Some very interesting points-of-view here! I have a few to add.
To those who want all drugs legalized: If someone is caught dealing or in possession of a specified quantity of an illegal substance (and subsequently convicted) they in general will have been convicted of a felony—and therefore are unable to vote. Do we really want dealers/heavy users of crack et al voting?
That having been said, I used to work in a prison and have seen the effects that the drug laws are having on families. When the laws cause more harm than good, then the laws should be altered. They rip apart families and cost the taxpayers in excess of $25,000 a year to keep a man locked up. Add to that the fact that the inmate now has a record and can’t get a decent job and we have a giant quandary.
Personally, I’m in favor of decriminalizing only one drug: marijuana. This is for a number of reasons: 1) 60% of the money that the Mexican drug cartels make are from marijuana (and most of us are aware the situation south of our border); 2) Marijuana is not physically addictive; 3) the law causes more harm than it does good; 4) weed doesn’t destroy families nearly as often as the harder drugs; 5) the government could tax the crap out of it and make a lot of money that it’s missing out on at present.
26. EnemyoftheState: WOW! What evil thoughts you have! Why not just spike all the shipments of pot from Mexico with paraquat and the meth with drano and the heroin with cyanide and let the shipments come in as normal? That would kill off all the offenders in an effective and timely manner!
regards
