Ron Paul is a Beast

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End Insanity Of The War on Drugs—Start With Decriminalizing Marijuana at The Federal Level
Published: Tuesday, 20 Apr 2010 | 12:00 AM ET Text Size


Commentary & AnalysisRon Paul
In light of the recent drug-related violence in Mexico, it is appropriate to reflect on how our current prohibition laws affect crime, law enforcement and the economy.

Many will have the knee-jerk reaction of wanting to see more of a crackdown on illegal drugs. But I have to ask: Haven't we been cracking down on drugs for several decades only to see the black market flourish and the violence escalate? Could there be a more effective approach?

The illegality of drugs is, in fact, the Number One factor that keeps profits up for dealers and cartels, and ensures that organized crime dominates the market.

Cocaine, for example, has about a 17,000-percent markup and sells for more than gold in some areas. This is nothing new or unique to drugs, but a predictable outcome of prohibition.

During alcohol prohibition, Al Capone and others involved in organized crime made fortunes taking advantage of the dangerous and lucrative underground market the laws had created. Every time law enforcement makes another bust, profits rise for the remaining suppliers. These types of economic forces are insurmountable for law enforcement, but make for very good business for dealers and cartels.


"The illegality of drugs is the number one factor that keeps profits up for dealers and cartels, and ensures that organized crime dominates the market."
For the rest of us, however, it is a disaster. The war on drugs keeps our prisons full to bursting at great expense to taxpayers, but also at great danger to the public at large when the real criminals, the murderers, the rapists, the child molesters, are let out to make room for non-violent drug offenders.

We imprison more of our population per capita than Russia or China ever have, and yet criminals like Philip Garrido (Jaycee Lee Dugard's kidnapper) are out there able to rape and kidnap again and again. (It is interesting that in his case, a little marijuana caught the attention of law enforcement more than repeated reports from neighbors of children in his backyard).

The War on Drugs skews the priorities of law enforcement to the detriment of the public.

Repeal of alcohol prohibition certainly did organized crime no favors. So too today, if we wanted to pull the rug out from under violent drug cartels, create legitimate job opportunities in place of the black market, realign the priorities of law enforcement, and make room in prison for the people that ought to be there, we need to end the insanity of the War on Drugs.

Decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level would be a start.
 
This is an issue I feel a profound connection with moderates on, because I can literally see both sides of the coin. I get both points, and I think both sides of the argument are legitimate. I am uncertain as to what a suitable solution might be, but my personal thinking is, there could be a way to 'decriminalize' marijuana, but refrain from making it a 'legal product' for sale (OTC) in the US. The idea of 'make it legal and tax it' doesn't appeal to me for the same reason cigarette tax doesn't.. you are taxing a product that is known to kill people with cigarettes... now, it didn't start that way, we were taxing tobacco long before we knew it killed people. Pot doesn't kill people, or at least, we don't currently believe it does. However, countless studies have been done on respiratory health, and it's pretty conclusive that ingesting smoke of any kind into the lungs, is not a healthy delivery system. In a day and age where government wants to try and control our fat intake, it seems odd they would allow legalization of something with uncertain health risks associated. We can already assume that any legalization measures would result in more people using the drug, and as harmless as pot may seem to some, it can be quite a powerful psychological addiction which leads to depression, lack of motivation, suicide, or heavier drug use. While most proponents of legalization feel they could handle it, and don't understand why others couldn't, there would be a sizable percentage of people who just turned into unproductive pot heads, stoned out of their gourd all day with the munchies. So...We can't afford to take care of these people... what are we going to do with them? Does anyone have an answer to that? Shouldn't we be thinking about it before we give the green light to selling pot and taxing it?

I think the clear distinction must be made between 'legalization' of pot, and 'decriminalization' of pot. It's two different ideas, and can be treated as such on an intellectual level. It is stupid for us to be locking people up for 10 years, because they had a baggie full of weed in their house...(or what WAS their house, before being confiscated by the DEA.) I think the rash of so-called 'designer' drugs, is a FAR bigger problem in our country... crystal meth... crack... extasy... molly... etc. I think the problem with social befriending of prescription meds is also a huge problem, much like the 800 lb. gorilla in the room... How many people are out there being zombies everyday, thanks to the miracles of modern pharmaceuticals? Is this good for us? We seem to have accepted drug abuse and addiction of a certain type, it's legit because a doctor prescribed it and they had a really cool commercial on T.V.! So in the Big Picture, a few hippie pot heads don't really matter... decriminalize possession of small amounts, and be done with it!
 
too many people buy into the refer maddness sold by the government.
I'm a live long pot smoker, (true I can't spell but they was before pot) got a undergrad at 24 and an MBA at 35 with a 3.88 GPA. I haven't been unemployed a day in my life since having a paper route at 13. Conservative, at least true conservatives need to drop the bullshit. Beer and cigarettes are exponentially more dangerous to the populus. Use fucking science to tell you about Jah's herb not some jesus freak with a GED.
 
