I would love to hear the reasoning on how the rally cry of “decriminalize drugs” will reduce drug usage, wipe away our debts, stop drug violence, and turn the drug lords into “law abiding” capatilists.
I see a Fed Gov’t salivating over taxing drugs, and continually raising those taxes to feed their voratious spending appetites (see cigarettes). I see the drug lords undercutting that at every opportunity and fighting for the rights amonst themselves to do so.
I see more people being addicted to drugs, committing more crime to support their habits, and more people draining our social programs (Leftist dream) as they go through rehab. Just like when Indian casinos sprouted everywhere and Gov’t allowed Riverboat casinos to pop up everywhere, more and more families were devastated by family members gambling their homes/marriages away.
I just don’t see it as the miracle cure that many do.
o.O . So, is there another reason why Miss Mexico has to be drawn with an assault rifle than Mr. Ramirez wanting to conflate anything and everything to come out of Mexico with violent crime?
Spicy- keep seeing the “value” of pot plants at thousands $ per plant- grow them legally at home- about $4 a plant. Put hard users in treatment programs, or support their habits, and “legal” price drops to about $30 a year for heroin or hard narcotics- narcotics are among the CHEAPEST prescription drugs!! Meth is a dirty substance, pushed on the populace as an early shot at “weight reduction” with amphetamines. The drug companies made (and still make) bundles of money.
99% of the profit in “illegal drugs” comes from the fact they ARE illegal! Remember Prohibition?
Not saying either drunks or stoners should drive or be doing “hazardous” jobs while on drugs- but it does seem legalization might also reduce greatly gun sales, and the number of armed robberies committed to supply drug habits, or production.
^That sounds just great on paper as it always does from those who want drugs legalized. The unintended consequences are never talked about or considered though.
More regular users and abusers will drain our already strained social programs and gov’t budgets. The stigma of being illegal does keep many from being chronic users. Many more stoners and users will not have the motivation to get a job (or try to make a career out of a job) to support their worthless habit (or stay out of jail on petty crimes) and will live off the taxpayers who are productive. I see it every day trying to run a business and constantly hire employees who jump from job to job just to collect unemployment and food stamps as often as they can. Now that we will be entering into the F’ded up national health care that will morph to single payer by gov’t, the costs will skyrocket to productive society.
We already have way too many innocent people losing their lives on the highways from abuse of (legal) alcohol. I can’t wait to see what those figures would be like with legalized drugs as well. I know many many people who think they can drive just fine stoned. They can’t!
I couldn’t agree more on what Meth does to people and society and how filthy it is.
Spicy you make a bunch of sketchy assumptions.
1) More regular users. - You assume that a lot more people would start using drugs if they weren’t illegal. That is not a safe assumption, certainly not quantifiable.
2)The stigma of illegal keeps people from doing drugs - I doubt it. Knowing what drugs do to you is a bigger motivational tool for not doing drugs.
3) The stoners I know are productive members of society. The biggest stoner I’ve ever known is a PhD in Physics working for micro-chip makers.
4) Unemployment could/should be tied to clean pee tests as well as welfare of any kind.
5) Your bit about the people you see jumping jobs for food stamps is a non-sequitur.
6) Again you assume that more people will be driving drugged up than are currently driving high. Along w/ decriminalization the penalties for DUI should go up too.
7) Anyone with a phone drives worse than stoners I’ve known. (anecdotal I grant you…)
8) If a drug policy were comprehensive it would include education about drugs. Lesson 1 - If you’re tempted to do meth, just kill yourself now and save your loved ones the pain. Meth is often taken by coke/crack addicts who can no longer afford coke/crack and move on to meth which is much cheaper and more potent.
And seriously man, the prohibition is where the money is at. De-criminalize some/most drugs and the outrageous profits will disappear.
Lalas, the violence will be over with decriminalization?
1) Are you quantifying how much better things will be or how many users there will be with decriminalization? If you can go to Walgreens and buy a bag of skittles and a bag of something, you don’t think more people will use more often? Will less people drink now and just get blasted on cheap narcotics?
2) “I doubt it” is your definitive rebuttal on point 2?
3) You know a few stoners. Ok, but that is anecdotal and no indication of the entire population.
4) Pee tests are easy enough to get around and do not stop fraud in social programs where they are instituted now.
5) They are jumping jobs because all they really care about is lying around and going out and getting drunk or partying. It is a cost to society. You can’t quantify that this won’t happen or increase.
6) DUI penalties don’t deter hardcore users, even when they are increased.
7) Cell phone usage is a non-sequitur.
8) We already have education about drugs as we do about drinking and driving. I don’t see where more will do that much good. If we have more and more people are put through it because of arrests or addictions then social costs go up. Again I agree 100% on the Meth comments.
I have not been trying to say that there will be no benefits from decriminalization. I just believe there will be many more detriments and unintended consequences as there always are on big change in policies.
Jaedabee Premium Member over 13 years ago
One thing the countries of the world can agree on: the exploitation of women.
worldisacomic over 13 years ago
Viva La Mexico! and the blood that flows. CLOSE THE FREAKIN BORDER ALREADY!
lalas over 13 years ago
Decriminalize drugs already! This won’t end until the insane profits to be reaped from “illegal” drugs has ended.
whhaymd over 13 years ago
That’s rather unkind to this young women.
