A group of police and judges who want to legalize drugs pointed to new FBI numbers released today as evidence that the "war on drugs" is a failure that can never be won. The data, from the FBI's "Crime in the United States" report, shows that in 2008 there were 1,702,537 arrests for drug law violations, or one drug arrest every 18 seconds.
It has always seemed rather obvious to me that the drug war is a failure. I feel that treating marijuana and alcohol differently is just hypocritical. If you were to legalize all, and I do mean all, drugs and tax their sale the government would make money rather that lose it.
Of course this is the point where everyone starts screaming that we'll have druggies everywhere and it won't be safe to drive down the street. And that's nonsense. DUI laws would still be in effect. Regulations that dictate certain jobs must be drug free will still be in effect. So okay then, how about all those people dying from overdoses. This is where I guess I become a bit hard-hearted. So what? If you can't use responsibly then being removed from the gene pool is probably appropriate.
Ace of Spades, I believe it was, had a article about legalizing drugs and how all those drug dealers are not going to simply drop their prices. Why would someone pay their outrages prices if the drugs can be purchased at the local drug store? Perhaps they won't. But if they don't they'll simply go out of business. What happens when a $500 a day habit becomes a $50 a day habit? What happens to crime caused by the need to support an expensive habit? No, it won't go away because there are too many that would rather steal than work.
Think about what legalizing drugs would do to the drug cartels? To turf wars? For that matter what it would do to the illegal arms industry.
Prohibition didn't work in the 20's and it's not working now.
h/t SayUncle
Your attitudes are nearly identical to mine.
If drug were legal for adults, but selling to minors remained illegal, we might even reduce use--I think the younger you start, the more likely you will become addicted. When I was in Jr high and high school, drugs were easier to find than alcohol..
Do it for the children.
Posted by: Sevesteen | September 17, 2009 at 02:27 PM