I'm ex military,, while I was in the service a big drug bust was going on, they planned on everyone being drug test, and then sided stepped, why?? because they realized if they did there wouldn't be enough people to run the base. Throughout my life I can't count the amount of time I've met people who have and still do drugs... I'm not talking about the welfare people or street people, unemployed, I'm talking about Doctors, nurses, police, military, teachers, politicians, pilots, the list goes on and on. I haven't indulged in pot for many years... don't like it and never really did, however in this day and age I cannot understand why it is still a crime... So if there was mandatory drug testing for everyone ... and we put all these people out of work... what kind of country would we have then...
Jeff, I do agree with you that the use of drugs is pretty rampant. However, that being said, how do we stop it. Is legalization the answer? Maybe, legalize it and tax the hell out of it. Is universal drug testing the answer? Maybe, but as rdubnpk pointed out, there would be a huge backlash against it. Personally I would love to see anyone who is getting welfare, social security or unemployment be subjected to mandatory drug testing, but I don't see it happening. So what is the answer? How do we stop the drugs from being a problem. If things keep up with the cartels, then Mexico may vey well fall. Where would that leave us? I do think we need to make some hard choices.
I don't think anyone has an answer.. Yes we could legalize it, but then what, just pot, hash, magic mushroom... just organic. No chemicals.. where does one draw the line... and if so would the harsher drugs become more in demand. Legalize it and tax the hell out of it... Look at cigarettes, not sure about you but we are paying over 10.00 a pkg. More people quit because they can't afford it.. pot is cheaper than a pkg. of smokes... yet I can go to jail for pot!!! And really which is worse when it comes to health? I think my vodka is causing me more damage mentally and physically than pot would.. or could. I don't know the answer. But I really think that our countries would save alot of money if they did legalize it. And put alot of the drug lords out of business.
Why anybody would want to "control" drugs is beyond me. We've got millions of people using drugs/alcohol in the U.S., probably a majority of adults, yet the world keeps turning. The attempt to limit their use creates more social ills than the use, itself, so far as I can see. Probably more of my friends use alcohol and prescription drugs, but plenty use other, illegal drugs, and the wheels don't come off. There are those who find they cannot handle the use of drugs, but so what? Do we outlaw marriage, because so many can't handle it; or, work, because so many become so addicted to their work they cease to care about anything else? There is nothing so special about the appeal of drug use that it merits being singled out as punishable for doing it, except when operating machinery, or performing surgery!
Yep.. that about sums up how I feel about it.. it's not that I'm a fan of drugs, but efforts to control them seem more damaging than the drugs themselves in my experience and the hypocrisy of what is legal or illegal is mind boggling...
V, I'm just wondering in what ways you think the efforts to control drugs has caused more harm than the drugs themselves?
Mainly by making possible a globally based, fabulously profitable criminal enterprise which grows more assertive year by year, and rivals in power and influence the governments of many lesser countries.
So basically what you are saying is to make all drugs legal and therefore reduce the criminality of them. Is that where you are going? I think that the legalization of drugs would not end the criminal element. The reason I say that is that the government would end up taxing the drugs and then to avoid the taxes a criminal element would start up and we are back to square one. That still occurs with cigarettes and moonshine. If we can't stem the supply then stop the demand. I really don't think that legalizing drugs will accomplish anything other than making them more available.
How is it that a "Schedule 1" could ever be put into law? I'm still unclear on the logic behind this motion. Can someone help me out here?
