Misplaced strategy in the drug war
Roanoke Times, VA
Sunday, July 17, 2005
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy insists that marijuana remains the most substantial drug threat to society. The pronouncement proves yet again that when it comes to identifying the correct enemy, the Bush administration misinterprets intelligence.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy insists that marijuana remains the most substantial drug threat to society. The pronouncement proves yet again that when it comes to identifying the correct enemy, the Bush administration misinterprets intelligence.
posted by Terry at
9:36 AM
1 Comments:
Meth is a problem for some people, but I strongly suspect that legal amphetamines would eliminate the problem immediately. Why would anyone use some contaminated blackmarket filth when good, clean pharmaceutical stuff is available?
There was no such thing as a "meth problem" before amphetamines were made controlled substances in the 1960's. The "meth problem" is a problem created by our drug policy.
Those poor people who are debilitated by meth would be messed up on whatever drug is available to them because they have an emotional problem that leads them to self destructive behavior. The cure for the "meth problem"? How about job opportunites that pay a real living wage? How about education? How about a society and an economy that nurtures happiness? Happy, prosperous, well-adjusted people are much less likely to get into problems with meth or any other substance, even if they experiment with substances.
Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in part because people who use it experience the drug as non-addictive and non-debilitating. In contrast,even though heroin is physically addictive it is one of the least used illegal drugs because people know what it can do to them. It's huge addiction potential has not made it extremely popular.
Informed people are not stupid. Self preservation is an instinct that still operates even in today's world. Why can't our government officals throw out their arrogance and realize that most American Citizens have enough sense to avoid things that will harm them. Give people truthful information, quit lying to them and let them make their own informed choices about what to ingest.
It would be so much cheaper to legalize currently illegal drugs in a carefully regulated way and put useful, truthful information right on the package. A truly informative label (with print large enough to read) is so much cheaper and so much more humane than jails, legal coercion, legal jeopardy, and aerial spraying of toxic chemicals on peasants in some other country.
A label costs a few cents at the most. Our totally misguided and utterly failed drug policy has wasted billions and billions and billions of our tax dollars.
Zen
By
Anonymous, at 6:31 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home