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Topic: Economic meltdown convinces US that the 'War on Drugs' is a waste of money (Read 707 times) |
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letheomaniac
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Economic meltdown convinces US that the 'War on Drugs' is a waste of money
« on: 2009-03-25 06:57:21 » |
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[letheomaniac] This from the CNN website no less!
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The U.S. and Mexican responses to this violence have been predictable: more troops and police, greater border controls and expanded enforcement of every kind. Escalation is the wrong response, however; drug prohibition is the cause of the violence.
Prohibition creates violence because it drives the drug market underground. This means buyers and sellers cannot resolve their disputes with lawsuits, arbitration or advertising, so they resort to violence instead.
Violence was common in the alcohol industry when it was banned during Prohibition, but not before or after.
Violence is the norm in illicit gambling markets but not in legal ones. Violence is routine when prostitution is banned but not when it's permitted. Violence results from policies that create black markets, not from the characteristics of the good or activity in question.
The only way to reduce violence, therefore, is to legalize drugs. Fortuitously, legalization is the right policy for a slew of other reasons.
<snip>
Read the article here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/24/miron.legalization.drugs/index.html
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"You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." - Dorothy Parker
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Fritz
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Re:Economic meltdown convinces US that the 'War on Drugs' is a waste of money
« Reply #1 on: 2009-03-25 21:57:17 » |
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Quote:| [letheomaniac]The only way to reduce violence, therefore, is to legalize drugs. Fortuitously, legalization is the right policy for a slew of other reasons. |
Oddly though I've had this suspicion that in North America the push to keep things illegal is quite possibly driven by the people that are making the money and for some reason there seems to be a need for the underclass all that creates .... I guess I'll put my tinfoil hat back on and have another chocolate brownie.
I'm just say'in
Fritz
PS: As you point out, it surprises me as well to see the story
Then again this took decades to start again ..... only one small step more....
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/hemp/bko05s11.html
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Where there is the necessary technical skill to move mountains, there is no need for the faith that moves mountains -anon-
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letheomaniac
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Re:Economic meltdown convinces US that the 'War on Drugs' is a waste of money
« Reply #2 on: 2009-04-22 03:50:09 » |
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[letheomaniac] Cops are revolting! Seriously. 
Source: http://www.alternet.org
Author: Norm Stamper
Dated: 22/4/2009
Pot vs. Booze: A Former Police Chief's Take
Marijuana smokers show greater responsibility in their choice of drugs than those of us who choose (and abuse) alcohol.
As 5:00 p.m. rolls around my interior clock starts chiming. I'll have an ice-cold, bone-dry martini, thank you. Jalapeno olives and a twist. If the occasion calls for it (temperatures in the twenties, a hot political debate on the tube) I may substitute two fingers of Kentucky sour mash. Four-twenty? Doesn't resonate. But with the Waldos of the world just having celebrated up their favorite day of the year, it's not a bad time to consider, yet again, the pluses and minuses of alcohol vs. cannabis.
First, a disclaimer: I am a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, but I don't officially represent the organization in this forum. That said, I can't very well check my affiliation, or beliefs, at the keyboard when I sit down to blog. We at LEAP are current and former cops and other criminal justice practitioners who have witnessed firsthand the futility and manifold injustices of the drug war. Our professional experiences have led us to conclude that the more dangerous an illicit substance -- from crack to krank -- the greater the justification for its legalization, regulation, and control. It is the prohibition of drugs that leads inexorably to high rates of death, disease, crime, and addiction.
Back to booze vs. pot. How do the effects of these two drugs stack up against specific health and public safety factors?
Alcohol-related traffic accidents claim approximately 14,000 lives each year, down significantly from 20 or 30 years ago (attributed to improved education and enforcement). Figures for THC-related traffic fatalities are elusive, especially since alcohol is almost always present in the blood as well, and since the numbers of "marijuana-only" traffic fatalities are so small. But evidence from studies, including laboratory simulations, feeds the stereotype that those under the influence of canniboids tend to (1) be more aware of their impaired psychomotor skills, and (2) drive well below the speed limit. Those under the influence of alcohol are much more likely to be clueless or defiant about their condition, and to speed up and drive recklessly. *[letheomaniac] That reminds me of something...see below.
Hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths occur annually. There has never been a single recorded marijuana OD fatality.
According to the American Public Health Association, excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of death in this country. APHA pegs the negative economic impact of extreme drinking at $150 billion a year.
There have been no documented cases of lung cancer in a marijuana-only smoker, nor has pot been scientifically linked to any type of cancer. (Don't trust an advocate's take on this? Try the fair and balanced coverage over at Fox.) Alcohol abuse contributes to a multitude of long-term negative health consequences, notably cirrhosis of the liver and a variety of cancers.
While a small quantity, taken daily, is being touted for its salutary health effects, alcohol is one of the worst drugs one can take for pain management, marijuana one of the best.
Alcohol contributes to acts of violence; marijuana reduces aggression. In approximately three million cases of reported violent crimes last year, the offender had been drinking. This is particularly true in cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, and date rape. Marijuana use, in and of itself, is absent from both crime reports and the scientific literature. There is simply no link to be made.
Over the past four years I've asked police officers throughout the U.S. (and in Canada) two questions. When's the last time you had to fight someone under the influence of marijuana? (I'm talking marijuana only, not pot plus a six-pack or a fifth of tequila.) My colleagues pause, they reflect. Their eyes widen as they realize that in their five or fifteen or thirty years on the job they have never had to fight a marijuana user. I then ask: When's the last time you had to fight a drunk? They look at their watches.
