Ending the War on Drugs

Costs of persuing a failed strategy

Published on February 15, 2004 By PoetPhilosopher In Politics

This is your brain on drugs.

Seems quaint now doesn't it? Humorous.

In 2003 the US spent $19 billion in the war on drugs, a stunning $600 a second. And for what?

1.6 million arrests, someone arrested every 20 seconds - 40% of which are for marijuana possesion. Not selling drugs, not traffiking, but POSSESION.

$600 a second to arrest 650,000 people for smoking pot.

What are we thinking???

Prohibition didn't work in the 1920s and it has not worked in the 30 years that we have waged the war on drugs. When will we learn a new approach is needed ?

Comments (Page 8)

106

drmiler

on Oct 01, 2004

Reply #8 By: jeblackstar - 2/16/2004 5:24:45 PM
My favorite example of a "harmless" drug is extasy. An interesting little pill that makes you feel good, and, which it's supporters have none of the harmful side effects of "hard" drugs. Now, here's why X is bad for you. X triggers the Seratonin emitters in your brain causing them to release all their Seratonin, that causes the "good" feeling you get. This has the unfortunate consequence of causing your now depleted Seratonin emitters to work over time to create more Seratonin. Over time, and it doesn't have to be a very long time, your Seratonin Emitters stop functioning. The more that stop functioning, the harder the remaining ones have to work, causing them to break down even faster, now your Neurotransmitter emitters don't get rebuilt, ever, so when they're all broken, that's it, no more Seratonin being manufactured in your brain. So you ask, what's the big deal? Without Seratonin, you can NEVER feel good again. So, next time someone says, oh this drug is harmless, think about X.

Cheers

Then *X* isn't harmless now is it??? You CAN'T compare x to marijuana. Maraijuana is a natural substance and *x* is a manmade chemical. And maraijuana is considered *harmless* by most people.

107

drmiler

on Oct 01, 2004

Reply #52 By: Messy Buu - 2/18/2004 6:31:42 PM
My posts are funny and outlandish because I notice the huge differences between religion and drugs, and because I acknowledge that if drugs are as great as you and others say, that surely children should have them as well. After all, it's not as if the side effects are that bad, right? At least not bad enough to mention. Besides, society lets children practice religion and watch action movies, and that supposedly has the same effect as drugs (at least according to drug advocates), so why not?

Alcohol is as *great* (bad) a deal as smoking maraijuana. But you don't give kids alcohol now do you? Treat it like cigarettes, let it be grown, tax it (so the government gets its share) and make it law that you can't sell it to minors! Do that and watch the demand for it go in the tank!

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