Mexico's president hints at drug legalization

[Habitat]

Hey habitat.

You need to understand the difference betwwen primary consequences of drug use/abuse (the direct consequences from taking drugs eg health, social) and secondary consequences (indirect consequences of drug use / abuse which are caused by policies related to how it is handled)

I´m sure any junkie would agree with you that getting enough $$ is the hardest part of their addiction. A heroin addict can need upwards of 200-500$$ (roughly) a day to feed their habit. Now any pharmicist will tell you that it costs pennies to synthesize and manufacture heroin. So why does heroin cost a few hundred dollars a gram? Can you see where this is going??

Legal or illegal, at the end of the day, the end users are the cause of the "drug problem".

[jugoso]

Legal or illegal, at the end of the day, the end users are the cause of the "drug problem".

I disagree. The "end-users" (short-term) problem is aquiring drugs. I promise you if you give a heroin-addict an ounce of heroin, they won´t be causing any "problems" (crime) until it´s all gone.

I don´t profess that lealizing drugs will solve all social problems. i´d just like to hear some new approaches other than throwing more enforcement at the issue.

here´s an idea I have, tell me what you think.

We create a space (island or enclosed property) where any addict can move and live and consume all the drugs they want (which are provided). The only catch is that there are cameras everywhere and everybody else can watch it on TV (a real-reality show). And if the people decide at some point they´ve had enough, they can apply to move out. And we can all watch this unfold and vote for the worthiest candidate(s)

This would seem to hit a few nails right on the head. Drug addicts would no longer be committing property crime making sure they don´t steal "our stuff". At the same time, it would feed our unsatiable desire to watch others suffer from the comfort of our couches and also allow us to play the role of "god" by deciding who is worthy of redemption. Their re-intergation into society would be easy because, as they have been on TV, they are now officially "famous" and they´d just need a good publicist and they could pretty much right their own ticket.

[Varelse]

Sorry habit, the sellers are the only problem. If they weren't so greedy and just stopped selling drugs and weed no one would be able to buy it.

Why wont they stop selling the US drugs? Don't they know that when a govt declares war on its own people that they ABSOLUTELY MUST be doing something really really baaaaaaad? I mean com'mon people.

Besides, without prohibition there would be no organized crime. Gotta have organized crime. We spend hundreds of billions of taxpeyers money on the WoD here. , what would all those law enforcement agencies do without a WoD?

(Eta: yes, that was sarcasm and circular arguments)

Edited September 2, 2011 by Framling

[realmcutter]

legalising it would bring tens of billions into the world economy by taking that drug money away from gangs, cartels, terrorists, and warlords, and also by giving people a safer alternative to alcohol and tobacco products. It'd be dangerous but logical for the Mexican president to support such a measure as by causing the cartels power and influence to dwindle it's reduce internal and border violence and bring citizens back into the country. Same for here in the US, it'd allow pharmacutical companies and farmers to outgrow the cartels and capitalize marijuana bringing jobs and revenue.

[Habitat]

legalising it would bring tens of billions into the world economy by taking that drug money away from gangs, cartels, terrorists, and warlords, and also by giving people a safer alternative to alcohol and tobacco products. It'd be dangerous but logical for the Mexican president to support such a measure as by causing the cartels power and influence to dwindle it's reduce internal and border violence and bring citizens back into the country. Same for here in the US, it'd allow pharmacutical companies and farmers to outgrow the cartels and capitalize marijuana bringing jobs and revenue.

The point about the economic impact of the drug trade is a good one, IMO. It just devalues your currency. I can see the attraction of legalisation, but it will require a revolution to bring it about, it is hard to see how it could be achieved.