The "War" on Drugs

[gekko]

I somehow don't think legalizing any drugs will make the black market go away and give our government a boost of money. Somehow I'm not too optimistic that by putting tarifs on drugs, everyone will want to legally import them into the country. I'd imagine they would continue their current successful ways of sneaking it in, and selling it for a lower price.

Even if we did legalize it, I still think much funding would go towards forcing the legal trade of drugs, which doesn't help solve anything.

[KillerGremlin]

I tend to agree, because I could never see legalizing cocaine or heroin or meth. What I can see is decriminalizing marijuana....if Joe Businessman gets busted for having some pot in his possession, and he has no previous criminal record....let the guy go. He's not hurting anyone. Obviously, what the pro-legalization people do not mention is that many people who go to prison on minor drug offenses also have prior offenses or are violating parole. But it's sad when some people go to jail for 20 years over large possession charges and someone who rapes a girl gets paroled out of prison in 2 to 5 years.

[Typhoid]

Maybe it's because I'm from BC, maybe not - but I think weed should be legalized.

Nothing else, just weed.
Maybe it has to do with the fact that here in BC practically everyone and their mother and their mothers father smokes dope. Many kids even smoke it/get it from their parents or have open conversations about it. Many people walk down main roads during the middle of the day and just light up a joint. And these people do not needlessly and senselessly attack one another. Weed here, is seen in a better light than alcohol. Yet it remains illegal. I'm not comparing weed to booze by any means, but I'd definitely compare them to cigarettes.

I say make weed legal, same as cigarettes. Can't buy them until you're 19. Tax the hell out of it. Will there be people still growing their own? Of course. Some people grow tobacco - but if it's legal, the convenience after time will slowly kick in, and people will get used to just walking down to a store to buy a pack of joints. And if they get caught with plants in their back yard for distribution purposes, instead of being seen as a minor criminal (In Canada), the government would then view them as a citizen who is trying to shirk the government of tax dollars. And they tend to crack down on that a lot harder and more efficiently than someone who's growing some seeds.

Everyone expects a quick fix. Things rarely drastically change right away. It takes time.

I tenderly await the day that they legalize pot in Canada, if not only BC. It gets a blind eye turned to in everyday life here so much anyways, that it seems ridiculous that it's still illegal.

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by gekko

I somehow don't think legalizing any drugs will make the black market go away and give our government a boost of money. Somehow I'm not too optimistic that by putting tarifs on drugs, everyone will want to legally import them into the country. I'd imagine they would continue their current successful ways of sneaking it in, and selling it for a lower price.

Even if we did legalize it, I still think much funding would go towards forcing the legal trade of drugs, which doesn't help solve anything.

Unfortunately, history does not agree with you. When prohibition began, organized crime skyrocketed along with the black market for illegal alcohol. It was so prevalent that it affects our culture today. Stock car racing (NASCAR) was created by RUMRUNNERS who used to try and outrun the law to get moonshine up north.

When alcohol was decriminalized, all crime related to it disintegrated and added costs of distribution were adopted by those in the trade, and in fact the taxes on alcohol have been a huge boost state funding.

[gekko]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Unfortunately, history does not agree with you. When prohibition began, organized crime skyrocketed along with the black market for illegal alcohol. It was so prevalent that it affects our culture today. Stock car racing (NASCAR) was created by RUMRUNNERS who used to try and outrun the law to get moonshine up north.

When alcohol was decriminalized, all crime related to it disintegrated and added costs of distribution were adopted by those in the trade, and in fact the taxes on alcohol have been a huge boost state funding.

That's not exactly the same. Alcohol was being produced in America, was made illegal, and then legal again. The main difference was it was being produced here. Some of it still is. Others are made by legitimate corporations in foreign countries, like the wonderful Laphroaig Distillery in Scotland.

I'm sorry, but cocaine is not being distributed around the world by law-abiding corporations, and we don't have any inside the United States which can suddenly sell legally to its citizens. You think they'll just suddenly stop sneaking it into the US and spend some extra money creating fancy packaging to sell it at Wal-Mart and then suddenly pay all the additional fees from the tarifs? I think you're nuts.

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by gekko

That's not exactly the same. Alcohol was being produced in America, was made illegal, and then legal again. The main difference was it was being produced here. Some of it still is. Others are made by legitimate corporations in foreign countries, like the wonderful Laphroaig Distillery in Scotland.

I'm sorry, but cocaine is not being distributed around the world by law-abiding corporations, and we don't have any inside the United States which can suddenly sell legally to its citizens. You think they'll just suddenly stop sneaking it into the US and spend some extra money creating fancy packaging to sell it at Wal-Mart and then suddenly pay all the additional fees from the tarifs? I think you're nuts.

With all due espect, history still doesn't agree with your assertions. Jack Kennedy Sr. became rich smuggling booze in to the US from all over Europe. Most southern moonshine went to Chicago and then distributed west, but the North Eastern megalopolis was fed by Europe.

Now are there still moonshiners up in the hills? Sure, but not many and they don't produce anything worth considering. When black markets are made legal, the black markets for the same product basically disappear. You can make that case for anything from booze to abortion. Its just the power of free markets and choice.

Here is an example that is related to your argument: Will the cocaine farmers in other nations still want to sell their product illegally? Yes, but they aren't taking the risk. Its the distributors/dealers stateside who will demand the above board product because they will reduce their risk of being arrested and jailed from everything ranging from racketeering to tax evasion. They will accept a reduced profit potential for a greatly reduced risk, just like it happened with foreign alcohol after prohibition.

BTW, I'm not saying drugs should be legal. I'm saying that historically the case you're making doesn't hold up, thats all. I'm personally conflicted on the issue of any drugs beyone weed being legaized, and it should be, but hard drugs and halucinogens (which all have lifetime affects and an easily harm others around the user) are a far more difficult matter.

Whats not difficult to decide is whether or not our current efforts have succeeded or failed. Walk on any college campus and you'll see how great a failure our war on drugs has been. What to do about that failure is a more difficult question.