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What’s Your General Rule on Drug Prohibition?
Let me be very upfront here: I’m one of those radicals who thinks we should legalize all drugs. I’m not just in favor of marijuana legalization, but also the “hard stuff”: heroin, cocaine, LSD, and just about anything else you can think of. If you’re one of those weirdos who wants to put mescaline in your eggnog, I don’t think there should be a law against it.
We’ve had several awesome discussions recently here on drug prohibition. However, one thing that seems to be lacking, among prohibition advocates is a general principle. So to any of you prohibitionists, I’m issuing a challenge. I’m willing to listen to any prohibition standard you’re willing to propose. What I’d like to hear is a general rule on what the government should and shouldn’t prohibit, but I’m going to add a sticking point: you must apply it across the board to drugs, prescription medications, tobacco, and alcohol.
There it is. Prohibitionists are able to come up with all kinds of arguments, but I’ve yet to hear one that couldn’t also reasonably be applied to alcohol. But, I could be wrong (it happens… occasionally), so let’s hear it: What’s your general rule?
Published in Culture, Domestic Policy, Law
I’m sure Fred can speak for himself, but mischaracterizing someone’s positions or sentiments does not fall into the category of ‘humor’. Calling him “thin-skinned” is another insult and not in any way funny or even clever. Because he may be funny does not mean that you can call him names and misrepresent him. I encourage you to take some humor lessons before you engage in this manner agian.
I find the general tone and arguments of the prohibitionists here to consist basically of the argument, “Drugs are bad for you”.
We know that. Thank you. They are in widespread use already and all of law enforcement and billions of dollars has not fixed or curtailed the problem.
People die, get addicted, have false memories, and drop out of ‘society’ – such as it is – and this is all so terribly bad, only the present modus operandi is failing and costing money and impinging on everyone’s freedom. Apparently y’all are fine with that.
Something to ponder: Maybe drug use is a symptom of problems – both of society and of the user, not a cause. Endlessly adressing the symptoms (badly and ineffectively) will do nothing.
YES! Drug use is a symptom.
http://www.wnd.com/2015/02/no-knock-police-raid-ends-in-blazing-tragedy/
https://news.vice.com/article/toddler-maimed-by-swat-flash-grenade-sparks-georgia-bills-on-no-knock-warrants
unkham “Bou Bou” Phonesavanh was sleeping the sound slumber of a 19-month-old in the early hours of May 28, when a Georgia SWAT team burst in unannounced through his relative’s front door and tossed a flash bang grenade into his playpen that blasted off most of his nose, collapsed his left lung, and tore his face and body down to muscle and bone.
Habersham County Police had acted on an informant tip-off claiming a methamphetamine dealer lived at the home, but officers found no drugs there and made no arrests at the residence. The widely-reported incident sparked outrage and compelled authorities to re-examine policies on the granting and execution of no-knock search warrants. Seven months after the incident with Bou Bou, lawmakers have introduced two bills to Georgia’s legislature that seek to better regulate these types of entries.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/04/22/the-drug-war-marches-on/
dical marijuana advocate has lost custody of her 11-year-old son at least temporarily and could face possible charges following comments the boy made during a drug education program at school.
The case of Shona Banda, 37, was forwarded Monday to the district attorney’s office for a decision about charges, Police Capt. Randy Ralston said. Possible charges include possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia and child endangerment, the department said in a news release.
No arrests have been made.
I ‘ll stop now, but I could go on and on…
Interesting.
Marijuana users may have ‘false memories’: Brain scans reveal how cannabis smokers can live in their own reality
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3051326/Marijuana-users-false-memories-Brain-scans-reveal-cannabis-smokers-live-reality.html
I think there are a lot of folks on this thread who are living in their own reality without the aid of weed. Even more alarming!
That’s fair. If I mischaracterized Fred’s views, I apologize.
A symptom of what?
I don’t think the problem is “society”, I think the problem is life.
Life is hard sometimes and people need a stress reliever. For some people its a glass of whisky, and for some people it’s a joint. To sanction one, and condemn because it’s been labeled “drugs” is unreasonable.
Or as Chris Rock put it, “People wanna get high.” You could cure all the supposed ills of society (which, by the way, you can never do in a free society), and people will still have stress in their lives.
Guy I knew in college had a t-shirt that said “reality is for people who can’t handle drugs.”
I think that there are already enough red herrings at this banquet – the age and accessibility questions are moot if the substances are legal.
What needs to be done is to focus on the effects of over-consumption and to enforce and stiffen sanctions against being under the influence when crap happens (this probably presupposes the technology for site evaluations of intoxication -i.e. the breathalyzer for alcohol).
Education should be focusing a little more on personal health (and a little less on transgendered basket-weaving) with regards to what you can put in your body and what health consequences are likely as a result of overindulgence.
It’s amazing how many problems could be ameliorated with two simple words:
Education and Consequences