How to solve the drug problem

[tyrius.]

Meanwhile 30-50 people are being shot every weekend in the city.

Wait I thought that guns were banned in Chicago!!!!   

That's a separate topic though.   

I live in the "great" state of IL too.  Nothing like having governor's going to jail back to back, maybe Blago and Ryan can share a cell.

[grimlin]

Last weekend I was fishing one of my spots.Somebody was smoking a blunt about 10-20 yards away from me...It was very displeasing to smell and concentrate on fishing without getting high off the smell as well.To me this is a lack of respect to everybody on the lake including people with kids.

I don't see legalization a logical choice here....because people are going to be too hard headed even if it was and won't follow the rules that might even come with legalizations.

I say it all the time to people..if you want to smoke go live in Amsterdam.

[Nice_Bass]

Make MJ legal- tax and regulate it.  Use the money not spent in rounding up and prosecuting the mj users and put it towards the hard dangerous drugs. 

[SirSnookalot]

In my opinion to solve the drug problem is to eliminate the market, no market no illegal drugs coming in( in reality that's not going to happen).  The majority of efforts have been in trying to stop the flow instead of stopping the need or desire, not all drug users are addicts.  In the hierarchy of the drug business a death sentence is of no consequence as other lords and even people in their own cartels are always gunning for them...they have no fear of any judicial system, plus the money to hire the best attorneys.  I have no problem legalizing reefer but not other drugs.  I don't think the drug problem will ever be solved.

Another problem seldom talked about is over scripting by prescription happy writing Dr's prescribing pain pills.  It is very easy to obtain a host of prescription drugs over the Internet without a written prescription, only to mention your Dr's name, which is never checked out, I've done this myself.  These drugs are American made for foreign markets, same stuff but cheaper.

[Red Bear]

you cant solve the drug problem either way you go

[preach4bass]

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).

Naturally, if we reform our judicial system, we would have to reform our prison system as well.  There's a sheriff out in Arizona that has some pretty cost effective solutions to this problem.

[Glenn]

This is quickly turning into one of those "debates without answers" kind of threads.

[bweave09]

I believe I'll just have a beer. You can have your crack.

[I.rar]

i say legalize it.

go norml.

[brushhoggin]

legalizing everything could be the a way to enforce survival of the fittest. ;D

seriously though, i don't know about legalizing everything, if they legalized crack, i would still know it wasn't for me. So would all of us who are in our right minds. I haven't touched pot since college, but it's almost completely harmless compared to alcohol, don't care what any one from the reefer madness generation says or thinks... i don't condone pot use but if i busted my kid with it, i wouldn't send him to rehab.

[Bassn Blvd]

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

Not going to happen. 

You think our economy is bad now?  Do away with the cocaine trade and see how bad it gets. It would go straight to 

[bassnleo]

This is quickly turning into one of those "debates without answers" kind of threads.

Yup, because it's too closely linked to politics.....

[Bigs]

[bweave09]

"I am not for hard drugs being legal cuz that is just plain stupid but weed on the other hand, I cant find much bad to say about it other then that it kills motivation but so does sitting around and playing video games or watching tv"

so does this thread... :

[BassThumb]

Marijuana is the cash cow of almost all drug trafficking organizations. Take away their weed profits, and they'll be crippled. Taxing marijuana would generate huge amounts of tax revenue. I know my state could use it, how about you?

Hell no!! to legalizing hard drugs! Anybody who believes this is the solution has never seen the downfall of a good person who is hooked on powders.

[I.rar]

wait , what?

are we talking about legalizing marijuana or hard drugs in general? you have to be a fool to not realize the benefits that would come from legalizing pot. clothes/fabrics , foods , fuel , paints and tons of other things can come from the hemp plant. cancer and other patients with serious illnesses prefer to ingest/smoke pot to feel normal rather than take those pills that eat away kidneys and livers or chemo , or whatever else they are doing to those poor people. it would obviously be cheaper too.

now there would need to be a degree of education in schools about it just like they do with alcohol. its not for everybody. alcohol is legal , not everyone drinks. if pot were to be legal , what makes someone think that everyone and their kids will be on it? :

also think about the money we would save by not sending kids to jail or prison for possession charges. i think we could use that money right about now...dont you?

[Gone_Phishin]

wait , what?

are we talking about legalizing marijuana or hard drugs in general? you have to be a fool to not realize the benefits that would come from legalizing pot. clothes/fabrics , foods , fuel , paints and tons of other things can come from the hemp plant. cancer and other patients with serious illnesses prefer to ingest/smoke pot to feel normal rather than take those pills that eat away kidneys and livers or chemo , or whatever else they are doing to those poor people. it would obviously be cheaper too.

now there would need to be a degree of education in schools about it just like they do with alcohol. its not for everybody. alcohol is legal , not everyone drinks. if pot were to be legal , what makes someone think that everyone and their kids will be on it? :

also think about the money we would save by not sending kids to jail or prison for possession charges. i think we could use that money right about now...dont you?

And the space too.  It's a sad thing when violent criminals are given reduced sentences, because the prison system is full of non-violent pot dealers.

[Bassn Blvd]

wait , what?

are we talking about legalizing marijuana or hard drugs in general? you have to be a fool to not realize the benefits that would come from legalizing pot. clothes/fabrics , foods , fuel , paints and tons of other things can come from the hemp plant. cancer and other patients with serious illnesses prefer to ingest/smoke pot to feel normal rather than take those pills that eat away kidneys and livers or chemo , or whatever else they are doing to those poor people. it would obviously be cheaper too.

now there would need to be a degree of education in schools about it just like they do with alcohol. its not for everybody. alcohol is legal , not everyone drinks. if pot were to be legal , what makes someone think that everyone and their kids will be on it? :

also think about the money we would save by not sending kids to jail or prison for possession charges. i think we could use that money right about now...dont you?

