Another thread got me to thinking...Everyone was complaining about the War on Drugs and how there has been little to no progress in it.

 

What should be done to win or at least make progress on the war on drugs?

 

Don't say legalize them because while legalizing some drugs may be OK, not sure Meth or Black Tar Heroin need to be sold at the local Quick Stop.

 

 

 

 

Please be Specific Don't rehash candidate talking points, if you have an idea explain what would need to be done to accomplish what your wanting to do.

Another thread got me to thinking...Everyone was complaining about the War on Drugs and how there has been little to no progress in it.

 

What should be done to win or at least make progress on the war on drugs?

 

Don't say legalize them because while legalizing some drugs may be OK, not sure Meth or Black Tar Heroin need to be sold at the local Quick Stop.

 

Please be Specific Don't rehash candidate talking points, if you have an idea explain what would need to be done to accomplish what your wanting to do.

What if your solution is to legalize everything? I would make heroin and methamphetamine legally available.

 

Also, I find it fitting to the thread that the examples you use are "black tar heroin" and "meth". These are two prime examples of drugs that could be made less dangerous the through legalization.

What if your solution is to legalize everything? I would make heroin and methamphetamine legally available.

 

Also, I find it fitting to the thread that the examples you use are "black tar heroin" and "meth". These are two prime examples of drugs that could be made less dangerous the through legalization.

How so?

I'm to the point that I think I'd legalize them all and tax the crap out them.

How so?

 

Both are cheap and easily manufactured forms of the drug that I would argue have risen in popularity due to the War on Drugs. If you legalize the drugs and put the production in a laboratory with trained chemists you take out the risks of highly-dangerous cutting agents, unknown purity levels, and dangers associated with obtaining the drug. Also, with meth in particular you could cut the "redneck chemists" out and greatly reduce the risk of a meth lab explosion.

Both are cheap and easily manufactured forms of the drug that I would argue have risen in popularity due to the War on Drugs. If you legalize the drugs and put the production in a laboratory with trained chemists you take out the risks of highly-dangerous cutting agents, unknown purity levels, and dangers associated with obtaining the drug. Also, with meth in particular you could cut the "redneck chemists" out and greatly reduce the risk of a meth lab explosion.

So Meth lab explosions and impure drugs are the problem. Addiction to the drugs socially irresponsible behavior isn't what we want to stop with drug abuse? Not to mention the inherent dangers to ones health taking drugs like that. So if in-acted I see the FKW plan would win the war on drugs by allowing all of the drug users to OD themselves to death, thus ending a drug problem.

 

I respect your opinion but I fail to see how purer drugs will help anything. Do you want to get your tires rotated by a guy that just took a hit of LSD at break or that has been up for 48 straight hours because he's been hitting Meth for 2 days without stopping.

 

I understand there is a percentage of BGP'ers that wish they lived in Colorado, but outside of Pot do you guys really think our society would be better if MORE people had access to MORE drugs.

So Meth lab explosions and impure drugs are the problem. Addiction to the drugs socially irresponsible behavior isn't what we want to stop with drug abuse? Not to mention the inherent dangers to ones health taking drugs like that. So if in-acted I see the FKW plan would win the war on drugs by allowing all of the drug users to OD themselves to death, thus ending a drug problem.

 

I respect your opinion but I fail to see how purer drugs will help anything. Do you want to get your tires rotated by a guy that just took a hit of LSD at break or that has been up for 48 straight hours because he's been hitting Meth for 2 days without stopping.

 

I understand there is a percentage of BGP'ers that wish they lived in Colorado, but outside of Pot do you guys really think our society would be better if MORE people had access to MORE drugs.

1. How is the War on Drugs solving this tire-rotation problem now?

 

2. Alcohol is legal, but yet I have managed to never get my tires rotated by a guy taking shots of whiskey all day long. How is that?

So Meth lab explosions and impure drugs are the problem. Addiction to the drugs socially irresponsible behavior isn't what we want to stop with drug abuse? Not to mention the inherent dangers to ones health taking drugs like that. So if in-acted I see the FKW plan would win the war on drugs by allowing all of the drug users to OD themselves to death' date=' thus ending a drug problem. I respect your opinion but I fail to see how purer drugs will help anything. Do you want to get your tires rotated by a guy that just took a hit of LSD at break or that has been up for 48 straight hours because he's been hitting Meth for 2 days without stopping. I understand there is a percentage of BGP'ers that wish they lived in Colorado, but outside of Pot do you guys really think our society would be better if MORE people had access to MORE drugs.[/quote'] Irresponsible drug use is the problem. I'm not sure where I said it wasn't. Irresponsible alcoholics are a problem too. Gluttonous individuals eating themselves to death on Big Macs are also a problem. People smoking themselves to death is a problem.

 

My point is, irresponsibly using anything can be a problem. Making it illegal only adds to the problem, it's not solving it. I'd rather save money being wasted and used ineffectively and at least reduce unnecessary dangers due to unknown dosages, untrained chemists, dangerous cutting agents, the risks associated with obtaining drugs on the black-market, etc. That isn't even getting into the countless number of lives taken due to cartel activity associated with the trafficking of illegal drugs.

