Drugs of choice and Maryland...

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by btsilver

So what about Cocaine? That by far is what funds the cartels.

Yeah, that's quite a perdicament. How do we get Americans to stop using coke? It doesn't seem possible.

With cocaine and its derivatives so readily available I find it hard to believe that consumption would increase if it were legalized and taxed. We'd probably save money on incarceration. But I'm not counting on this.

If middle-class Americans keep getting poorer, I guess that might curb their ability to purchase coke? But then again that might just mean an increase in meth usage, which is infinitely more damaging.

[westsideboy]

[quote=HandsUpThumbsDown;16912836]
With cocaine and its derivatives so readily available I find it hard to believe that consumption would increase if it were legalized and taxed. We'd probably save money on incarceration. But I'm not counting on this.QUOTE]

I am really conflicted about this issue. From a philosophical point of view, it is dumb to incarcerate anyone for simply harming themselves. Sadly, the issue isn't that simple. My experience is that even the basest human being will work and comply with society's rules to reach their minimum level of comfort. For someone from nothing, or with low expectations, that may only be a pack of cigs, a case of beer, and a spot on the floor to crash. None the less, people will do what they need to do make sure they have it.

Of course we live in a welfare state where food, shelter, and some spending money are available to anyone who can motivate themselves to get knocked up and slink down to Social Services.

Once the minimums are met, our society's basest members are free to do whatever they wish. Getting wasted is sadly a common choice. This in and of itself is not a problem, but what happens when an addict NEEDS their next fix and can't get it on their own? That is when the crime and violence happens.

I am not sure legalizing, thus making drugs more available, helps this basic problem. If drugs are cheaper, addicts will just use more. If drugs are more available, not only will more people have access to them, but the existing users will have no barriers to becoming full blown addicts.

The end game in this scenerio is more people living off the government teet and having their vices subsidized by the state money they get.

The ideal scenerio would be to legalize drugs, end the social welfare state, actually prosecute and incarcerate criminals, and let evolution take care of the rest.

People that can manage their vices and their lives will be fine, those that turn to crime to get to their fix will be sent away for a LONG time, and those too pitable to manage their basic needs and their addiction will put themselves out of their misery.

[goldenchild08]

All types of drugs are available in all metropolitan areas. However, certain states have easier access to certain types of drugs. For example, I was born in San Francisco. I was born in a ghetto district known as Lakeview immediately down the street from a strip that was notorious for being an open air drug market for Crack, Cocaine and Dope. But you are correct in the assumption that weed is the drug of choice in California. In SF, anyone can easily buy high grade potent dank weed. If you go to Golden Gate Park, you will have numerous people offering you high quality weed. Weed is a drug that is much more socially accepted and available to the general public in states like California. At the same time, you can buy good weed in Maryland, but you have to know the right people. Weed is a much less popular and underground phenomenon in Maryland. Most of the weed available in open air drug market scenarios in cities like Baltimore is often very low quality marijuana that has been imported from far away places like Mexico and Arizona. California has the best weed because it is locally grown and the climate in CA in conductive to growing good weed. You also can get in trouble for smoking weed in most places in MD, whereas in many places in California, everybody smokes in public and it is no big deal and the cops don't care. Also, many people in MD have government and military jobs which restricts their weed smoking habits.

Baltimore City is known for its potent South American Heroin that is not available in many other cities. This is because South American Heroin cartels made deals with Baltimore dealers decades ago. Baltimore is known as the Heroin Capital of the US. It is estimated that 1 in 10 Baltimore residents are addicted to dope.

Part I: Baltimore Is the U.S. Heroin Capital - ABC News

Cocaine is popular with older high paid professionals in the Baltimore and DC suburbs. Many prestigious professionals such as doctors, lawyers and even local politicians are historically known to favor the drug in this area. Many old school Baltimore and DC coke dealers have always stated that their clientele consisted of highly respected, successful upper class and upper middle class people.

[ShiShisHouse]

Crack-a-lack-a lack
And of course Heroin, so sad, it makes no sense!