How to solve the drug problem

[bass or bass ?]

Ending this problem is very simple. End prohibition. The gang violence ended after alcohol prohibition was repealed. Legalize, control, and tax. End of problem.

[Dan:]

Ending this problem is very simple. End prohibition. The gang violence ended after alcohol prohibition was repealed. Legalize, control, and tax. End of problem.

...only to begin a new problem of increased heroin and cocaine usage...

[preach4bass]

Ending this problem is very simple. End prohibition. The gang violence ended after alcohol prohibition was repealed. Legalize, control, and tax. End of problem.

Yea, that's a great idea.  Since the end of prohibition on alcohol, 16,000 people die each year from drunk drivers.  Legalizing drugs would be much worse.  More people would try some of the "harder" stuff while they were young and dumb.  The more who tried it, the more who would be hooked.  Even if they could walk into Wal-Mart and buy an ounce of crack, the'd be too doped up to keep a job, so they wouldn't have money to buy it, and would end up stealing/killing to get their fix.

In other words, legalizing drugs is a stupid idea.

[Hookemdown.]

Ending this problem is very simple. End prohibition. The gang violence ended after alcohol prohibition was repealed. Legalize, control, and tax. End of problem.

I'll probably be bashed for this, but I agree with you 100%.  And the "hardest" thing I've ever had was a half of a beer.

[Long Mike]

We already have a problem with heroin, cocaine and marijuana abuse and have had it for umpteen years.  We also have a problem with alcohol abuse and have had it for umpteen years.  Alcohol prohibition was a dismal failure, as are the other drug prohibitions.  Bass or Bass is right.  Legalize, control and tax.

[seyone]

We already have a problem with heroin, cocaine and marijuana abuse and have had it for umpteen years. We also have a problem with alcohol abuse and have had it for umpteen years. Alcohol prohibition was a dismal failure, as are the other drug prohibitions. Bass or Bass is right. Legalize, control and tax.

I agree, take the money away you take their power away.

[Dan:]

and then when they move onto kidnapping and human trafficking as their primary source of income?

[fourbizz]

Drug dealers get the death penalty on their first strike.

Problem solved ;D

[Long Mike]

and then when they move onto kidnapping and human trafficking as their primary source of income?

When that happens the cartel will cease to become a viable entity in the Western world.

[preach4bass]

Drug dealers get the death penalty on their first strike.

Problem solved ;D

I'd vote for a man who ran on that platform. ;D

[Hookemdown.]

Wow.  I'm surprised to see other people agree with me for once.  ;D

But seriously, the "legalize, control, tax" mentality is growing...at least in my neck of the woods.  We're even seeing a growth of politicians (Gary Johnson, et al) who are leaning this way.  Whatever the case may be, the current system isn't working.

[tyrius.]

More people would try some of the "harder" stuff while they were young and dumb.

Why?  If someone wants to try it now finding it isn't all that difficult.  So, what's stopping them now?  There is no evidence to back up your statement.

In other words, legalizing drugs is a stupid idea.

It's the only idea that makes sense.  The "war on drugs" is a dismal failure.  Always has been and always will be.  The "war on drugs" simply increases the amount of violence in the drug trade.  Legalize it, regulate it, and tax it and the amount of violence would drop precipitously.

[tyrius.]

Since the end of prohibition on alcohol, 16,000 people die each year from drunk drivers.

Oh, and how many died each year during prohibition due to the gang/mob violence directly attributable to prohibition?

[b.Lee]

In before lock? Hopefully this stays decent

[fishfordollars]

and then when they move onto kidnapping and human trafficking as their primary source of income?

Heck, they are allready doing this. Mexico city is the kidnap capital of the world. Phoenix, Arizona is a close second.

[bigfruits]

im undecided on this one. of course it would lessen violence but do we really want heroin readily available to all?

legalizing marijuana is a no brainer. tax it. maybe it will keep people off the alcohol!

[Matt Fly]

There is noway I'll ever vote to legalize hard drugs, pot is the cash cow and the only drug on the ballot to be legalized in this discussion.

