- Joined
- Jun 22, 2013
- Messages
- 20,264
- Reaction score
- 28,064
- Location
- Mid-West USA
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Other
As another member has already stated, and I have in other related threads, the War on Drugs has only one winner: the criminal justice-prison industrial complex. There are many losers, not only among our citizens but our civil rights.
The war has done almost nothing when it comes to reducing imports/home production, sales, use, and addiction. What it has done is generate billions in enforcement costs, and clogged up both the courts and prisons with people who should be in treatment programs or hospitals. It has also increased the number of citizens with criminal records which reduces their chances of employment, and also denies them educational advancement opportunities (ex. no access to government grants or loans; college applications denied).
Meanwhile, citizens are forced to deal with more and more levels of all types of crime thanks to the growing black market value of illicit drugs. In addition, users face the dangers caused by impure dosages, which can lead to disability or death.
All of this would be alleviated by legalization of all drugs. Yes, there would be an initial increase in use, just like after the end of Prohibition. This will inevitably level off over time due to honest education, advertising, treatment, and counseling programs; not to mention FDA monitoring of doses for legal sale.
One other problem people seem to forget? Many of our precious civil and Constitutional rights have been curtailed as a direct result of the War on Drugs. We have asset forfeiture, roadblocks, stop & frisk, drug dog probable cause searches, drone overflights, and all sorts of other Fourth and Fifth Amendment violations. Legalization will stop these and maybe allow us to roll some back as no longer necessary law enforcement tools.
So I voted legalize all. The benefits outweight the costs.
The war has done almost nothing when it comes to reducing imports/home production, sales, use, and addiction. What it has done is generate billions in enforcement costs, and clogged up both the courts and prisons with people who should be in treatment programs or hospitals. It has also increased the number of citizens with criminal records which reduces their chances of employment, and also denies them educational advancement opportunities (ex. no access to government grants or loans; college applications denied).
Meanwhile, citizens are forced to deal with more and more levels of all types of crime thanks to the growing black market value of illicit drugs. In addition, users face the dangers caused by impure dosages, which can lead to disability or death.
All of this would be alleviated by legalization of all drugs. Yes, there would be an initial increase in use, just like after the end of Prohibition. This will inevitably level off over time due to honest education, advertising, treatment, and counseling programs; not to mention FDA monitoring of doses for legal sale.
One other problem people seem to forget? Many of our precious civil and Constitutional rights have been curtailed as a direct result of the War on Drugs. We have asset forfeiture, roadblocks, stop & frisk, drug dog probable cause searches, drone overflights, and all sorts of other Fourth and Fifth Amendment violations. Legalization will stop these and maybe allow us to roll some back as no longer necessary law enforcement tools.
So I voted legalize all. The benefits outweight the costs.
Last edited: