Good or bad...let the debate begin.

[Hazard]

I'm not totally expeienced with crank and shlt like that, but I don't want people doing crank, coke (other white powders) and have to work with them.

Lol you probably do work with them and don't know it. I worked for a company where almost everyone used some kind of drugs. A select group of 5 guys in the company used a certain white powdery drug everyday at work. No one ever issued any drug tests...... None of the clients ever knew either.

Hell..... My boss (the owner) disappeared from a "walk through" with a client. When he came back he had powder under his nose......

[Sgt. Hartman]

Lol you probably do work with them and don't know it. I worked for a company where almost everyone used some kind of drugs. A select group of 5 guys in the company used a certain white powdery drug everyday at work. No one ever issued any drug tests...... None of the clients ever knew either.

Hell..... My boss (the owner) disappeared from a "walk through" with a client. When he came back he had powder under his nose......

I agree especially when you consider prescription drugs that are abused too. Blows my mind how judge mental people are of those who use powders lol but they eat Adderall all day. Because if it comes in a prescription bottle from a pharmacy that makes it so much better.

[joshv]

Very good topic and do agree with most of the guys here ....if you’re not harming or committing a crime let men/women live the life they please... I had an uncle who was addicted to meth never bothered, stole or hurt n e one. one day he was walking down the street (late at night I might add) got stopped (because they know he was a user) an found that he had some meth so to this day he has been locked up for it was his second time getting stopped with the same item on him)..But really wasn’t worth the space in prison when that space could be used for those who commit a more serious crime... just my opinion

[thegodfather]

One thing that's really crucial for you guys to understand is that the violence, crime, and other deleterious effects are a RESULT of select chemicals being prohibited. A drug dealer cannot call the police/government to enforce his contracts, therefore he must employ his own form of police to enforce his contracts when they're broken. Quality control is non-existent, and its anyone's guess as to what the dosage unit is in an unknown powder/liquid, and this is how many overdoses occur, as there is no consistency from one product to the next. With regards to crime related to drug use such as petty theft, B&E, robbery, home invasion, etc, these people are motivated by the fact that MINIMALLY REFINED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS (which should costs pennies per dose) have an incredibly inflated cost, due to the substances being prohibited.

We know through experience since the 1970s, and even the 1920s-30s, that prohibiting substances with a demand does NOT WORK. As evidenced by the fact that with regards to the prohibited street drugs, in tandem with the DEA's increasing budget (now at $20 BILLION per FY), that drug prices have steadily decreased since the 70s, while QUANTITY and PURITY have increased EXPONENTIALLY! We also know through evidenced based studies/modalities, that treatment is FAR more effective in reducing recidivism and drug use/relapse, than punishment/incarceration.

The best model for which to look towards is Portugal's which is in its 8th or 9th year of decriminalization. They have completely eliminated shooting galleries in their public parks, and their BIGGEST problem right now is ALCOHOL! That accounts for the majority of their assault&batteries, disorderly conducts, etc.

Then we can move on to the cost savings in the prison system. Besides the fact that prohibiting substances is an attempt to legislate morality (of which the State has no vested interest in doing, or should not have), it is morally wrong to imprison people for non-violent crimes which largely only hurt themselves. We need to hold people responsible for their BEHAVIORS, if they decide to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of mind/mood altering chemicals, or commit burglaries, robberies, etc, and not for the simple act of putting what they desire into their bodies, that is their choice, and if they accept the consequences it should remain their choice.

I identify as a Conservative Republican, but I feel as though I represent the true nature of Conservatism (Not Neo-conservatism which hijacked the party/movement), which is to always err on the side of MORE LIBERTY, LESS GOVERNMENT. We live in an age where the lines are so blurred between the movements, to the point of being almost indistinguishable. I'm pleased to see that the Tea Party, as well as Ron Paul's movement, has been responsible for moving the Republican party further to the Right, and further towards true Conservatism (which as Ronald Raegan said, Libertarianism is Conservatism at its heart).