My attitude towards Drug Dealers is quite simple:

If they are dealing to support a habit then they get jailed.
If they are dealing to make money then they get hanged.

When it comes to hardcore addicts we should either:

Contain and control their habit by prescribing a controlled amount to them (which would come with enforced conditions with regards to conduct, where they live, place of work, probation etc)thus keeping them out of the dealers hands.

or,

Employ the "foot and mouth" option.


And yes, I expect that to upset a few people....

"...you can't overdose on marijuana..."

I'm not sure about that, but I do know (from experience), that smoking marijuana and driving kills just as fast as drinking and driving. Imparment is imparment.

And, if you can get one to answer truthfully, most (all) herion (or other drug) addicts will tell you that they started with marijuana, then moved on to the big stuff. And being hooked on the hard stuff causes robberies, burgularies, prostitution, you name it, anything to get the money for another fix...

You do make a good case why marijuana shouldn't be legalized. As you say, alcohol, which is legal, causes far more accidents. I can't imagine how many more accidents, and deaths, would be caused if marijuana were to be legalized.

I would be the last person to minimize the harm that people who abuse alcohol do in this country but I'll point out some facts that lend some perspective to an alcohol vs. marijuana debate.

The vast majority of people that use alcohol on a regular basis (weekly or more) do not drink to the point of impairment while the same can not be said of marijuana users. In fact, marijuana users always use to the point of impairment if possible.

Less than 5% of people that use alcohol regularly become problem drinkers or alcoholics and even less ever go on to use other drugs. Not so with marijuana, the majority of people that use even occasionally will go on to use other more obviously addictive and harmful drugs.

The number of convicted criminals of ALL kinds that have never used marijuana is statistically insignificant while less than 1% of people that use alcohol will ever be convicted of any type of crime.

"The number of convicted criminals of ALL kinds that have never used marijuana is statistically insignificant while less than 1% of people that use alcohol will ever be convicted of any type of crime."

(Just arguing to be arguing)
Other than manslaughter? I guess 16,000-17,000 dead per year isn't much in the overall scheme of things, unless you're their victim, or a member of your family is. How about counting the quarter-million that were just injured? Being turned into a quadraplegic is an injury, they say.

Personally, I think people should be allowed to ingest anything they want, in any amount they want, as long as they stay put to do it and don't hurt anyone else. If they overdose and kill themselves, so what?

Suppose DUI offenders had their vehicles automatically confiscated if they fail a breath or blood test? "That isn't fair," shriek the drinkers. Fair? EXCUSE ME???

And suppose that meant ANY car they were driving, no matter who the owner was? If it's their own car, great! How many can they afford to lose? And if it's their wife/SO's? Tough luck, sweetie. Ever heard of the word 'enabling'? Hide the keys next time. Borrow a friend's car? HA! Take that one, too! How many times will that friend loan out a car to a drunk or known-drinker friend?

Prohibition didn't work. The War on Drugs didn't work. Let them have the crap, but if they hurt someone, THEY HAVE TO PAY. No exceptions, no plea bargains. And they should have to pay their victims, too. Like child support. The current business of drink/drive/kill/no penalty/repeat is totally insane.

Of course, this would never happen, because the people who make the laws drink and drive. They don't want to pay the piper. They need a good introduction to the real world, which is outside that fantasy land they live in now.

And if you drink and drive... that... means... you... too.

Sue

Well said...

"...as long as they stay put to do it and don't hurt anyone else..."

I'll buy that.

"...THEY HAVE TO PAY. No exceptions, no plea bargains..."

I would love to see that one, but fat chance of it happening in my lifetime, or until all county jails are Army tents like Sheriff Joe uses.

"...the people who make the laws drink and drive..."

Sad but pretty much true...

You have a lot of questions Susan and I don't have all the answers but I'll take a shot at a couple.



Because active alcoholics have lost the ability to choose whether or not they will drink alcohol and when or how much they will drink (in much the same way that drug addicts have lost their ability to choose regarding the use of drugs). They live with the delusion that they still have a choice, can "control" it or that they "quit forever" the last time they got into trouble. No matter the consequences or harm they cause to others, that delusion is unshakable in some.



Not enough good to mitigate the harm that would result.



People start out "wanting" to try drugs, addicts and alcoholics use regardless of what they "want".



Recovery is possible for any alcoholic or addict possessing the ability to learn to be honest with themselves and the willingness to do what it takes to recover. There will always be some people who abuse drugs and alcohol, legalizing drugs would just dramatically increase the number of non-abusers that will suffer because of the actions of abusers as well as the costs to society.



Some pushers will still push, they'll just focus their marketing on those that can not legally obtain the drugs like kids or those that want more than regulations will allow.

As I stated previously Susan, "I would be the last person to minimize the harm that people who abuse alcohol do in this country..."

I agree with you that the less than 1% of drinkers that do cause harm should be prevented from ever causing harm again and made to pay restitution to those they have harmed.

I do not agree that drugs should be legalized. If drug users would "stay put" now while using or impaired, it's unlikely that they would ever be arrested but the fact is that they don't and they won't if drugs are legalized. The other problem is that drug users are rarely much in the wage earning department and the fact that some burger-flipping stoner is court ordered to pay you $100,000 for killing your child in an accident would be of little comfort or actual compensation.

Plus, that burger flipper doesn't make enough money to buy what he/she wants, so here come the robberies, burgularies, etc etc etc...