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Declare a VICTORY! Then legalize the stuff, sell it in government stores and rake in the profits. (FWIW New Hampshire does this with hard booze) then retire a whole lot of DEA, like all of them, employees and save even more money.
I love how everyone praises the individual choice > group consensus in America, in the market, in property, in expression... except for drug use. People criticize Bloomberg day in and day out and call him a socialist for banning 32 oz soft drinks. Food is a drug. It releases the SAME chemicals the depressants and stimulants do. And in very powerful ways. If you don't believe me, go fast for 3 days.
I heard somewhere the addiction rate, of those who were gutsy enough to try meth, was 2 out of 10. And meth is one of the most addictive substances. I think the addiction to soft drinks or caffeine surpasses 2 out of 10 americans who have tried them.
To me, there is only one problem: addiction. And there is only one solution: self control. Outlawing the channels through which it is manifested will not solve the problem, whether it be reckless spending and debt, videogames, porn, food, or drugs, is trying to fix the symptom, not the problem.
Saying the war on drugs is A failure is ignoring the tremendous amount of money that has been distributed to those who "fight" the war. I used to laugh when people would comment on how we "lost"the war in Vietnam, losing a war and making billions doing it should be counted as a kind of victory, if for no other reason than the shot in the arm the American economy got from it.
The entire intent of these humongous government expenditures has a lot to do with old JM Keynes and his insistence on government becoming a third leg of the economic system, it's all about the distribution. The war on drugs, like all wars, has a profit component to it, and that is the reason for it's success. All wars have their losers, in this particular war the average citizen loses, as usual.
Too many people in positions of influence are profiting from this "war" on drugs for your idea (which many parts I agree with) to take form. Marijuana will likely become legal again nationwide over the next decade or so but most likely never the other stuff. Can't have empty prisons sitting idle and DEA agents left unemployed.
I would like to see MJ decriminalized. Other drugs, if a user I would like to see those people sent out to pick corn or dig a ditch rather than sent to jail. Dealers? jail.
The 'War on Drugs' is all about money. Initially it was a PR political stunt. However, with forfeiture laws, it is a money-making scheme for local, state and federal government. As a prime example, look at the millions raked in by Philadelphia through the drug campaign.
Every jurisdiction now benefits financially, and these are budget line items for every municipality and state now.
The only way to end this is for SCOTUS to revisit the decision legalizing the seizure without any evidence or court decision, undermining the constitutional guarantee of protection of property.
I saw on the telly news this morning a story about a record poppy harvest in Afghanistan this year. I've still not heard a realistic explanation why this occurs, and is allowed to do so. Like other's have said here, there is massive profit being made by this illegal business.
The so called war on drugs has been an expensive failure. Billions of taxpayers dollars, pounds, euros, whatever, thrown at this 'war' for decades. Like my son told me yesterday, any drug he would ever want is just a phone call away.
I am pretty sure, that if our governments, who many decades ago, started to fight this war, knew what the outcome would be, they would never have begun this useless battle. The cost in lives, both in turf war killings, desperate addicts robbing folks for funds, and lives ruined by being jailed for drug offences, has been high.
It is time for change. Everybody knows it, but the powers that be refuse to do so. They don't want to admit failure. A failure obvious to all. Many in governments make a good living from fighting drug use, and will fight tooth and nail to continue this useless fight.
It is time to regulate and tax. Some of the profits put into clinics to help addicts who wish so, to be given help to get off drugs. Now, instead, the massive profits from this trade go into the hands of criminals. The similarities with alcohol prohibition in the 20s in America are striking. That didn't work either. It's no good taking the moral high ground, tut tutting, and refusing to admit some people are just useless human beings. If folks are stupid enough to indulge in drugs like meth and heroin, or crack cocaine, our job is to limit the damage they do to others.
Weed should never have been criminalized in the first place. It is all just so ridiculous. The biggest, and most damaging drug of all, alcohol, will never again be criminalized. The authorities have more sense. One day drugs will be seen in the same light. It is not governments job to tell people what they can and can't put in their own bodies, and never should have been.
Much of the damage to society from drugs has been caused by criminalization of drug use. Poor quality drugs has killed many. Such as heroin mixed with dangerous additives. We have got so used to crimes committed to get money to buy drugs, we take such things for granted. Jails full to overflowing, and still the outcry is "jail some more!" It is time for serious discussion how the legalization of drugs can be achieved in as safe a manner as possible. It will be difficult, but carrying on as we are is useless, and very expensively so.
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