US waves white flag in disastrous 'war on drugs'

I wouldn't start holding my breath over this news. Until there is no profit to be had by continuing the war on drugs, I think it will remain. If they figure out how to tax and distribute legally and cover expenses, there is a chance.(IMHO) I just remember that old adage about if it sounds too good to be true.

most law enforcement officials don't even respect the drug laws beyond the job security it brigs with it.

www.leap.cc

ALL substances need to be legalized to destroy the black market for them,any addicts would be able to legally receive help for their problems.

right now an addict is only another criminal just waiting for the slave camps.(prison industrial complex)

herse my letter to my congresspeople. feel free to reply, forward it to yours and take complete creative freedom with it.

Hello Congressmen/women

I would like to turn your attention to this
article:www.independent.co.uk...


finally some sense. remember guys, its YOU guys every year who spend
trillions of tax dollars on who knows what. I for one cannot stand taxes
as a young working American. As an accountant, I calculated that we pay
25-75% of our money to taxes (federal, state local, sales etc). This is
unacceptable! What is this money being spent on!

I propose competely 100% ending the war on drugs. I talked with my father
tonight, a staunch republican ( I, however, and a Libertarian) and
convinced him of this. Here are a list of benefits of ending the war on
drugs:

1. More tax $$ (since you guys need so much to exist). This could be
taxed as the producers (you'll get 25% of profits+ state and sales tax)
and tax the sellers. 2. Less government jobs (meaning you need less of
our money!) 3. More private sector jobs (including construction for
manufacturing houses, workers for the plants, distributors, businessmen,
medical examiners, and salesmen) 4, and perhaps most importantly, TAKE THE
PROFITS AWAY FROM BAD PEOPLE! Just like with gun control, the only people
suffering are the good people on this one.

Thanks for listening. Remember, you 545 people are responsible for
bankrupting this immensely hard working country. Not us 300 mill, you 545
congressmen and women. Just vote no on all these spending bills, and cut
out the unnecessary. You can do it!

Sincerely,

In Texas, authorities are saying gun trafficking for gangs down in Mexico is increasing. Here in Dallas, the ATF chief is needing a lot more officers for the gun trafficking.

www.dallasnews.com...

[edit on 18-1-2010 by buni11687]

Originally posted by endisnighe
reply to post by KrazyJethro

 

I may have to save this comment of yours for future use.

I never put it down like that, I always just state the basic tenant of Common Law as "hurting another or infringing on another's rights".

Thanks KrazyJethro.

Sure, I'm guessing you liked my ideas?

I've given a good deal of thought, time reading about, and discussing natural rights. I do, however, dispute the idea that a natural right is something that comes at the expense of another by force.

Food stamps, universal healthcare, etc. Just to clarify that point, since force (naturally) typically is a violation in and of itself.

Originally posted by Solomons
reply to post by OpenYourHead

 

Why simply marijuana if i may ask? And humans have been using drugs for all of our recorded history and probably before that aswell. There is nothing wrong with them when used in moderation. Hopefully idiotic politicians see this glaring fact and end the nonsensical war on drugs.

Well if you compare Marijuana and Meth, Marijuana is an innocent schoolgirl compared to the most illicit.

I don't think substances such as methamphetamine and heroin are ok to do in moderation. Nor would I want that to be OK'd in society from which my kids grow up in.

I believe why most Psychedelics such as Cannabis, Salvia, '___', Mushrooms, and '___' are outlawed is because they open your mind.

Teens are doing more drugs now than ever. I remember being in college a year ago and seeing drugs of all kinds everywhere. it doesn't seem the war on drugs is working anyway.

Originally posted by OpenYourHead

I don't think substances such as methamphetamine and heroin are ok to do in moderation. Nor would I want that to be OK'd in society from which my kids grow up in.

I believe why most Psychedelics such as Cannabis, Salvia, '___', Mushrooms, and '___' are outlawed is because they open your mind.

Teens are doing more drugs now than ever. I remember being in college a year ago and seeing drugs of all kinds everywhere. it doesn't seem the war on drugs is working anyway.

amphetamines are perfectly safe if used as physicians recommend,they are used for a variety of medical conditions safely.don't believe me google it.

drugs are chemical tools for the body,they are not alive or good/evil,they have no will of their own.

the problem with prohibition of any substance is you create a black market for it and increase it's value which makes the problems worse.

your kids should grow up in a society where you teach them responsibility and discipline.it isn't societys job to keep drugs away from your children,it is yours.

if that is too difficult don't have children.

sorry didn't mean that to sound so harsh.
oh and i don't like meth,its gross

[edit on 18-1-2010 by the_grand_pooh-bah]

The War on Drugs was Very Successful at a couple of things.

The Quality and Quantity of drugs on the street increased tremendously.

The Cost has also dropped as Quality, Quantity, and Demand Increased!

It was a boom time, and still currently is, for money to support attorneys, courts, judges, new police equipment, and police on the street as fines were levied against the drug users and dealers alike.

And it supported the Black Budget Programs of the CIA (see Iran Contra affair if you don't know already) and probably a whole lot more that we will never know.

It also managed to get the spooks on a first name basis with some of the most vicious drug gangs out there to take care of their wet work so it wouldn't look like it was a US sanctioned assasination.

The bad thing was that all the tax and drug dealing money the federal government could have made legally would have actually made Social Security and Medicare solvent and paid off huge chunks of our debt.