All of which begs the question. If one of these two drugs is implicated in dire health effects, high mortality rates, and physical violence -- and the other is not -- what are we to make of our nation's marijuana laws? Or alcohol laws, for that matter.
Anybody out there want to launch a campaign for the re-prohibition of alcohol? Didn't think so. The answer, of course, is responsible drinking. Marijuana smokers, for their part, have already shown (apart from that little matter known as the law) greater responsibility in their choice of drugs than those of us who choose alcohol.
*Say you get in a car accident, and you've been smoking pot. You're only going four miles an hour. Vroom... CRASH. Shit, we hit something. Forgot to open the garage door, man. - Bill Hicks, "Relentless" (1992)
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"You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." - Dorothy Parker
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Hermit
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Re:Economic meltdown convinces US that the 'War on Drugs' is a waste of money
« Reply #3 on: 2009-04-22 05:44:01 » |
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OTOH - A Very South African Story
The dangers of drinking and driving had been promoted relentlessly. The AA, Institute of Advanced Motorists, BMW (SA), South African Breweries and Johnnie Walker Whiskey (SA) had been persuaded to sponsor a carefully designed "scientific proof" of the dangers of mixing alcohol and high performance engines.
The plan was to have drivers, in identical cars, race against the clock, while slowly increasing their blood alcohol levels until the first driver skidded off the track or did something even more stupid. To make the event as safe as possible, the cars had a full crash cage, seat with 5 point harness and fire suppression systems fitted to them, and emergency teams were retained to deal with anticipated accidents. The intention was to catch these on Betacam SP, presumably to be replayed ad nauseum in a set of "responsible driving" advertisements. At least, everyone had to sign release forms to some such effect. Given that only one driver would be on the track at a time, there was no risk to anyone other than the driver, and perhaps more significantly, the drivers didn't have to worry that somebody other than themselves would be doing something stupid on the track, so drivers could ignore the need to drive defensively and could treat the racing as if it was a qualification lap, concentrating on wringing the most out of the cars.
The day began one fine Saturday morning at 7 AM. Huge stainless steel trays of boerewors (farmer's sausage - one of the world's great culinary delights) were waiting their turn on the grills, along with karoo lamb chops (mmmm) and poitjie kos from "pap" to stews which sizzled and scented the environment as hazy blue smoke climbed breathlessly into the still air of the start of a perfect Highveld summer day. Bikini clad females exhibiting the gorgeous bodies for which Kyalami is justly renowned, were everywhere, and a steady trickle of couples could be seen strolling to and fro between the enclosures and the support vehicles, most of which were running their engines to power the AC units, presumably to prevent the windows from becoming fogged up. I say presumably because, in a racing tradition, all of them had their windows covered from the inside with reflective blinds; meaning that one could only guess what was going on inside them.
Yes. I would have to agree that your guess may be accurate. They were quite possibly playing games of Pachisi and discussing philosophy while relaxing on the beds. Then again, maybe not.
In a well hyped live broadcast, TV1 covered the opening ceremonies - and the drawing of position numbers, as well as the logging of the driver's best, or at least, last sober, time of the day; and camera crews wandered around filming the happy chaos that happens when high octane, braaivleis (barbecue), testosterone laden race drivers and attractive girls all come together in an alcoholic haze.
Drivers were encouraged to drink between taking turns to be breathalysed and then driving as fast as they could, around the otherwise empty, magnificent, Kyalami track. Blood alcohol levels were tabulated neatly against their track times and displayed in running tickers across the bottom of TV sets throughout the country.
Initial track times were not very exciting, but as tyre temperatures and blood alcohol levels rose, so did speeds, while lap times decreased rather impressively. By 11 AM the producers were looking concerned and having noisy discussions with the sponsors and political animals as to whether they really were broadcasting the message they wanted to propagate. Track records began falling a little after that. By midday the previous all-time track lap records had been broken by most of the drivers. By 1 PM all the drivers had more than twice the legally permitted 0.08% blood alcohol levels, and some were in the 0.2% territory, where serious medical concern about the survival of the liver becomes an issue. Still, to the great disappointment of the fire crews, Sandton Clinic life support team, air ambulance crew and assigned camera teams, who were all having a terribly boring day watching other people drinking, not one driver had gone off the track, scratched any paint or suffered a slower lap than they had achieved in their previous, more sober, efforts. The only things being broken were track and blood alcohol level records; and perhaps bedroom oriented performances, but the latter was not visible on national television.
Just before 3 PM, when there was supposed to have been a live broadcast summarizing the expected lessons of the day, the project was cancelled and a scheduler doubtless found some typical SABC afternoon fare, like an exiting inter-school badminton tournament to cover for the gap caused by "a technical glitch". Subsequent recriminations were writ large though in private, and all except the drivers, some very contended girls and BMW ended up rather unhappy with the way that the entire affair had panned out.
The morals of the story are clear, though rather different from the anticipations of the kind people who arranged what turned out to be a magnificent beanfeast for drivers. By and large, competent drivers (at least in environments that don't superimpose unexpected events) are prepared to go much faster when well lubricated than when dry - and can do so in perfect safety.
Next up, why drink and drive when you can drink and fly?
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With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. - Steven Weinberg, 1999
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