In the midst of Clinton heading to mexico to discuss drug policy, gun import/export, etc. I couldn't notice Obama's town hall comments about this. When the notion of legalization of drugs was mentioned, the entire place laughed and it was dismissed as 'this is who is on the internet.' The fact is that this entire 'drug war' is much more of a plague on society than the drugs themselves (much like the 'war on terror' vs. actually terrorist acts). We have more people in prison than any other country, including china, both in proportion and population. Many of these are for nonviolent, victimless crimes. Meanwhile, private prisons are one of the few sectors turning a profit, and prison labor is used for just about anything these days. Let me restate that: people are making a profit off of imprisoning human beings and using their labor with little to no compensation.
What do you think gives these 'drug cartels' so much power? Could it be that marijauna is one of the largest cash crops, providing them billions in untaxed revenue? Prohibition has never worked and it never will. Think about what motivates you. Do you not do something simply because it's illegal? Knowing the dangers and risks involved, would you really smoke crystal meth if it were legal? Does knowing something is illegal really deter you? I'm sure we've all had speeding tickets, rode bikes down one way streets, downloaded music, etc. You simply have to look to the netherlands to see that legalization of drugs does not increase use, its population smokes less marijuana than americans. We live in a society where it is easier for minors to procure illegal drugs than alcohol. Does a dealer care if you're 8 years old? No, but the ABC store clerk certainly does. The only thing that makes any drug a 'gateway' drug is that you have to go to a shady dealer to get it, and they will probably offer other drugs that they have. There's nothing inherent in any drug that makes it a 'gateway' drug, other than prohibition. We are putting money in the hands of drug dealers, putting children at risk, and spending billions that we obviously don't have, all to fight a war that can never be won.
thanks to eva who sent the below picture and spurred this rant.
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