Why We Should Legalize Drugs

[packinpatland]

We may throw the book at them, but we seem to be letting them out.
No one serves a full sentence. I hear what you're saying Bearman, all your hard work, life on the line, but they're back on the street. Just doing what they did before.

With the amount of $$$ involved in drugs, I just don't see a way to ever stop it.

[Kiwon]

Thanks for your service, BEARMAN. Keep safe.

[packinpatland]

Thanks for your service, BEARMAN. Keep safe.

I should have said the same thing. My bad.

[MJZiggy]

Thanks for your service, BEARMAN. Keep safe.

I agree, but I gotta wonder...do you ever let the dog take just a little chunk out of the really nasty dudes?

[Patler]

I have to disagree with you sir, I am on the front line of your so called war on drugs and from where I see it we are winning. I am a Narcotics/K9 Officer and deal with people using, selling, transporting,and buying drugs every day. I see, first hand the effects of drugs on kids, adults and families. I have been fighting the war on drugs for over 18 years, and have seem remarkable changes in people using,selling,transporting narcotics. The laws work. You deal to a minor you get hammered, you deal within 500 feet of a school zone you get hammered, you have in your possesion more then 27.9 grams of anything (narcotic) you get hammered. There are a ton of good people fighting hard in this so called war on drugs, and we do make a differance ! Legallizing any narcotic is a mistake ! My .02

Bearman;

I completely respect and appreciate what you do. Please don't take anything I say as a criticism of what you and other dedicated officers do.

It has been my impression, perhaps wrong, that when you catch and incarcerate one drug dealer, there may be a slight delay, but very soon another steps in to take his/her place. I have been told that instead of dealing across the street from schools, dealers now hit up the kids on the way to and from school. In some cases they simply moved a block further down the street.

I know some of the laws have been strengthened, penalties increased, etc. I'm all for that. But has there really been a decrease in the supply of drugs, or have we simply changed the manner in which the transactions occur? Have we really made any headway against the entire drug culture, as opposed to just removing individuals from it?

[Merlin]

My personal thoughts:

1) Pot is the same as alcohol. The both turn to THC in the brain, have the same affect and both can be addictive if abused.

2) Prohibition didn't work, for a reason. People were going to do it anyway.

3) I don't know the statistics for alcoholism or drug abuse because those numbers can vary depending on who is applying the tag. From personal experience, a hard core alcoholic will drink anti-freeze and a hard core drug user will snort Ajax to get a fix. The difference? The hard core alcoholic is doing it legally. The cost of the treatment? The same. I don't think there would be anymore or less people in treatment if it were legal. Or more or less driving while under the influence of anything. Those that are going to do it and drive will pay whether it's legal or not.

4) The government is always looking for ways to tax the shit out of us. Legalize it and then tax the shit out of it like everything else.

5) Other controlled substances should not be legalized because a lot of them are highly addictive after one or two uses and can take you down a path or hardship almost immediately. Once again, "pot" smokers don't all turn to hard core drugs, in fact, most of them don't even try the other stuff because of the dangers and costs.

6) IT WILL GET BANNED ANYWAY BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME AS SMOKING AND WE ALL KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S LEGAL TO SMOKE, IT ISN'T LEGAL TO DO IT ANYWHERE!!!!

Friggin Nanny State BS laws....

[packinpatland]

My personal thoughts:

1) Pot is the same as alcohol. The both turn to THC in the brain, have the same affect and both can be addictive if abused.

2) Prohibition didn't work, for a reason. People were going to do it anyway.

3) I don't know the statistics for alcoholism or drug abuse because those numbers can vary depending on who is applying the tag. From personal experience, a hard core alcoholic will drink anti-freeze and a hard core drug user will snort Ajax to get a fix. The difference? The hard core alcoholic is doing it legally. The cost of the treatment? The same. I don't think there would be anymore or less people in treatment if it were legal. Or more or less driving while under the influence of anything. Those that are going to do it and drive will pay whether it's legal or not.

4) The government is always looking for ways to tax the shit out of us. Legalize it and then tax the shit out of it like everything else.
5) Other controlled substances should not be legalized because a lot of them are highly addictive after one or two uses and can take you down a path or hardship almost immediately. Once again, "pot" smokers don't all turn to hard core drugs, in fact, most of them don't even try the other stuff because of the dangers and costs.

6) IT WILL GET BANNED ANYWAY BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME AS SMOKING AND WE ALL KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S LEGAL TO SMOKE, IT ISN'T LEGAL TO DO IT ANYWHERE!!!!

Friggin Nanny State BS laws....

How is this going to stop the ones who then become the one who sell cheap, black market etc....

