Should we just give up on 'The War on Drugs' already and legalize them?

Question

Or do we just keep throwing more and more people in prison for non violent drug offenses? I know a lot of people in law enforcement NEVER want to see an end to the war on drugs, since the confiscation of 'ill gotten gains' from drug suspects (some of whom are never actually convicted of a crime, but still lose their property and money) enriches police departments?
Or should we just legalize drugs, like they were legal 100 years ago, and instead spend the money we now use to incarcerate drug addicts on treatment for their addiction instead? Unless we turn into a total police state (and we're rapidly heading there now) we'll NEVER be able to legislate the behavior of people. I don't know about you, but I'd rather live in a society that tolerates and tries to help and treat drug addicts than a society that puts them up against the wall and shoots them. Or throws them in prison for years for non violent offenses. How about you?

Answer 1

Prohibition does not work. It never has and it never will. The simple fact is that as long as there is a demand there will be a supply. The money is too alluring. All the war on drugs has succeeded in doing is enriching criminals, increasing our debt load and overcrowding our prisons. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to end though. There is too much financial benefit at every level of government from local to federal for them to ever bring it to an end.

To those speaking in terms of collateral crime. If we didn't have large segments of law inforcement chasing casual users we might actually gain the benefit of having police trying to stop actual crimes committed rather than the largely victimless crime of substance abuse. Additionally the tax revenue general from taxing substances would help fund these efforts more efficiently. The negative effect of such a plan would actually be reduced income in some of the poorest neighborhoods in the country as you would eliminate the primary source of income for many. This could in turn result in an increased crime rate.

Answer 2

When you see the neighborhood dope dealer give your 10 year old a "sample" of cocaine, tell me how its a victimless crime. Drugs have proliferated in our school systems down to the 3rd and 4th grade levels in many areas. There is no justification for selling illegal narcotics. Again, proliferation of the problem should tell you its not a victimless crime.

The fact that many drugs were "legal" a hundred years ago was only due to the fact that we, as humans, knew little about addictive characteristics of certain drugs or the intoxicating effect of certain drugs, or the interaction of certain drugs with other drugs that caused a deadly outcome, etc. Drugs were not made illegal for the sole purpose of generating revenue.

I know the "liberal" thing to do is to create outreach programs, methadone treatment centers and loving and caring support groups, but that doesn't work.

I had a brother that was a heroin addict to the tune of about $100/day and my family got him into a methadone treatment program and NA and tried to get him clean. He later said, the methadone was just a cheaper high, so he didn't have to steal as much for heroin. When he was out of the program, right back to shooting up. It didn't take very long to get back to the $100/day habit. (Keep in mind this was the early 70's, when $100/day was a lot of money).

Answer 3

Considering that things have been going about like Prohibition, yeah, it's long past time to give up on regulating these chemicals as strictly as we do.

All the War on Drugs accomplishes is to make drugs expensive and of highly variable quality (dangerous) - and very, very profitable for the organized criminals who produce and distribute them.

Legalizing them - even if they're still regulated and taxed to the degree that alchohol and tobaco are - would put the criminals out of business, and make the substances comparatively cheap and no more unsafe than they are by thier very nature.

It wouldn't be a great thing, but it'd be better than what we have now.

Anti-smoking campaigns of the past decades have proven successful. Tobaco use has steadily fallen, even though it's legal, while drug use has just shifted among various illegal substances (whatever's trendy at the time) even though it's illegal.

Answer 4

What about the poor mistreated drug addicts receiving SSI?
More then some people will receive after working their entire life!
The symptom is drug abuse, the sickness is selfishness!
Drug addicts are selfish people, don't try blaming society, or the judicial system for that.
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California has a law that doesn't send drug addicts to jail they go to rehab, unless they are selling, or manufacturing.
Society shouldn't be punished for people that want to fry their brains like an egg on a hot skillet.
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I don't know what the statistics are for people doing life terms for drug violations. Each State has their own drug laws
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There are two border patrol agents in prison for trying to stop a drug dealer from entering the country. They didn't file a paper, and now they are criminals??
Trying to make the drug user/dealer the victim, is ridiculous!
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Try living in a neighborhood of drug addicts, and dealers, there you can find out how non violent they are. There you can see what type of neighbors they make.
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The sickness is selfishness! The symptom is drug abuse!

Answer 5

100 years ago..more like only 70 years ago. We should make them legal but they never will because of the $$$$$$$$.
And no governments should not spend 1 dime on treatment for people hooked on drugs.

