[frank4570]

I am personally of the opinion that we need a drastically different approach to dealing with drugs. So that is my view.

My question is for the people who are in favor of continuing the war on drugs.
Bear with me for a second. I think the war on drugs is only having a very small effect toward the goal of preventing americans from getting drugs. I would guess for every $1 worth of drugs we prevent, $100 gets through. And it costs us $100 in resources to keep out that $1.
That is a terrible return on our money. And it looks to me like we are losing ground. We are not winning.

So if you support the war on drugs, how do you see this going? Are you comfortable with continuing down the same path and just hoping for the best?

[INJoker]

I've never done any "hard" drugs and I have a white-collar job. I don't hang out with drug-users or hard-partiers or scheisters of any kind.

That said, by my own estimate, I could have anything I wanted of good quality delivered to my house by noon in under 3 phone calls for a competitive price.

Again, I do not use drugs, but I fully support legalizing marijuana.

For destructive drugs like meth, however, I think we should take the Singapore approach to dealing with dealers/traffickers.

[vafish]

I think the war on drugs has been as successful as prohibition was.

At least it's made the criminal gangs very successful.

I think if we took all the money spent in the war on drugs and incarcerating drug dealers and spent it on treatment programs instead we would be better off.

[50 Cent]

The thing I've never figured out is a country like Holland - no "War on Drugs" (to say the least) over there but the Dutch don't seem to be falling apart. Heck, seems they have their country more together than Italy or Greece and I haven't heard of them needing a bailout.

Or maybe its just all the tourists that go there for drug holidays??

[vikingsoftpaw]

Originally Posted by 50 Cent

The thing I've never figured out is a country like Holland - no "War on Drugs" (to say the least) over there but the Dutch don't seem to be falling apart. Heck, seems they have their country more together than Italy or Greece and I haven't heard of them needing a bailout.

Or maybe its just all the tourists that go there for drug holidays??

One must factor in the culture. The Dutch are a monoculture. The U.S. is a melting pot, so to speak. Basically, the Dutch are all on the same page. There is social pressure to make something of yourself and not be a slacker.

[frank4570]

Originally Posted by vikingsoftpaw

One must factor in the culture. The Dutch are a monoculture. The U.S. is a melting pot, so to speak. Basically, the Dutch are all on the same page. There is social pressure to make something of yourself and not be a slacker.

That is a HUGE difference between them and us. Cultural differences are very important to the big picture.

[dwhite53]

When you fight a war you FIGHT A WAR!!

If we were serious about this we we'd have tanks and troops in Mexico and Columbia. We don't. We'd be burning down houses, bombing the estancias of the dealers, and taking prisoners.

This isn't a war, we actually even supply the enemy with guns (Fast and Furious). This is a joke. It keeps a lot of money flowing and law enforcement people employed.

We need to just legalize it and deal with it. You could shut down every one of these drug cartels overnight, end the violence, and save countless lives.

It's been forty years and the problems gotten WORSE. Eventually you have to stop.

All the Best,
D. White

[id1otbox]

Originally Posted by dwhite53

When you fight a war you FIGHT A WAR!!

If we were serious about this we we'd have tanks and troops in Mexico and Columbia. We don't. We'd be burning down houses, bombing the estancias of the dealers, and taking prisoners.

This isn't a war, we actually even supply the enemy with guns (Fast and Furious). This is a joke. It keeps a lot of money flowing and law enforcement people employed.

We need to just legalize it and deal with it. You could shut down every one of these drug cartels overnight, end the violence, and save countless lives.

It's been forty years and the problems gotten WORSE. Eventually you have to stop.

All the Best,
D. White

Agreed

[mike1956]

For those who wage it, and those who prosper from it, the war on drugs is very successful.
For the rest of us, it is a war on self: divisive; unwinnable; unsustainable and destructive. The jails are full and the treasuries are overburdened, with no end, or even an objective in sight.

[Steel Head]

To me the war on drugs is a sham-look like your doing something and spend a whole lot of money doing nothing.
A mix of treatment,education and much more effective penalties could help.

[Lethaltxn]

It makes people feel good. And isn't that worth an amount of money?
/sarcasm

[mike1956]

Originally Posted by Lethaltxn

It makes people feel good. And isn't that worth an amount of money?
/sarcasm

It doesn't make me feel good, and I'm a people.

[Lethaltxn]

Originally Posted by mike1956

It doesn't make me feel good, and I'm a people.

You must be one of those heartless right wingers!