 

There is also the opportunity to use money that is either a) saved or b) generated from drug taxes to invest in treatment, education, or countless number of other uses...

1. How is the War on Drugs solving this tire-rotation problem now?

 

2. Alcohol is legal, but yet I have managed to never get my tires rotated by a guy taking shots of whiskey all day long. How is that?

maybe bad analogy on my part

Irresponsible drug use is the problem. I'm not sure where I said it wasn't. Irresponsible alcoholics are a problem too. Gluttonous individuals eating themselves to death on Big Macs are also a problem. People smoking themselves to death is a problem.

 

My point is, irresponsibly using anything can be a problem. Making it illegal only adds to the problem, it's not solving it. I'd rather save money being wasted and used ineffectively and at least reduce unnecessary dangers due to unknown dosages, untrained chemists, dangerous cutting agents, the risks associated with obtaining drugs on the black-market, etc. That isn't even getting into the countless number of lives taken due to cartel activity associated with the trafficking of illegal drugs.

 

There is also the opportunity to use money that is either a) saved or b) generated from drug taxes to invest in treatment, education, or countless number of other uses...

Tell me of this education and treatment that would seem to be the magic bullet for everyone that wants to legalize drugs...what kind of education? what kind of treatment?

Tell me of this education and treatment that would seem to be the magic bullet for everyone that wants to legalize drugs...what kind of education? what kind of treatment?

 

I don't think there is a magic bullet treatment that will work. In fact, you will probably still see a large number of people fail at rehab or never seek it. However, you can devote more resources for this.

 

In Portugal --- where drugs have been decriminalized --- willingness to seek treatment has gone up and with more funding the treatment has been more effective.

 

You will never get rid of drugs, but you CAN focus on the problem(s) instead of throwing billions of dollars that are only effective at increasing incarceration rates.

I don't think the government should tell anyone what they can or cannot put in ones body in a free society. Still have laws protecting the youth but if grown adults want to kill themselves through drug use let them.

I'll be the first to say that I do not have a solution that will lead to a panacea. I also in no way claim that drugs are "good" or should be consumed. But, the way the current War on Drugs has been prosecuted has been destructive. I believe we have sacrificed untold liberties in the name of thwarting drugs and those sacrifices have largely been in vain as the problem has only gotten worse and the government has only gotten more intrusive. I believe there are aspects of criminalization that incentivizes the behavior we wish to eradicate. As fkyw pointed out, there are a lot of externalities in the black market on drugs. I also think, as has been mentioned, that we have dismissed commonsense solutions such as investment in rehabilitation and treatment in favor of incarceration, which tends to lead to recidivism and more criminal behavior. In all, the War on Drugs has been worse than a failure in that it has increased the very thing it seeks to eradicate on the backs of some very bad concessions by the public in money and liberty.

 

Jumper, as far as your hypothetical goes, I believe anyone who had abused drugs and attempted to work would find themselves out of a job very quickly. A company would also be more than free to test their employees for intoxication as part of their contract. But, such a person would have the ability to abstain from those drugs or seek help to keep or find employment instead of facing a criminal rap sheet that would keep them from ever finding any kind of job in the future. It certainly wouldn't eradicate every problem, but I think it would offer up a lot of better options.

Legal or illegal, the majority of companies will still test for it and not allow workers to be influenced. If they managed to do it for tobacco they could easily do it with other drugs, legal or not.

 

How many people do we think would start using because it's legal? Most of this stuff is so easily attainable I think anyone that wants to use is using, and vice-versa.

I don't think there is a magic bullet treatment that will work. In fact, you will probably still see a large number of people fail at rehab or never seek it. However, you can devote more resources for this.

In Portugal --- where drugs have been decriminalized --- willingness to seek treatment has gone up and with more funding the treatment has been more effective.

 

You will never get rid of drugs, but you CAN focus on the problem(s) instead of throwing billions of dollars that are only effective at increasing incarceration rates.

 

In July 2001 a new law maintained the status of illegality for using or possessing any drug for personal use without authorization. The offense was changed from a criminal one, with prison a possible punishment, to an administrative one if the amount possessed was no more than ten days' supply of that substance. This was in line with the de facto Portuguese drug policy before the reform. Drug addicts were then to be aggressively targeted with therapy or community service rather than fines or waivers. Even if there are no criminal penalties, these changes did not legalize drug use in Portugal. Possession has remained prohibited by Portuguese law, and criminal penalties are still applied to drug growers, dealers and traffickers.

 

Targeting Drug Addicts? That doesn't sound like something you would want. Govt must never target anyone, right?

 

So it is still a crime to Grow, Deal or Traffic Drugs in Portugal? The only change in the law has been for possession of small amounts (for personal use) now results in forced treatment or community service.

 

I don't think there are many people in prison for having a joint or even a hit of Meth on them. Nearly all people in prison for drug offenses come from Growing, Dealing or Trafficking...that seems to be where the LE Drug War is focused.