Our Debt is probably the real reason to kill the drug war. I am sure it wasn't lost on Obama living in Chicago doing community organizing where the largest gang, the Latin Kings, in the area were bringing in quite a bit of money in the illegal drug market. Let's see, cut down on the billions exported to narco countries in the war on drugs, legalize it and tax the heck out of it, manufacture it with big pharma, everybody wins except the families of addicts, addicts, and those on the receiving end of the new crime wave. WAIT! We have to put all those police somewhere that aren't in on the drug war somewhere. How about filling up all those internment camps we have waiting around for prisoners and break the plastic wrap off the new prison trains we have stashed all over the country starting a new wave of private prisons...jobs for everyone. It is growing bigger and bigger in Washingtons thick headed politicians. It's a whole new revenue opportunity! Let's figure out how to sell it to the sheeple, you know, like it could pay for single payer health care! And if you use street drugs your exempt from receiving free health care!

First...Drug addiction is a serious problem in the united states.

Secondly...The "war on drugs" has to be the worst policy failure in American History..."War on drugs????.. What are they involved in shoot outs with bottles of oxycontin?...

Addicts by definition have a serious medical condition and they certainly don't enjoy being addicts, they are not choosing that misery...why are we imprisoning them?

Third...DEMAND....NOT SUPPLY...can you imagine if the raw billions of dollars spent on the war on drugs was solely focused on treatment, recovery and prevention? Rather than imprisonment...

If they were going to legitimately focus on supply they might have to confront big Pharma in the US which is the supplier of a huge hunk of addicts.



[edit on 19-1-2010 by maybereal11]

reply to post by TheLoony


Its always been an industry as far as I'm concerned, arresting and chasing these bad druggies is a full time job and supported industry.

Jails - support services
Legal support - lawyers and judges, sheriffs and cops etc....
Agencies to convert those drug addicts into normal people ..... LOL

and on and on it goes ...... just a big old support system. I didn't count the bribery since that's like bonuses that are paid out.

I don't smoke weed because I don't like it.

Whether it's legal or illegal doesn't make much difference to me. The only issue I have is my tax dollars being spent on a stupid attempt to stop people doing what you can't stop them from doing.

There are PLENTY of better things to spend tax revenue on.

For once I hope we follow the lead of the U.S. (we do on everything else).

[edit on 20-1-2010 by OZtracized]

The fact is they have already lost the war on drugs (well pot at the very least) and now they are trying to bow out as gracefully as they can. Trying to give the impression that it was "their Idea". They can clearly see the writing on the wall.

As i post this, 14 states have medical marijuana laws. By the end of the year 18 states and the District of Columbia will have MMJ laws. In November California will be the first state to outright DE-criminalize it. I predict many states will follow there lead within the next 2 years. When California enacted there MMJ laws the feds tried to intimidate the citizens of cali, and basically told them that they are to stupid to be trusted to make there own laws. Cali fought back and the feds had to back down. Now times that by 18+. They cant afford to have that kind of egg on there face. They cant have states putting there foot down. After all, they may put there foot down about other BS federal mandates as well. Give in to a state about drug policy and next thing you know your giving into everything else. So they will give the states permission to do something they never ask permission for in the first place and try and act like it was there idea the whole time.

As for the financial aspects of MMJ and decriminalization. I cant really speak to how it is in other states, although i imagine its pretty similar. In my home state of Montana the ONLY sector of our economy that is growing is the MMJ trade. Growers/caregivers are sprouting like weeds. (pun only kinda intended) Nurserys and hydro shops are doing crazy business. For instance i went down to my local grow shop last tues because i needed a couple of HPS lamps and Ballasts and the owner had told me that they were getting there next shipment of lights on Monday. I went in on Tues. and he didn't have any lamps left. He told me that he went through 1500 Cases (roughly 12 lamps per case @ $35-200 each) in about 4-5 hours. Its like that with every gardening store ,Nursery, grow shop in the state, Not just lights either. Everything you would need to grow with is scarce. That is creating jobs. Generating revenue for the state in taxes on all this stuff. Saving money by not locking up non violent people for a non crime. Improving the life of so many people that can get off of Big Pharma teet because they have a legal alternative to the poison that the doctors push. And personally it has allowed me to sell my consulting business and stay at home with my family growing the worlds most beautiful plant for a small profit while i get to actually make a difference in peoples lives. The only people that are losing out in this situation are the black market dealers and people that think they know whats best for other people. I honestly think its the only thing keeping our state afloat right now.

hopefully this is true and the usa is stepping away from its war on drugs


the war on drugs has cost us severely, not just in money, but in lives, and potential


the potential is there to spend the money to help abusers and people with addictions and turn their lives around in a positive way instead of spending the same, or even more money to pursue capture and incarcerate them year and year



as time has gone on, the numbers have not decreased, people still love their drugs, many are still plagued with addiction no matter how harsh the laws and/or penalties

it will be that way forever

the usa can continue its war, and many lives will be lost, or they can go back to the drawing board, find a way to help people better their lives, and i bet they can find a way or 2 to make a buck



if the war on drugs does ever end, the question that needs to be asked, and the truth needs to be found out, as to why this war took place, why it was fought so aggressively for so long, even though it failed the entire time


for years it has been black and white, drugs are bad, thats why they are illegal

but the way we have fought this war, there has to be more to it, the people deserve to find out the answer to that question some day

1) Money
2) Suppression of unique thought/creativity (mind control)

Those would be my top two reasons nothing will really change, but I hope I am surprised.