[M&P Shooter]

Originally Posted by mike1956

It doesn't make me feel good, and I'm a people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCDnR6Px-co

[Bruce M]

Originally Posted by frank4570

I am personally of the opinion that we need a drastically different approach to dealing with drugs. So that is my view.

...?

Out of curiousity what drastically different approach do you suggest?

[frank4570]

Originally Posted by Bruce M

Out of curiousity what drastically different approach do you suggest?

Probably something along the lines of legalizing pot and increasing money on treatment programs.
Honestly, my approach would simply be to do some research and find out what actually works and move in that direction, screw what people "think" should work. What we are doing doesn't work, but we keep doing it.

When I was in spain kids a lot younger than adults drank alcohol. None of the locals thought it was a big deal. And they were never drunk like the americans were. Maybe there is a lesson in there.

[mike1956]

Originally Posted by Bruce M

Out of curiousity what drastically different approach do you suggest?

De-criminalize drug use across the board and stop making total abstinence a condition for employment, health care, and social services in the form of mandatory drug testing, for starters. Recognize the difference between the recreational pot smoker and the daily heroin addict. Stop treating a voluntary behavior as both a lifelong disease and a criminal activity. Stop lying to children in an attempt to scare them into adopting a totally-abstinent lifestyle. Recognize, at a federal level, the genuine medicinal applications of marijuana. Admit and accept as a society that a small percentage of that society is going to act irresponsibly in their consumption of mind-altering substances, while the overwhelming majority of those who do so, do so moderately.

[frank4570]

Originally Posted by mike1956

Admit and accept as a society that a small percentage of that society is going to act irresponsibly in their consumption of mind-altering substances, while the overwhelming majority of those who do so, do so moderately.

I think that's pretty much it right there. We already have years and years of experience/evidence when looking at the drug alcohol.

[clancy]

When the "War on Drugs" started in the 60's I do not think it was intended to becoem the oppressive, Constitution shredding assualt on the citizens of the US it is now. I have a friend who did 2 years in prison under the Rockefeller Law's in the 70's, all because he had 2 joints. Another friend cashed his Christmas Club check a couple years ago, got stopped for speeding on the way to the mall and had his $2500 confiscated by the police. In the town I once lived in a kid was growing about a half dozen pot plants. His parents home was seized by the police and auctioned off. One old guy cashed in a CD and took the money to a local car dealership to pay cash for a new car. The cops were called and they took his money too. According to the local newspaper, it cost him almost $5000 in lawyer fees to get his $30,000 back.

There is a whole industry that has developed over drug testing. Even the local fast food places and supermarkets are now testing applicants. Our local police departments have become in far too many instances militarized and unapproachable. At least half of the population of our prisons are there for non-violent drug crimes, and violent felons are being given early release to make room for more.

To me, the was on drugs has become a war on the American people and the US Constitution.

[McJohnny]

Originally Posted by clancy

To me, the was on drugs has become a war on the American people and the US Constitution.

Quoted for truth.

[GAFinch]

Originally Posted by clancy

At least half of the population of our prisons are there for non-violent drug crimes, and violent felons are being given early release to make room for more.

70% of prisoners test positive for once a week or greater drug use when they first go in.

[TN.Frank]

They can no more win the war on drugs then they did winning the war on alcohol. They'd be better off spending the money on "just say no" programs in schools and drug treatment programs.

[reset]

I think an interesting aspect of this will be the inevitable clash between medical pot users who are also gun owners. Currently, guns and pot don't mix in the eyes of Federal law. What happens when medical pot users obeying state laws are denied their second amendment rights? Can of complicated worms.

[NMG26]

Originally Posted by mike1956

De-criminalize drug use across the board and stop making total abstinence a condition for employment, health care, and social services in the form of mandatory drug testing, for starters. Recognize the difference between the recreational pot smoker and the daily heroin addict. Stop treating a voluntary behavior as both a lifelong disease and a criminal activity. Stop lying to children in an attempt to scare them into adopting a totally-abstinent lifestyle. Recognize, at a federal level, the genuine medicinal applications of marijuana. Admit and accept as a society that a small percentage of that society is going to act irresponsibly in their consumption of mind-altering substances, while the overwhelming majority of those who do so, do so moderately.

+1

Pie in the sky?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrHUD2XmLN4

[tantrix]

Originally Posted by Bruce M

Out of curiousity what drastically different approach do you suggest?

Shutting the whole damn 'war on drugs' down would be a start.