Who is up for doing some crack?

I'm against the legalization of most drugs. I don't want to see the entire country turn into the state of Florida.

I like that public opinion has moved on this a bit over the years. I think people are starting to realize the whole drug war is a farce. The mention of legalizing hard drugs 10 years ago would send the majority of people into fits….still does, but it’s changing…and ever-so-thankfully, the one poster who always went into fits over this is banned so this might actually be a rational conversation. I think most people who spend some time thinking about this come to the same conclusion: there are laws in place to deal with the legal consequences of drug addiction...and if an addict isn't breaking the law, then that addiction is a social issue and a health issue, nothing more, nothing less.

I think the question of decriminalization vs legalization is the more interesting one.

Do we allow the government a piece of this pie? (well, a legit one, we all know they get their piece covertly under the status quo). People are always quick to sing the glory of taxing pot sales…but most are not open to the government involved in the sale of heroin ……coke for sale at Walgreens horrifies people….but this allows us control of the quality of the drugs, and access to tax dollars from a massive industry. Combined with the savings from the drug war, this money could do a lot of good. But I also would want the money to go almost exclusively into treatment and education – not into the big black hole govt coffers.
If we decriminalize, we avoid the government ineptitude, red tape, corruption, and another tax on the poor. We avoid the silly perception of govt involvement in the trade as support for drug use. But….because decrim turns a blind eye to black market violence, it seems like a cop out to me…washing our hands of the problem. The penalty for a single bad business deal should not be 50 decapitated Mexicans in a back alley. I think we need international regulation to get the violence under control and turn it into a ‘legit’ industry (if there is such a thing). Still makes me wary because of voter apathy and government corruption…but it’s better than the other alternatives.
I support decrim for MJ, but that’s because it’s a plant. If every pot head grew his own, the black market would disappear along with the need for regulation. But it can’t work that way with hard drugs.
Whatever system we come up with, we need more effective systems to deal with addiction. More treatment programs, more mental health facilities, more rehab options, more harm-reduction based education (instead of fear/abstinence based)….and better programs aimed at lifting people out of situations that make them at risk for drug interaction and abuse – adult education, financing, and housing options. I’d like to see purity test kits available so that users know if they’re going to make their heart explode with their regular dose, or if they’re putting strychnine or some shit into their systems (this would be regulated under a legalized system)…. Access to screening for heart conditions and other genetic traits that put casual users at risk….there is a lot of money to be saved, and many options to spend it more effectively than the penal system.

callen said:

unsung said:

That's up to the state.

Why do you feel the state has authority over my self determination but Feds don't.

Well, I did not say that. I only stated that it isn't, by the Constitution, the place of the Federal government to decide.

Are we talking about whips, guns, plumbers pants or the drug?

My answer to all four is the same: No!

How is holding 10kg of cocaine in my house harming anyone else?

But yes, the govt is the biggest, most ruthless, and most corrupt gang in town.

The nature of drugs such as crack cocaine and heroin, is that they are all consuming to the individual. Not much else matters. These two would be on my remain illegal list.