Our tax dollars making a difference (1 Viewer)

[MrScary]

According to a US Justice report(http://www.alternet.org/rights/47815), the U.S. government spends $8 Billion arresting,prosecuting, and incarcerating eight hundred thousand Americans for pot-related offenses every year. Of the 800,000 about 700,000 were charged solely for possession of marijuana. This is simply insane. Am I the only one who feels that pot should be de-illegalized (not necessarily legal in the beer/Marlboro sense) and regulated much like it is in the Netherlands?? Turning the 42% of Americans who claim to have used pot at some point into criminals obviously isn't working. Is the health/safety benefit worth the financial cost to the nation? I just don't understand lumping it's use in with the likes of coke, meth, and heroin. Maybe when I see a spate of killings attributed to a bunch of stoners looking to score some money for weed I'll change my mind.

So far this year, in a little over 2 months the State and Federal governments have spent almost 10 billion on the War on Drugs with the majority of the funds going towards marijuana offenses with no "victory" in sight during our lifetimes. http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm

We have the highest prison population in the world and the world's greatest percentage of drug abuse. I'd say it's about time we inject some common sense into the failed War on Drugs and go in a different direction regarding marijuana at least.

 

[Pasty]

Legalize, tax it, and use the money to fight the real problems...

 

[Det. Brees]

According to a US Justice report(http://www.alternet.org/rights/47815), the U.S. government spends $8 Billion arresting,prosecuting, and incarcerating eight hundred thousand Americans for pot-related offenses every year. Of the 800,000 about 700,000 were charged solely for possession of marijuana. This is simply insane. Am I the only one who feels that pot should be de-illegalized (not necessarily legal in the beer/Marlboro sense) and regulated much like it is in the Netherlands?? Turning the 42% of Americans who claim to have used pot at some point into criminals obviously isn't working. Is the health/safety benefit worth the financial cost to the nation? I just don't understand lumping it's use in with the likes of coke, meth, and heroin. Maybe when I see a spate of killings attributed to a bunch of stoners looking to score some money for weed I'll change my mind.

So far this year, in a little over 2 months the State and Federal governments have spent almost 10 billion on the War on Drugs with the majority of the funds going towards marijuana offenses with no "victory" in sight during our lifetimes. http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm

We have the highest prison population in the world and the world's greatest percentage of drug abuse. I'd say it's about time we inject some common sense into the failed War on Drugs and go in a different direction regarding marijuana at least.

that is a little misleading ....
not that many people are in prison for misdemeanor possession of marijuana , yet most of the arrest come from misdemeanor possession.

 

[VVextreme]

According to a US Justice report(http://www.alternet.org/rights/47815), the U.S. government spends $8 Billion arresting,prosecuting, and incarcerating eight hundred thousand Americans for pot-related offenses every year. Of the 800,000 about 700,000 were charged solely for possession of marijuana. This is simply insane. Am I the only one who feels that pot should be de-illegalized (not necessarily legal in the beer/Marlboro sense) and regulated much like it is in the Netherlands?? Turning the 42% of Americans who claim to have used pot at some point into criminals obviously isn't working. Is the health/safety benefit worth the financial cost to the nation? I just don't understand lumping it's use in with the likes of coke, meth, and heroin. Maybe when I see a spate of killings attributed to a bunch of stoners looking to score some money for weed I'll change my mind.

So far this year, in a little over 2 months the State and Federal governments have spent almost 10 billion on the War on Drugs with the majority of the funds going towards marijuana offenses with no "victory" in sight during our lifetimes. http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm

We have the highest prison population in the world and the world's greatest percentage of drug abuse. I'd say it's about time we inject some common sense into the failed War on Drugs and go in a different direction regarding marijuana at least.

this is the worst argument I've ever heard. "failed war on drugs." so just because we have not eliminated drug use yet, we should make it legal and give up?

if that is your philosophy in life, I'm so glad you aren't in charge of anything.

have we eliminated murder? no? well we should make it legal to kill whoever you want then and not waste time trying to stop it.

have we eliminated speeding? not even close! so just eliminate all traffic laws and make it legal to do whatever you want.

we have never and will never eliminate crime, regardless of the category of law it falls under. There will never be "victory" as long as humans remain human, but does that mean we should quit fighting? No! Because there are good people out there, and laws are the only thing keeping our society together. And the last thing our society needs is a larger percentage of our population on drugs.

 

[Goatman Saint]

Legalize, tax it, and use the money to fight the real problems...

I agree.

 

[Shawn]

this is the worst argument I've ever heard. "failed war on drugs." so just because we have not eliminated drug use yet, we should make it legal and give up?

if that is your philosophy in life, I'm so glad you aren't in charge of anything.

have we eliminated murder? no? well we should make it legal to kill whoever you want then and not waste time trying to stop it.

have we eliminated speeding? not even close! so just eliminate all traffic laws and make it legal to do whatever you want.

we have never and will never eliminate crime, regardless of the category of law it falls under. There will never be "victory" as long as humans remain human, but does that mean we should quit fighting? No! Because there are good people out there, and laws are the only thing keeping our society together. And the last thing our society needs is a larger percentage of our population on drugs.