And the space too. It's a sad thing when violent criminals are given reduced sentences, because the prison system is full of non-violent pot dealers.

1st of all, the prison systems aren't full of non-violent pot heads. 

2nd of all, I can't think of anyone being sentenced to prison for possession of a joint.

3rdly, If you think violence isn't associated with the cultivation and transportation of tons of marijuana then you live a sheltered life. 

Even though possession of marijuana is illegal, I don't see our judicial system handing down stiff penalties for use/possession of weed.  By possession I mean a couple ounces or even a pound unless you are a career criminal.

Legalizing the plant isn't going to stop people from growing it on their own because I guarantee the government will have a limit on the amount of THC that can be contained in the weed.  You can get a much higher THC level growing it yourself then what you can by over the counter at the 7/11.

[I.rar]

in some states , like florida , possession of less than an ounce is punishable of up to 5 years.

obviously people will grow it themselves. but not everyone has a green thumb. it may be easier for them to go to the corner store.

if its legal and grown here in the states. why would dealers find it elsewhere? maybe then the authorities will focus more on the kilos of herion being brought in.

this argument has been beaten to death many times on many internet forums and it never goes anywhere. some people feel the way they do and wont change. thats fine with me, but there is a reason why millions of people are trying to legalize/decriminalize pot and not heroin , coke , meth , etc...

[Bassn Blvd]

in some states , like florida , possession of less than an ounce is punishable of up to 5 years.

obviously people will grow it themselves. but not everyone has a green thumb. it may be easier for them to go to the corner store.

if its legal and grown here in the states. why would dealers find it elsewhere? maybe then the authorities will focus more on the kilos of herion being brought in.

this argument has been beaten to death many times on many internet forums and it never goes anywhere. some people feel the way they do and wont change. thats fine with me, but there is a reason why millions of people are trying to legalize/decriminalize pot and not heroin , coke , meth , etc...

In FLORIDA, possession of marijuana under 20 grams in a misdemeanor.  Possession of 21 grams up to 25 pounds carries the same penalty, which is a felony.

And I'll bet you cant find ANYONE who was sentenced to jail for a year, or even 6 months, who got caught with an ounce of pot and it was their 1st or 2nd offense.

[I.rar]

And I'll bet you cant find ANYONE who was sentenced to jail for a year, or even 6 months, who got caught with an ounce of pot and it was their 1st or 2nd offense.

if thats the case , why not decriminalize it?

alot of the pot smokers being arrested are going through treatment programs to get the charges dropped where someone like a cocaine addict with benefit more. there is no physical addiction with smoking pot. ive never seen or heard of a stoner robbing their dealers house to get a 'fix'. or shoot up the place for some odd reason.

:-?

[Bassn Blvd]

I'm not saying I'm for or against making it legal.  I guess I could care less. 

Just because YOU haven't heard of a stoner or robbing someone for their fix doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

I would imagine if it were ever to be legalized, it would still be illegal for YOU /US to grow it.  And it will probably be illegal to possess over a certain weight, like for example 20 grams or more. 

[I.rar]

i guess it can happen. probably has and will happen again too , but not to the same degree as other harder drug related crimes.

who knows what will happen if or when they do something about it. time will tell.

[slonezp]

I don't know about everybodys local situation but in Chicago and its suburbs the streetgangs run a good percentage of the drug trade. Politicians and police may or may not be paid off by gang members. Do you think the gangs are going to hand over their profits to the government. I don't think so. There's too much politics involved in the whole debate. All the potheads care about is getting high. They have a little more intelligence than the hard drug users. The crackheads, hypes, and methheads are too whacked out to even know whats going on.

Someone posted "It's survival of the fittest."

Let the idiots kill each other or sit at home playing video games and eating Cheetos. AS LONG AS IT"S NOT ON MY DIME, I don't care. I will continue to work to support and protect myself and my family, be a contributing member of society, and pray for the idiots.

[Gone_Phishin]

in some states , like florida , possession of less than an ounce is punishable of up to 5 years.

obviously people will grow it themselves. but not everyone has a green thumb. it may be easier for them to go to the corner store.

if its legal and grown here in the states. why would dealers find it elsewhere? maybe then the authorities will focus more on the kilos of herion being brought in.

this argument has been beaten to death many times on many internet forums and it never goes anywhere. some people feel the way they do and wont change. thats fine with me, but there is a reason why millions of people are trying to legalize/decriminalize pot and not heroin , coke , meth , etc...

In FLORIDA, possession of marijuana under 20 grams in a misdemeanor. Possession of 21 grams up to 25 pounds carries the same penalty, which is a felony.

And I'll bet you cant find ANYONE who was sentenced to jail for a year, or even 6 months, who got caught with an ounce of pot and it was their 1st or 2nd offense.

Even if this is the case, that doesn't necessarily make them a violent criminal.

In my original statement, I was not referring to petty possession.

I also wasn't referring to people in the major trade for dirt weed, rather the growers you spoke about. You are correct about the whole THC content thing.

I guess what I'm trying to say was touched upon by sqhertz: a lot of states have very stiff marijuana laws. So Joe Pothead who six or seven plants going for his/her stash, as well as his/her friends', will serve time.

No, these people are not going to get 25-life, but they are still receiving significant sentences, thus adding to the bloated prison system