs. Well, except for the boozer uncle who stole cheap wine, that is.

^-.-^

[Rageaholic]

drugs dont just affect the user......and here i am talking about addicts. drugs affect their families. drugs cause people to commit crime to raise money to buy their fix which in turn leaves a victim of crime.............

yes the war on drugs is largely ineffective but a another way of looking at it is the 'war' is providing countless people with jobs.

things should be different- cannabis for one should be legal in my opinion. if nicotine can be legal then why not cannabis?

maybe the big question is- why do people have this desire to alter their state of mind? (drugs/alcohol etc)????????

They don't affect the family anymore than any other poor choices do. Besides, we're talking about choices that directly affect other people. Robbing someone targets a person, doing drugs causes drama for sure, but not enough to make that person a threat.

And even if they are a threat, they should be punished for the things they do which do hurt people, not merely taking drugs (which only hurts themselves). There are a lot of people who get caught "experimenting" with drugs that probably wouldn't hurt a fly. But according to legalistic douchebags, they deserve a similar punishment as someone who was in a fight. Again, what is locking them up going to accomplish? Why waste tax dollars putting them through trials and jail cells when it's probably going to make things worse?

It's just more sanctimonious "protect the children" crap. Sorry if I don't see how locking people up for making poor choices is helping anyone. Heck, giving them a criminal record makes it even harder for them to land a job and will most likely encourage them to continue taking drugs. And I'm not even going into the rights we lose in the name of this pathetic war.