Redeemd over 13 years ago
An evening gown and an AK47. She’s got my vote.
pirate227 over 13 years ago
She had me at AK47.
alan.gurka over 13 years ago
You should have seen her in the swim suit trials–she killed the competition there, too.
SpicyNacho Premium Member over 13 years ago
I would love to hear the reasoning on how the rally cry of “decriminalize drugs” will reduce drug usage, wipe away our debts, stop drug violence, and turn the drug lords into “law abiding” capatilists.
I see a Fed Gov’t salivating over taxing drugs, and continually raising those taxes to feed their voratious spending appetites (see cigarettes). I see the drug lords undercutting that at every opportunity and fighting for the rights amonst themselves to do so.
I see more people being addicted to drugs, committing more crime to support their habits, and more people draining our social programs (Leftist dream) as they go through rehab. Just like when Indian casinos sprouted everywhere and Gov’t allowed Riverboat casinos to pop up everywhere, more and more families were devastated by family members gambling their homes/marriages away.
I just don’t see it as the miracle cure that many do.
4uk4ata over 13 years ago
o.O . So, is there another reason why Miss Mexico has to be drawn with an assault rifle than Mr. Ramirez wanting to conflate anything and everything to come out of Mexico with violent crime?
Dtroutma over 13 years ago
Spicy- keep seeing the “value” of pot plants at thousands $ per plant- grow them legally at home- about $4 a plant. Put hard users in treatment programs, or support their habits, and “legal” price drops to about $30 a year for heroin or hard narcotics- narcotics are among the CHEAPEST prescription drugs!! Meth is a dirty substance, pushed on the populace as an early shot at “weight reduction” with amphetamines. The drug companies made (and still make) bundles of money.
99% of the profit in “illegal drugs” comes from the fact they ARE illegal! Remember Prohibition?
Not saying either drunks or stoners should drive or be doing “hazardous” jobs while on drugs- but it does seem legalization might also reduce greatly gun sales, and the number of armed robberies committed to supply drug habits, or production.
SpicyNacho Premium Member over 13 years ago
^That sounds just great on paper as it always does from those who want drugs legalized. The unintended consequences are never talked about or considered though.
More regular users and abusers will drain our already strained social programs and gov’t budgets. The stigma of being illegal does keep many from being chronic users. Many more stoners and users will not have the motivation to get a job (or try to make a career out of a job) to support their worthless habit (or stay out of jail on petty crimes) and will live off the taxpayers who are productive. I see it every day trying to run a business and constantly hire employees who jump from job to job just to collect unemployment and food stamps as often as they can. Now that we will be entering into the F’ded up national health care that will morph to single payer by gov’t, the costs will skyrocket to productive society.
We already have way too many innocent people losing their lives on the highways from abuse of (legal) alcohol. I can’t wait to see what those figures would be like with legalized drugs as well. I know many many people who think they can drive just fine stoned. They can’t!
I couldn’t agree more on what Meth does to people and society and how filthy it is.
lalas over 13 years ago
Spicy you make a bunch of sketchy assumptions. 1) More regular users. - You assume that a lot more people would start using drugs if they weren’t illegal. That is not a safe assumption, certainly not quantifiable.
2)The stigma of illegal keeps people from doing drugs - I doubt it. Knowing what drugs do to you is a bigger motivational tool for not doing drugs.
3) The stoners I know are productive members of society. The biggest stoner I’ve ever known is a PhD in Physics working for micro-chip makers.
4) Unemployment could/should be tied to clean pee tests as well as welfare of any kind.
5) Your bit about the people you see jumping jobs for food stamps is a non-sequitur.
6) Again you assume that more people will be driving drugged up than are currently driving high. Along w/ decriminalization the penalties for DUI should go up too.
7) Anyone with a phone drives worse than stoners I’ve known. (anecdotal I grant you…)
8) If a drug policy were comprehensive it would include education about drugs. Lesson 1 - If you’re tempted to do meth, just kill yourself now and save your loved ones the pain. Meth is often taken by coke/crack addicts who can no longer afford coke/crack and move on to meth which is much cheaper and more potent.
And seriously man, the prohibition is where the money is at. De-criminalize some/most drugs and the outrageous profits will disappear.
SpicyNacho Premium Member over 13 years ago
Lalas, the violence will be over with decriminalization?
1) Are you quantifying how much better things will be or how many users there will be with decriminalization? If you can go to Walgreens and buy a bag of skittles and a bag of something, you don’t think more people will use more often? Will less people drink now and just get blasted on cheap narcotics?
2) “I doubt it” is your definitive rebuttal on point 2?
3) You know a few stoners. Ok, but that is anecdotal and no indication of the entire population.
4) Pee tests are easy enough to get around and do not stop fraud in social programs where they are instituted now.
5) They are jumping jobs because all they really care about is lying around and going out and getting drunk or partying. It is a cost to society. You can’t quantify that this won’t happen or increase.
6) DUI penalties don’t deter hardcore users, even when they are increased.
7) Cell phone usage is a non-sequitur.
8) We already have education about drugs as we do about drinking and driving. I don’t see where more will do that much good. If we have more and more people are put through it because of arrests or addictions then social costs go up. Again I agree 100% on the Meth comments.
I have not been trying to say that there will be no benefits from decriminalization. I just believe there will be many more detriments and unintended consequences as there always are on big change in policies.