   

[bassnleo]

I've got ideas on how to solve the drug problem, none of them involves legalizing.

[Dan:]

and then when they move onto kidnapping and human trafficking as their primary source of income?

Heck, they are allready doing this. Mexico city is the kidnap capital of the world. Phoenix, Arizona is a close second.

yes, and without drug money it will likely become their "primary source of income"

[preach4bass]

Since the end of prohibition on alcohol, 16,000 people die each year from drunk drivers.

Oh, and how many died each year during prohibition due to the gang/mob violence directly attributable to prohibition?

Probably not as many as die in DD accidents today.  And, as far as violence goes, you can't possibly believe that the end of prohibition ended alcohol related violence.  Have you never heard of a bar fight?  How about a drunk beating his wife?  No drunken women abusing their kids in your neck of the woods?  Legalizing drugs would do the same thing to the violence level.

Legalizing it is not the answer.  4Bizz was on to something though (even if we remove the death penalty from the conversation).  If we actually enforced the laws that are currently in place, and the judicial system did their part to keep the dealers in prison, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion.  Just yesterday our local newspaper had 16 people on the front cover who were busted for dealing the day before.  Most of those 16 dealers looked familiar, because they have been on the front page of the paper for the same thing before (some of them several times). >  We don't need legalization of drugs, we need a judicial system that will truly penalize dealers.

[preach4bass]

More people would try some of the "harder" stuff while they were young and dumb.

Why? If someone wants to try it now finding it isn't all that difficult. So, what's stopping them now? There is no evidence to back up your statement.

The evidence to back up my statement can be found in the nations who have made the mistake of legalizing drugs. The percentage of people using went up once the drugs were legalized.  Here's just one link with some statistics:

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/myths/myths4.htm

[tyrius.]

We don't need legalization of drugs, we need a judicial system that will truly penalize dealers.

Is everyone else willing to pay for this?  Incarcerating people is EXPENSIVE.  We can't afford to fund our schools as we should and we're definately underfunded in the prison system.  When you don't even have enough cells to hold the prisoners it's even more expensive to incarcerate more (build new prisons).

[tyrius.]

The evidence to back up my statement can be found in the nations who have made the mistake of legalizing drugs. The percentage of people using went up once the drugs were legalized. Here's just one link with some statistics:

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/myths/myths4.htm

Here's one a bit more recent.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2009/07/how_portugal_treats_drug_addic.html

And I don't think that most people who are for legalization are for complete unfettered access to whatever drug one wants. 

History is clear that the "War on Drugs" is a failure so why continue to behave as if it will work?  It's time to try something new.

[slonezp]

We don't need legalization of drugs, we need a judicial system that will truly penalize dealers.

Is everyone else willing to pay for this? Incarcerating people is EXPENSIVE. We can't afford to fund our schools as we should and we're definately underfunded in the prison system. When you don't even have enough cells to hold the prisoners it's even more expensive to incarcerate more (build new prisons).

Here in Illinois (Chicago)they're releasing non violent drug offenders every day because there is no money or room in the prisons to take care of them. Our state is running on a 12 billion dollar deficit. There isn't any money to enforce the laws. IMO those in charge really don't care about the drug problem because it doesn't affect them. Meanwhile 30-50 people are being shot every weekend in the city. Mostly gang related, and drugs are what fund the gangs.

[Captain Obvious]

Can't make them legal, And it sure ain't helping keeping them illegal.

We created this monster. Europe doesn't have half the alchol problems we have, yet they drink more than we do. Why?

Its because there is no better marketing for vice, then when you make it illegal.

If you legalize it now the problem will fix itself....in like a hundred years when no one remembers when it was illegal.

The problem with alcohol is that they never made it completely legal with the 21 drinking age. So it still is a type of a forbidden fruit and we still see the effects of it today.

I just hope they come up with a solution because it getting dangerous in my neck of the woods. Just last week they found a pot farm valued at $6 million next to lake Ray Roberts. And you don't fish the bank of Red River between TX and OK unless you have a gun.