War On Drugs

Don't just decriminalize drugs. Legalize, Nationalize and subsidize the manufacture and distribution of all illicit drugs. Give them away for free and on demand.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

So true.You know, for only a fraction of what we spend on the totally ineffective war on drugs we could produce and deliver all the MJ, coke and designer drugs anyone could want with higher quality control. Then we could take a small amount of the remaining funds and improve the health care options.It's not like the idea of the Government being in the drug business was something new.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Where does the money we currently spend on the War-on-Drugs come from?Does the crime related to drug aquisition increase costs to you?Does the crime relted to the organization currently marketing drugs, the corporate overhead have a cost you help pay for?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Yes on both counts and you can include other drugs as well. Now that that is out of the way, let's try to go on. Agreed. Heroin addiction (as are many things) is very distructive. That's a given. Problems can range from mild to severe. Far too little is done to provide support and medical care and alternatives.Now back to the question of giving away drugs for free.If we gave away drugs for free, what effect would it have on those currently in the Drug Trade, the pushers, the cartels, the Drug Lords, the street thugs?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

CK, can't really disagree. As is so often the case the problem is in the extremes.But I don't want this to get bogged down in an argument about drugs-good or bad. The use of drugs is a reality and nothing will stop folk from using them.The key is how best to minimize adverse effects.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Yup! Varied. Some really wanted help and wanted to change, many simply wanted to get high. How is charging for it and pushing folk into criminalization going to help anyone recover from addiction? Damn right. Certainly wouldn't make it any worse but will likely improve things greatly. For example, right now almost 100% of income in many addicts households goes to finding drugs. If they were free that portion of the income could be spent on other things such as food.A second issue is effort. Again, under the present system any time not high is used trying to find the resources and connection for the next high. If the drugs were free and readily available that energy and time could be used in other ways, like changing diapers. And how would that be different? It's not an issue of middle ground. I just think the war on drugs is about as stupid an idea as anyone could possibly come up with. So far I've been unable to find any advantages to it and lots of disadvantages. It's a totally failed attemptt and I can't imagine why we think we might see different results when we just continue doing the same thing.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

So let's look at the methodology.First, the War on Drugs is incredibly expensive. Producing the drugs is incredibly inexpensive.What I'd like to see done is begin by nationalizing all of the production and distribution and as I've said, simply give the stuff away.But I'd like to see even more. I'd like for us to take the money saved and put it into the distribution network. Let's make the distribution point local neighborhood based clinics where folk will get their fix but also get health care, counseling, nutrition suplements and staples as well as child care facilities. These could easily be funded by diverting what we now spend in the active war on drugs plus the secondary and hidden costs; incarceration, court systems, law enforcement and training, a considerable amount of foriegn aid and expenditures, and a small contribution or redirection from the private sector (insurance companies that will see savings from curent losses due to theft and violence that are a direct result of the current drug culture).We could place a condition that to get the free drugs you also have to get a free medical checkup on some regular basis, get recertified. If they have kids, to get their drugs they need to drop the kids off at the day care where they too can get medical care, fed, clothing checked and supplemented if needed.We could encourage private charity groups to participate by providing a designated channel where help could be directed and controled, targeted so that all activities work towards a support network.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Didn't think I did. But let me try a different way. So what? I just don't see where that has any relevance.If someone is capable of going to work and functioning at a level where they can earn the money to satisfy their current drug habit, they are not as far gone as you imply. But even if you are 100% right, so what? The number of folk that will simply drop out and stay high all the time will still be fewer than the number of folk we have locked up. Even if they do drop out and just stay high, under my proposed system they will get medical care and if kids are involved, the kids will get more care then they recieve now.I just don't see a downside. Why not?Again, I just don't understand your objections. The drug isn't the issue, rape is the issue. Punish the folk for their behavior. I'm sure all the date rapists will gleefully trot down to the clinic, sign up to get their date-rape drugs.I'm sorry Scraf, the whole idea was to silly and I couldn't believe you even brought it up. Again, I clearly explained the answer to that. Under the system I propose the distribution point will be in health care clinics. And as I said before, "How does the current system help anyone recover from addiction?"

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

No problem. We agree on decriminalization.I simple believe that even with decriminalization, we won't solve the problem. Until we can take the cost and profit motive out of drugs, we will not address the issue.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion