What can be done to end the drug war?

Question

This country (USA) has the highest incarceration rate by far among free, developed countries. We routinely lock up people for trying to get high. We have a black market that supplies these people, funding crinimals who wind up fighting over turf and also terrorists and rouge nations. We have created a larger, more acceptable (to society) crinimal culture than we ever had... mostly because of our asinine rules regarding drugs. Their tactics in this unwinnable war include attacking our civil rights, notably the 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 10th amendments. The ban on drugs in this country is 100% unconstitutional, and has had disastrous effects on this country.

Is there any hope of this, among other ways this country has gone wrong, can be changed in the near future?

An FYI for those who might attack me and call me a stupid druggie: the only illegal drug I've done is pot, and haven't touched it since college.

Answer 1

Nothing since the CIA and American government just harvested a record opium crop in Afghanistan. The "war on drugs" is just another way for the government to divert resources into the Military/Industrial complex that Dwight Eisenhower warned us about in 1959.

Answer 2

The only option is to legalize drugs. This does a few things. First, it takes the drugs out of the black market. No more gangs and thugs running the drug trade. No more shootings in the street because of a drug deal gone wrong.
Second, the taxability of drugs would be enormous. It would make an incredible amount of money for the government, who could if they wanted to control the sale, price, amount, etc.. of drugs in the country. This might actually make enough money for the government to get rid of income tax, or at least severely reduce it. Of course that wouldn't happen because the government would find somewhere else to spend it...hopefully on schools and education.
Third, it might make this country a little less dependant on major drug companies. We are so overly medicated and I guarantee you that Prozac and all these other depression meds do not want to go up against marijuana because they would lose. We need to get this country off the meds. Of course the major drug companies would not like that, and since they are one of two industries (oil being the other) that run the government it is going to be tough to do.
These are just a few of the good things that could come out of legalizing drugs. Maybe you don't have to legalize them all, but then again why not. If people want to be stupid enough to get hooked on them, then they might as well be able to get them without having to worry about getting shot and the government could take its cut off the top and everyone is happy.

Answer 3

absolutely everyone who recommend the conflict on drugs is useful is maximum possibly naive and gullible or a baby-kisser with a reason to dupe you into helping the tens and 1000's of beaurocrats wallet who in turn help the new child-kisser. The conflict on drugs employs 1000's of folk in the U. S. government and reaps in billions in taxation of the working people to fund this conglomerate. The longer the conflict final the wealthier the drug lords have become to the eventual factor to accumulating plenty wealth that no goverment could fee effectively counter them. Eventual defeat will open avenues for the drug lords to floor thier money into valid enterprise ventures. very like the mob did after prohibition. Many american companies are laced with mob money from a protracted time in the past. no longer mom and dad shops yet super companies that we cope with straight away or no longer straight away on a daily basis. In mexico there is not any longer often something you're able to purchase produced in that u . s . that some area of that product isn't owned by using a drug cartel. the way the drug conflict is complete as we communicate is a money maker for the two aspects and the benifactors will conflict the teeth and nail to steer clear of absolutely everyone from taking that away.

Answer 4

1st off - nicely said

the biggest hurdle to overcome to legalize drugs, especially drugs like mj, is the drug industry itself.

while there WOULD b up to billions generated in taxes, that would most likely b from a source other than the established pharmacueutical companies. and while you may laugh -delude yourself if it helps u sleep at night- big business runs this country and the politicians are just their front men. so its not in the best interest of those that fund politicians election campains to leagalize any drugs they dont have a strangehold on. c'mon, b honest, paxil n prozac n wellbutrin n all those drugs r so good 4 us but mj is not? please, i said b honest.

i heard a statistic that half those encarcerated r in 4 drug related crimes. rediculous! there's 1 state, i think tennesse, where only 10% of the average sentence is served due 2 overcrowding of the prisons. they're letting people who committed crimes AGAINST other people out cuz they got so many in 4 drugs.

even if i was dead set against drugs, if u dont have the resources to build more prisons, and we dont, u just cant keep locking up the guy that wants to get high and letting rapists and violent offenders out. those that r allowing this have some personal vendetta aginst ill drugs, but its just not logical. seriously, u just cant keep this up.

ultamately, doing drugs is a victimless crime. if drugs werent illigal there woulnt b any drug deals gone bad in the 1st place. like not wearing a seat belt, it should b my decision how well i take care of myself n what i do with my body. buckling up my kids or selling drugs 2 minors is a different story.

n as far as mj being a gateway drug, again this is from either morons or the naive. the main reason its a gateway drug is cuz you have to enter the black market to purchase it. it isnt mj thats the gateway, its the world u have 2 enter to get it. if i didnt know the guy that sells mj, id most likely never meet the guy that sells crack. every friend i ever had that got into hard drugs didnt set out to do so, they just thought they'd sample some of the other products available from their "dealer". n that's from the real world.

Answer 5

Legalize drugs and tax them like they do alcohol and cigarettes. It's a big economic boom for the government - they get tax dollars and spend less putting people in jail.

People think that "Reefer Madness" is true. It's absolutely hilarious to anyone who has ever actually smoked pot or seen people who are high. MJ is a depressant, yet, in the movie, they show the kids going nuts. Yet, that's what most people think happens when you get high.

If we hadn't had prohibition on alcohol, the mobs wouldn't exist today. They made all of their money selling bathtub gin, and have used that to finance their illegal enterprises since. The drug war is doing the same favor to the gangs. I just thank God that gang bangers aren't smart enough to use that money to become really powerful like the mob. They're too busy infighting and killing each other over a few hundred bucks here and there.

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Answer 6

If you take a look at our laws, I think they are NOT stringent enough. Drugs lead to much more serious offenses and should be illegal and regulated.
Aside from what harm they do to the individual, look what it does to the family and people around you!
We do need a DRUG FREE AMERICA, will we ever see it, honestly I dont think so. As far as attacking your constitutional rights, the next time someone is killed over a drug deal "gone bad" ask the family of the deceased the same thing.I feel that when combating guns and drugs you should lose your rights as long as law enforcement have cause to believe you done the crime, that would be only one way to stop it.

Answer 7

To much money is being made by both the "Good guys & the Bad guys" for Either of them to allow the government to change the law. If it was legalized how many cops would lose their job. The price of illegal drugs would fall - this would hurt the "Bad Guys". Think also the fun of Cat & Mouse games that would end.

Answer 8

Nothing.

I'll qualify that answer. If you legalize some drugs but not others, the war continues. If you legalize all drugs, the black market will still exist because there is always someone trying to improve it or sell it cheaper.

It is a war that cannot be "won"- but it is a war worth fighting and it should be fought.

Answer 9

Finally admit that total prohibition on anything doesn't work never has and never will. If you allow some minor drugs like pot or Ecstasy maybe even acid and treat them like you would booze then the real nasty stuff won't have the appeal they do now .

Answer 10

Nothing as long as money moves everything. I agree with what you say, I have similar ideas on that. But there will always be a drug that people will sell that isn't legal. After weed is legal, there will be another big seller for drug lords.