[AtLast]

Originally Posted by weatherboi

What is more humane people?? Letting the cartels control whats available on the street or a country that takes responsibility for a systemic and societal problem that is not going away no mater what we do??


Legalization of all drugs may work if we strictly enforce the points below and allow them the opportunity to systemically work there way into our society.The demand for drugs will always exist. Fear based laws and restrictions only allow the cartels the opportunity to put the drugs on our street. People, those drugs will be finding the way on the street no matter what!!!! We as a country have been fighting the war on drugs since Nixon and it has only cost lives and money. Being in the hospitality industry there is one thing I have learned. If an employee is gonna do drugs on the job it doesn't matter if they are legal or not...he/she is gonna do drugs. If a person is so depressed or distressed that they turn to heroin then they are gonna find it and do it weather it is legal or not.

People have been choosing drugs for self medication purposes, in some form or fashion, since time began. It is inherent in almost every culture on this earth. Why not make them legal so we can control the product???


Permit private companies to compete for licenses to cultivate, harvest, manufacture, package and peddle drugs.

Create regulation agencies (sorry libertarians and paleo-conservatives).

Sanitation, potency and purity. Standards people!! Set em and enforce em!!

In no way shape form or fashion can anything be advertised.

Taxes, fees and fines need to be imposed. Drug-abuse prevention and treatment programs can be paid from this and cover admin costs from regulation.

Just like the alcoholic-beverage-control agencies keep bars and liquor stores in check, the same can be dome with drugs. Understand there will always be a negative element to the drug world weather they are legal or not. Such reforms would in no way excuse drug users who commit crimes.

[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT="Century Gothic"][COLOR="Navy"]It seems (need to look at the actual language) that the proposed decriminalization and taxation of pot in CA proposition could begin movement toward this kind of model for other substances in CA and nationwide. Just have to see how it plays out, if it passes (looks like it will... well, if mega-bucks religious neo-cons don't grab hold with campaigns to defeat it).

It is hard for a lot of people (including myself, sometimes) to let go of long standing beliefs about drug use and certain kinds of drugs, but, these beliefs have certainly not done much to really deal with this whole issue effectively. The entanglements with crimes related to drugs really gets in the way with changing attitudes. Or to have effective and equally accessible treatment available to people.

I think you should write the legislation! Wouldn't it be great to have short, clear, direct language instead of the mega-loophole compositions most legislation ends up being! Also, what has been done in the past and still exists, isn't working.