The Battle to Decriminalize All Drugs

RyuJin wrote: I come from a family of alcoholics, I know full well what it can do...alcoholism is supposedly a hereditary addiction...if this was true then why am I not an alcoholic? Why aren't any of my siblings or cousins alcoholics?...all my aunts, uncles, grandparents, and parents were alcoholics...i faced constant physical, emotional,psychological abuse as a child...If anyone had a right to be negative and hateful it would be me, yet here I am holding to a fairly positive outlook, filled with understanding...

Dude... this has nothing to do with my past alcoholism. I was simply using that as an example.

As was I

You're clinging to the past and allowing it to control your perspective of the present

My past was nothing but pain and suffering with occasional bright spots...I let it go by choice, my past is past and has no hold on my view of the present..

There was a time long ago when I was anti drug/alcohol, however as my knowledge and understanding grew my perspective evolved as well

RyuJin wrote: As was I

You're clinging to the past and allowing it to control your perspective of the present

My past was nothing but pain and suffering with occasional bright spots...I let it go by choice, my past is past and has no hold on my view of the present..

Stop making assumptions. I have not claimed to know anything about you.

On July 1, 2001, a nationwide law in Portugal took effect that decriminalized all drugs, including cocaine and heroin. Under the new legal framework, all drugs were “decriminalized,” not “legalized.” Thus, drug possession for personal use and drug usage itself are still legally prohibited, but violations of those prohibitions are deemed to be exclusively administrative violations and are removed completely from the criminal realm. See: http://www.cato.org/publications/white-paper/drug-decriminalization-portugal-lessons-creating-fair-successful-drug-policies

How is that working out?

Google Portugal drug decriminalization.

Hmmm...no assumptions were being made, only observations being noted...

And this is where things deteriorate....

Br. John wrote: On July 1, 2001, a nationwide law in Portugal took effect that decriminalized all drugs, including cocaine and heroin. Under the new legal framework, all drugs were “decriminalized,” not “legalized.” Thus, drug possession for personal use and drug usage itself are still legally prohibited, but violations of those prohibitions are deemed to be exclusively administrative violations and are removed completely from the criminal realm. See: http://www.cato.org/publications/white-paper/drug-decriminalization-portugal-lessons-creating-fair-successful-drug-policies

How is that working out?

Google Portugal drug decriminalization.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/evaluating-drug-decriminalization-in-portugal-12-years-later-a-891060.html

You will see that Portugal didn't have too many drug users to begin with, so I don't know how applicable this is to, say, the US situation.

On one hand, I think that the War on Drugs is a joke, and has cost the US a lot of money that could have been better spent. On the other hand, the idea of largely ignoring the problem just doesn't feel right. I am anxious to see what effects the weed legalization within the US has one the states affected.

Ignoring the problem means not doing anything about it. Decriminalization, re-legalization and regulation ... that's not ignoring the problem.

Hi people in Colorado and Washington. How are things since marijuana became legal?

Adult humans have the tendency to use the "toddler effect"....tell them they're not allowed to do it and they'll do it in spite, ignore them and they stop...

I have witnessed this with my mom...if I get on her about drinking too much, she'll drink even more, if I ignore it she drinks less and less...sometimes stopping altogether....

Decriminalizing reduces/eliminates the "toddler effect"....if they don't get attention they stop or at least reduce....

RyuJin wrote: Adult humans have the tendency to use the "toddler effect"....tell them they're not allowed to do it and they'll do it in spite, ignore them and they stop...

I have witnessed this with my mom...if I get on her about drinking too much, she'll drink even more, if I ignore it she drinks less and less...sometimes stopping altogether....

Decriminalizing reduces/eliminates the "toddler effect"....if they don't get attention they stop or at least reduce....

At least in Malaysia, we got to spank them like toddlers.

Making something like pot illegal for a society is the equivalent to a parent punishing their children for watching a show that has a sex scene in it, and as punishment, taking away the television completely "because it is bad and they don't need to be around any chance on seeing another sex scene on it". Do you put the accountability on the TV for being on and showing it? Or do you put the accountability on the children for choosing to change to the channel and watching it?

Is the fault on the drug (so now its illegalized for everyone)? Or is the fault on the abuser? (so they learn personally the hard way the consequences of abusing it, which they would do even if its illegal)

What effects pot has on a person and whether or not it is harmful depends on the individual and how they Choose to use it, or abuse it. It is not the drug that destroys their life, it is their choice of use of the drug that puts it into effect.

People like to blame the substance instead of taking accountability for their own actions. "It wasn't me! It was the drug! It's bad! It should be illegal for everyone! It's evil! It destroys lives!"

Maybe gasoline and propane should be illegal.
Maybe fingernail polish or whiteout should be as well.
How many other things can you name that could be illegal because of how a person could possibly use it?