This is an issue I feel a profound connection with moderates on, because I can literally see both sides of the coin. I get both points, and I think both sides of the argument are legitimate. I am uncertain as to what a suitable solution might be, but my personal thinking is, there could be a way to 'decriminalize' marijuana, but refrain from making it a 'legal product' for sale (OTC) in the US. The idea of 'make it legal and tax it' doesn't appeal to me for the same reason cigarette tax doesn't.. you are taxing a product that is known to kill people with cigarettes... now, it didn't start that way, we were taxing tobacco long before we knew it killed people. Pot doesn't kill people, or at least, we don't currently believe it does. However, countless studies have been done on respiratory health, and it's pretty conclusive that ingesting smoke of any kind into the lungs, is not a healthy delivery system. In a day and age where government wants to try and control our fat intake, it seems odd they would allow legalization of something with uncertain health risks associated. We can already assume that any legalization measures would result in more people using the drug, and as harmless as pot may seem to some, it can be quite a powerful psychological addiction which leads to depression, lack of motivation, suicide, or heavier drug use. While most proponents of legalization feel they could handle it, and don't understand why others couldn't, there would be a sizable percentage of people who just turned into unproductive pot heads, stoned out of their gourd all day with the munchies. So...We can't afford to take care of these people... what are we going to do with them? Does anyone have an answer to that? Shouldn't we be thinking about it before we give the green light to selling pot and taxing it?

I think the clear distinction must be made between 'legalization' of pot, and 'decriminalization' of pot. It's two different ideas, and can be treated as such on an intellectual level. It is stupid for us to be locking people up for 10 years, because they had a baggie full of weed in their house...(or what WAS their house, before being confiscated by the DEA.) I think the rash of so-called 'designer' drugs, is a FAR bigger problem in our country... crystal meth... crack... extasy... molly... etc. I think the problem with social befriending of prescription meds is also a huge problem, much like the 800 lb. gorilla in the room... How many people are out there being zombies everyday, thanks to the miracles of modern pharmaceuticals? Is this good for us? We seem to have accepted drug abuse and addiction of a certain type, it's legit because a doctor prescribed it and they had a really cool commercial on T.V.! So in the Big Picture, a few hippie pot heads don't really matter... decriminalize possession of small amounts, and be done with it!

Here is a solution...take marijuana, a harmless drug, off the Schedule I drug list and make it legal. If right wing social engineers like you still have the urge to control people's lives, replace it on the list with the most destructive, deadly and dangerous drug in the world...ALCOHOL.

People crushed by laws, have no hope but to evade power. If the laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to the law; and those who have most to hope and nothing to lose will always be dangerous.
Edmund Burke

Under the pressure of the cares and sorrows of our mortal condition, men have at all times, and in all countries, called in some physical aid to their moral consolations - wine, beer, opium, brandy, or tobacco.
Edmund Burke
 
You two morons act as if we are on different sides. This is why you will never see legalization, and maybe decriminalization as well. You're too stupid to figure out, everyone isn't on your side, the overwhelming majority of America simply disagrees with you. This is also why a Libertarian society can't work, too many idiots like you, who think you can just do whatever, and there aren't any consequences, or at least, none that you want to accept responsibility for.

My position on this has always seemed to piss off both sides, which means it's probably fairly moderate. I believe we should 'decriminalize' pot without making it a legal product to be sold in America. I don't care about how easy it is for you to personally use the drug, I just don't want to waste my tax dollars locking you up for it. It doesn't have anything to do with my religious beliefs, it doesn't have anything to do with me being a conservative, and it doesn't have anything to do with alcohol or tobacco legalization. But now, you want to 'groan' my posts and call me names, and insult me any way you can think of, because I don't go so far as to share your idiotic view of total and complete legalization of pot! Can I clue you in on a little secret about people? You're not going to 'win over' a lot of people to your side through name-calling and intimidation. It doesn't work... people get the feeling you are trying to be a Fascist and they reject you.
 
You two morons act as if we are on different sides. This is why you will never see legalization, and maybe decriminalization as well. You're too stupid to figure out, everyone isn't on your side, the overwhelming majority of America simply disagrees with you. This is also why a Libertarian society can't work, too many idiots like you, who think you can just do whatever, and there aren't any consequences, or at least, none that you want to accept responsibility for.

My position on this has always seemed to piss off both sides, which means it's probably fairly moderate. I believe we should 'decriminalize' pot without making it a legal product to be sold in America. I don't care about how easy it is for you to personally use the drug, I just don't want to waste my tax dollars locking you up for it. It doesn't have anything to do with my religious beliefs, it doesn't have anything to do with me being a conservative, and it doesn't have anything to do with alcohol or tobacco legalization. But now, you want to 'groan' my posts and call me names, and insult me any way you can think of, because I don't go so far as to share your idiotic view of total and complete legalization of pot! Can I clue you in on a little secret about people? You're not going to 'win over' a lot of people to your side through name-calling and intimidation. It doesn't work... people get the feeling you are trying to be a Fascist and they reject you.

grand wizard, you fucking backwoods alabubba cousin marrier, you didn't need pot to be phsycho
 
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