The war on drugs...
I favor a common sense drug policy, as it was called by Rolling Stone editor, Will Dana.
Eric Holder ( US Attorney General) has gone on to make it known publicly as official policy that the feds won't waste American resources busting patients and distributors who are in "clear and unambiguous" compliance with state medical marijuana laws."
This makes me happy because it is step in the right direction on our government's part in regards to having this "common sense" approach to drug use. Finally allowing free thought and action by adults on a agricultural product that has been grown and sold for years and could be taxed and regulated in order to boost the economy and stimulate jobs. It is controversial and I am not saying that kids should be allowed to use it or make that decision for themselves without being thoroughly educated, and if folks use it irresponsibly that they not be held accountable for their actions, much in the same way that we hold people accountable for their behavior when they misuse alcohol or other substances that are less controversial in our eyes. Legalize it, regulate it and tax it and I feel America will be surprised at the growth it could provide in our struggling economy.
Here is an example to support my theory: "On 1 July 2001, Portugal decriminalized the possession of all drugs, including heroin and cocaine. You can have and use as much as you like for your own needs, and if you are caught, the police might refer you to a rehabilitation program, but you will never get a criminal record. (Although, supplying and selling remains illegal.) The prohibitionists predicted a catastrophic rise in addiction, and even I – a staunch pro-legalization advocate– was nervous."
"Now we know: overall drug use actually fell a little. As a major study by Glenn Greenwald for The Cato Institute found, among Portuguese teenagers the fall was fastest: 13-year-olds are four per cent less likely to use drugs, and 16-year-olds are six per cent less likely. As the iron law of prohibition predicts, the use of hard drugs has fallen fastest: heroin use has crashed by nearly 50 per cent among the young who were not yet addicted. The Portuguese have switched the billions that used to be spent chasing and jailing addicts to providing them with prescriptions and rehab. The number of people in drug treatment is now up by 147 percent. Almost nobody in Portugal wants to go back. Indeed, many citizens want to take the next step: legalize supply as well and break the back of organized crime and gangs"(Johann Hari: The Independent: 11-11-09).
Will Dana, managing editor at Rolling Stone, cites in his article " marijuanamerica" ( Nov.12,2009) that the number of people in this country that favor legalization of marijuana is hovering at 44 percent, a figure that has doubled over the last 20 years. We are wasting an estimated 600 dollars per second on "the war on drugs". America, I ask the question...Could there be a percentage of this money that could be better used on something else, perhaps education of our children so that they can make better choices in their lives? Take a moment to ask yourself this. If we used 100 dollars of that 600 dollars per second and took it from the portion we are, in my opinion, wasting to police and prosecute marijuana users and instead put that into education for our children, not only regarding drugs but other topics as well. Just for even 4 years as an experiment, do you think there is a possibility that the money could benefit our children's education and better our country and planet as a whole? Just some food for thought.
As always, comment, opinion and discussion are welcome.
Eric Holder ( US Attorney General) has gone on to make it known publicly as official policy that the feds won't waste American resources busting patients and distributors who are in "clear and unambiguous" compliance with state medical marijuana laws."
This makes me happy because it is step in the right direction on our government's part in regards to having this "common sense" approach to drug use. Finally allowing free thought and action by adults on a agricultural product that has been grown and sold for years and could be taxed and regulated in order to boost the economy and stimulate jobs. It is controversial and I am not saying that kids should be allowed to use it or make that decision for themselves without being thoroughly educated, and if folks use it irresponsibly that they not be held accountable for their actions, much in the same way that we hold people accountable for their behavior when they misuse alcohol or other substances that are less controversial in our eyes. Legalize it, regulate it and tax it and I feel America will be surprised at the growth it could provide in our struggling economy.
Here is an example to support my theory: "On 1 July 2001, Portugal decriminalized the possession of all drugs, including heroin and cocaine. You can have and use as much as you like for your own needs, and if you are caught, the police might refer you to a rehabilitation program, but you will never get a criminal record. (Although, supplying and selling remains illegal.) The prohibitionists predicted a catastrophic rise in addiction, and even I – a staunch pro-legalization advocate– was nervous."
"Now we know: overall drug use actually fell a little. As a major study by Glenn Greenwald for The Cato Institute found, among Portuguese teenagers the fall was fastest: 13-year-olds are four per cent less likely to use drugs, and 16-year-olds are six per cent less likely. As the iron law of prohibition predicts, the use of hard drugs has fallen fastest: heroin use has crashed by nearly 50 per cent among the young who were not yet addicted. The Portuguese have switched the billions that used to be spent chasing and jailing addicts to providing them with prescriptions and rehab. The number of people in drug treatment is now up by 147 percent. Almost nobody in Portugal wants to go back. Indeed, many citizens want to take the next step: legalize supply as well and break the back of organized crime and gangs"(Johann Hari: The Independent: 11-11-09).
Will Dana, managing editor at Rolling Stone, cites in his article " marijuanamerica" ( Nov.12,2009) that the number of people in this country that favor legalization of marijuana is hovering at 44 percent, a figure that has doubled over the last 20 years. We are wasting an estimated 600 dollars per second on "the war on drugs". America, I ask the question...Could there be a percentage of this money that could be better used on something else, perhaps education of our children so that they can make better choices in their lives? Take a moment to ask yourself this. If we used 100 dollars of that 600 dollars per second and took it from the portion we are, in my opinion, wasting to police and prosecute marijuana users and instead put that into education for our children, not only regarding drugs but other topics as well. Just for even 4 years as an experiment, do you think there is a possibility that the money could benefit our children's education and better our country and planet as a whole? Just some food for thought.
As always, comment, opinion and discussion are welcome.
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