And for another poster, he didn't say ALL drug offenses were non-violent!

Answer 6

If you think drug users are non violent I worry about you. People kill over drugs all the time. I am for the up against the wall theory. I am for treatment. Once. Second offense, welcome to prison. We sure as hell will never be able to control addicts if they are using on the street without fear. Legalizing it would not solve anything. Addicts would still steal and kill to get drugs. You think legalizing them would make an addict wealthy? I say prison rehab for users, death for dealers.

Answer 7

Yes and no. I certainly wouldn't be for the legalization of addiction forming drugs (especially Heroin and Meth). But for drugs such as Marijuana, Mushrooms, etc. I would say that they should obtain the exact status of alcohol (to include DUI), and be taxed accordingly. Not only would it bring economic prosperity, it would stop people who otherwise would commit no criminal offenses being housed in areas with rapists, murderer's, etc. which in turn has turned innocent pot smokers into hardened criminals at times.

Answer 8

Pretty clear that your argument is based on your desire to use and/or sell and not be jailed. Non violent drug cases? Drug addicts, including crack heads commit numerous collateral crimes against ordinary citizens to fund their habits. When someone is jailed for drugs it does not mean that they were just sitting around snorting one day and the cops came in and got them. Druggies come to the cops atttention in many ways. Way would I care if the police confiscate cars and houses and cash used in drug deals? I don't and hope they do more. No one goes to prison for the first offense of possession (unless its a lot) so you are trying to paint a picture of Jimmy Buffet just hanging out when in fact the drug world is disease and crime ridden, neglects and abuses children of addicts and destroys families. Thats your non violent crime dude. Get help, get off drugs and off my taxes.

Answer 9

In reference to Tom W's answer: It is clear that you are in law enforcement, or in someway attached to it. If I'm wrong, sorry. In any case, your argument regarding the WOD is one that many closed minded people share. This is not your fault. You have just been brainwashed by the system to belief this way.

I will agree that first time offenses usually carry minor consequences (I have, though, seen major consequences for very little). However, there are those in our society, and all over the world, that are being incarcerated due to their inability to "kick their addictions," or got caught trying to have a "little fun." In both cases, we are talking about good, hard working citizens. Case in point, a young woman, 23 yrs of age, first time offense, college grad, non-violent, good work ethic... was sentenced to 10 years for having a sheet of LSD. Is this the kind of person we want to be in our prison system? Yet, this kind of thing happens ALL the time. These are the kind of people that deserve a little more lieniency. Shouldn't we be paying more attention to rapists, murderers, pedifiles...? It would make more sense.

We are treating addicted individuals like hardened criminals, when in fact all live for is just to get their next fix, whatever way they can. Yes. They rob and steal to do so, but when are we going to accept that it is the need for that drug that is driving them to do so, and not who they are as a person? This is a matter of ethics. Then again, there are no ethics in war, no matter what "war" we're talking about.

The bottom line is that there are non-violent people in our prisons, and most of them are there because they are trying to support their habits, as well as feed themselves. Check to see how many of these very same non-violent people have been in and out of our prisons related to drugs, then ask yourself as to whether or not you would want to be one of those people. No? Well, I think that they feel the same way. Who would want to live on the streets and have to steal to get money for drugs or food? Nobody. Hence, the addiction/disease.

Some would like to argue that it is not the drug that makes these people "go bad," but that it's the person's addictive personality/make-up. How can we continue to put people in our prisons because they have addictive personalities? Is this just? FYI, there are federal judges, Nuns, teachers, lawyers, doctors... for example, that are addicted to Heroin, as well as other drugs, yet they continue to live a productive life-style. What will you say to them? I will agree that there are drugs out there that should never be legalized, but it's important to remember that the WOD will continue just as long as there are human beings that choose to do them. We will never, ever, put an end to the distribution of drugs on our streets. No matter what you do or say, drugs will be pervasive and permeate every corner and every crevice of our world. Well, I guess we'll be at war with our own people for quite some time. As for me, as well as others, I vote for rehabilitation, which we are finally beginning to address.

For more information on the WOD:

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/prison.htm

Answer 10

I go for putting them up against the wall and shooting them. It is clear the war on drugs is a farce. Look up Campeon and Ramos. 2 border patrol agents that tried to stop an illegal immigrant mexican drug smuggler from crossing into the United States