Hello:

There was a drug bust on the San Diego campus yesterday. It was mostly pot with some coke and some ecstasy thrown in..... It was just your normal bust...

I saw the coverage on CNN headline news (that's all I got these days). What surprised me, was the surprise of the announcer. He was just shocked that this took place. I mean, he was REALLY, REALLY shocked!! He asked whether the correspondent thought this was going on on other campuses in the country....

What???????

He evidently, thinks the drug war is working. He is living in la la land. Do YOU think the drug war is working too??????

excon

excon

Hello again, in:

We were posting at the same time. I'd like to address your concerns....

Yes, indeedy do, I know what drugs do to family's. My question for you is, if the drug war is working, why is it STILL doing it to family's???? Your statement alone proves the present approach isn't working.

Drugs should be legalized and regulated just like we regulate liquor and tobacco. At the same time, we need to offer drug rehabilitation on demand to anybody..... I suggest further that we transfer our efforts from the legal framework to the health framework.

If we did that, I think drug use would come out of the closet. I don't think many people really want to be addicted, but there's nowhere for them to go now.

Yes, a few people will try drugs, but I think the idea is overblown. From my perspective, everybody who has a propensity to use drugs is already using them. I don't think there's many people just chomping at the bit to try 'em when they become legal. Do you know anybody like that? I don't.

Finally, the price would drop sooooo much that the black market would be virtually wiped out if ONE FELL SWOOP. Yes, I suppose there'll be the odd pot dealer around just like there's still the odd bootlegger.

As an addendum, I would also suggest that if we ended the drug war, and let the non violent drug offenders out, there'll be TONS of room to keep the really bad guys locked up for a loooong time. Prison building would STOP being a growth industry. That's a good thing. Do you know that we are responsible for about a quarter of the worlds prison population????

Hopefully, that'll give you something to think about.

excon

spitvenom

I know exactly what cocaine does to a family. It is an ugly ugly thing. Can't trust the person, can't even look at the person because of the dried up blood and coke encrusted on their nose. It is a horrible thing. I have also seen how alcohol ruins a family (it is actually worst then cocaine). But i don't see anyone running out to get prohibition reinstated.

The facts are people are going to do what they want to do plain and simple. So why not tax the hell out of it make it safer for the people who don't use the drugs. If it were legal 95% of the gun violence in Philadelphia would be gone. Mothers would be able to take their kids to the park again because they wouldn't have to worry about the junkie sitting on the swing set waiting for his dealer. There would never be a story on the news again of a little girl walking to school getting shot because of drug deal gone bad.

inthebox

Ex :

For the most part I agree.

As to drug rehab, I doubt if more than 10% of users would actually consider it.

There are legalized/ regulated drugs that are being abused - hydrocodone, oxycodone, alprazolam, alcohol, tobacco etc... and just like illegal drugs, making them legal does not make them any safer or prevent addiction, dui[s], and all the sociobehavioral consequences.

I do agree about prison / drugs / non-violent offenders.

If current illegal drugs were to be made legal, I think there should be just as strong a law regarding personal responsibility. By this I mean,

20 years from now, drug users that have fried any mental capability they had can not sue the manufacturer[s] because they turned out to be a looser by their own choice.
You can't blame Pcp for your murder spree, or crack for the damage that it did to your child. Do you know what I mean?

Fr_Chuck

surprised it made the news, some college PR people dropped the ball there. We did a large drug bust on a local campus here a few years ago.
Anywhere else, I would have been standing by my police car with drugs, and bongs and money all over the hood of the car. Four ** arrests** well I latter went looking for the booking sheets to check for the court dates. Well somewhere along the lines, those students did get suspended one semester but the college arranged for charges to be droped, no mention in any newspaper.

tomterm8

The students were surely responsible for their own deaths . If you take something that you know might kill you, and you die, then that's your own d*mn fault.

I don't see why we criminalise this, in the same way I don't understand why we should criminalise suicide. In general, taking drugs and suicide has very similar results.

talaniman

If it were legal, the criminals wouldn't be able to make money, and buy a bank, or a yacht. Back in the 80's drug profits, financed rebels all over the world, just ask Ollie North.

spitvenom

Good point Talaniman! And all the antidrug commercial today say Illegal drugs help support terrorism. If they were legal no more drug money for terrorist's!

michealb

The problem with legalizing drugs is that the government doesn't have backing for it. It's not a big enough issue for most people who want it legalized to refuse to vote for someone who doesn't want to legalize drugs.

It's why America needs a third party that actually trys to fix issues instead of pandering to different special interest groups.

excon

Hello michealb:

Very true. But they have a lobby. If you people mean what you say, send a contribution to Norml. The more money they have, the bigger their voice.

excon

George_1950

I think you are right; the 'constituency' that would vote for drug legalization is basically turned on and tuned out; the folks that show up at the polls want drug sellers prosecuted and sentenced to long, hard time. There is a very destructive, Puritanical thread within American politics, and right now it is presently coalesced around prosecuting drug sellers and users.