How's that war on tobacco and alcohol going?

Or the war on trans fats?

 

[Severum]

this is the worst argument I've ever heard. "failed war on drugs." so just because we have not eliminated drug use yet, we should make it legal and give up?

if that is your philosophy in life, I'm so glad you aren't in charge of anything.

have we eliminated murder? no? well we should make it legal to kill whoever you want then and not waste time trying to stop it.

have we eliminated speeding? not even close! so just eliminate all traffic laws and make it legal to do whatever you want.

we have never and will never eliminate crime, regardless of the category of law it falls under. There will never be "victory" as long as humans remain human, but does that mean we should quit fighting? No! Because there are good people out there, and laws are the only thing keeping our society together. And the last thing our society needs is a larger percentage of our population on drugs.

How does prohibition of marijuana help keep our society together? It harms our society by funding criminal enterprises and filling our jails with non violent drug offenders. The worst effects of legalization would be an increase in junk food prices and restructuring (not a bad thing) the timber and cotton industry.

 

[MrScary]

that is a little misleading ....
not that many people are in prison for misdemeanor possession of marijuana , yet most of the arrest come from misdemeanor possession.

good point, however the arrests aren't exactly free of charge to the tax paying public. The below article doesn't even touch on the costs incurred if the offender is sentenced to probation. Look it up and you'll find that it costs around $1000 per year per offender to meet probation standards. That's a lot of dollars wasted on people who just wanted a bag of Funyuns to enjoy while playing their playstation.

Since 1990, the primary focus of the war on drugs has shifted to low-level marijuana offenses. During the study period, 82% of the increase in drug arrests nationally (450,000) was for marijuana offenses, and virtually all of that increase was in possession offenses. Of the nearly 700,000 arrests in 2002, 88% were for possession. Only 1 in 18 of these arrests results in a felony conviction, with the rest either being dismissed or adjudicated as a misdemeanor, meaning that a substantial amount of resources, roughly $4 billion per year for marijuana alone, is being dedicated to minor offenses.

http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/3/1/6

 

[Det. Brees]

good point, however the arrests aren't exactly free of charge to the tax paying public. The below article doesn't even touch on the costs incurred if the offender is sentenced to probation. Look it up and you'll find that it costs around $1000 per year per offender to meet probation standards. That's a lot of dollars wasted on people who just wanted a bag of Funyuns to enjoy while playing their playstation.

Since 1990, the primary focus of the war on drugs has shifted to low-level marijuana offenses. During the study period, 82% of the increase in drug arrests nationally (450,000) was for marijuana offenses, and virtually all of that increase was in possession offenses. Of the nearly 700,000 arrests in 2002, 88% were for possession. Only 1 in 18 of these arrests results in a felony conviction, with the rest either being dismissed or adjudicated as a misdemeanor, meaning that a substantial amount of resources, roughly $4 billion per year for marijuana alone, is being dedicated to minor offenses.

http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/3/1/6

thats why here in ga person on probation have to pay the cost of probation.

 

[Severum]

Even if you discount the billions wasted on enforcement and incarceration, it's still obscene to arrest or ticket people for victimless drug crimes.

 

[Det. Brees]

i wouldn't call it victimless......
oh wait i bet prostitution is victimless also...
what I'm saying is this. everyone knows that marijuana is referred to as the gateway drug and most that use the more addictive drugs started on marijuana....

 

[Shawn]

i wouldn't call it victimless......
oh wait i bet prostitution is victimless also...
what I'm saying is this. everyone knows that marijuana is referred to as the gateway drug and most that use the more addictive drugs started on marijuana....

Most people who smoke marujuana, started by smoking cigarettes.

 

[JimEverett]

most people who use marijuana drank water before they started using marijuana.

 

[johnnyd]

i wouldn't call it victimless......
oh wait i bet prostitution is victimless also...
what I'm saying is this. everyone knows that marijuana is referred to as the gateway drug and most that use the more addictive drugs started on marijuana....

Virtually legal Holland has lower hard drug usage than the US and lower marijuana usage by minors than the US.

 

[Severum]

i wouldn't call it victimless......
oh wait i bet prostitution is victimless also...
what I'm saying is this. everyone knows that marijuana is referred to as the gateway drug and most that use the more addictive drugs started on marijuana....

I've never known anyone that started doing meth because they loved weed. I'd guess that over half the people on this forum have tried it and the vast majority aren't hooked on heroin/meth/paint thinner.

Prostitution definitely has victims, but legalizing it would help. Require basic health and safety regulations for licenses and tax the income. Prostitutes would no longer be excluded from police protection so the criminal aspects and abuses could be greatly reduced.