[Tyrone Bigguns]

I have to disagree with you sir, I am on the front line of your so called war on drugs and from where I see it we are winning. I am a Narcotics/K9 Officer and deal with people using, selling, transporting,and buying drugs every day. I see, first hand the effects of drugs on kids, adults and families. I have been fighting the war on drugs for over 18 years, and have seem remarkable changes in people using,selling,transporting narcotics. The laws work. You deal to a minor you get hammered, you deal within 500 feet of a school zone you get hammered, you have in your possesion more then 27.9 grams of anything (narcotic) you get hammered. There are a ton of good people fighting hard in this so called war on drugs, and we do make a differance ! Legallizing any narcotic is a mistake ! My .02

No disrespect, but if we have been fighting a war for 18 years then WE HAVE LOST.

I have seen no decrease in the amount of drugs, the price of drugs has only gotten cheaper (thank god...tyrone needs his medicine), and the only people incarcerated are low level dealers.

The war on drugs is futile because people want DRUGS. Has alwasy been that way, will always be that way. Go read some de toqueville and see what was written about this country in the 1800s.

[Tarlam!]

I have to disagree with you sir, I am on the front line of your so called war on drugs and from where I see it we are winning.

Thanks for adding richness and experience to the discussion. I appreciate it, and, even though I am not fortunate to live in your beautiful country, I too, appreciate your efforts.

I want to point out, it is not my socalled WoD. Your Preseident called it that, hence, it is YOUR WoD.

And, you are far from winning.

Ther have been heaps of experiments of addicts registering and receiveing a daily dose of their "medicine" that outright prove legalizing even the hardest drugs is the way to go. Addicts worry only about where to get their next fix. Once you remove that fear, they can actually lead relatively "normal" lives. That was also proven.

Despite the evidence, politicians cannot bring themselves to converting.

It is sad, because the answer is so simple. Take the big money out if it and people will lose interest.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

I have to disagree with you sir, I am on the front line of your so called war on drugs and from where I see it we are winning.

Thanks for adding richness and experience to the discussion. I appreciate it, and, even though I am not fortunate to live in your beautiful country, I too, appreciate your efforts.

I want to point out, it is not my socalled WoD. Your Preseident called it that, hence, it is YOUR WoD.

And, you are far from winning.

Ther have been heaps of experiments of addicts registering and receiveing a daily dose of their "medicine" that outright prove legalizing even the hardest drugs is the way to go. Addicts worry only about where to get their next fix. Once you remove that fear, they can actually lead relatively "normal" lives. That was also proven.

Despite the evidence, politicians cannot bring themselves to converting.

It is sad, because the answer is so simple. Take the big money out if it and people will lose interest.

Oh, c'mon. We can't have a serious discussion on drugs with FACTUAL evidence.

We can't use other country's experience because the U.S. is UNIQUE. Our drug addicts are much different than everyone else's.

I can clearly see we are winning the war when I have to show my ID if i wanna buy some cold medicine.

[Tarlam!]

Thanks for your service, BEARMAN. Keep safe.

I should have said the same thing. My bad.

I can't speak for Bearman, but I think what you said wasn't bad.

[Tarlam!]

I know some of the laws have been strengthened, penalties increased, etc. I'm all for that.

You are? I'm not.

If this is a war, then, fight it with bullets, not law. If we are under attack (and I believe we are) then, let's not fight this with justice.

One poster PMed me to say they would want everyone involved just shot.

I could agree to that, but, who is the target?

That's why this "war" has no chance of being won.

[BallHawk]

Can we add some ideas that are actually plausible instead of thinking over ideas that are inhumane and, more or less, impossible to act out. If we're going to stop the drug monopoly then let's do it in a civilized way, not with guns and neglect, because that's not going to get you anywhere.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

I know some of the laws have been strengthened, penalties increased, etc. I'm all for that.

You are? I'm not.

If this is a war, then, fight it with bullets, not law. If we are under attack (and I believe we are) then, let's not fight this with justice.

One poster PMed me to say they would want everyone involved just shot.

I could agree to that, but, who is the target?

That's why this "war" has no chance of being won.

I would be in favor of all being shot...that would be so cool. Let's kill all the artists (musicians, actors, visual artists, etc.), wall street types (yep, they are doing plenty of blow), doctors (highest rate of drug abuse of any profession), etc.

[Patler]

I know some of the laws have been strengthened, penalties increased, etc. I'm all for that.

You are? I'm not.

Of course I am. The problem is not enough of the right people are being subjected to the penalties. Arresting the "retailer" on the street is not enough. The "wholesalers" need to be put out of business along with the "manufacturers". Only then will we make significant headway.

Unlike a conventional war where you can stress or even break your enemy by killing or capturing enough of the troops and supplies, that isn't nearly as feasible in the war on drugs. The "troops" are too easily and quickly replaced, and the supplies are too readily providably to make significant dents in either.