Thursday, 03 May 2012 -- Three out of four Americans favor the use of fines or probation in lieu of criminal sanctions for marijuana offenders, according to an Angus Reid Public opinion poll of 1,011 US adults. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ According to the poll, 74 percent of respondents said that they favored the imposition of "alternative penalties" - such as fines, probation, or community service - rather than prison for those found to have violated marijuana possession laws. By contrast, only 41 percent of respondents favored such penalties for credit card fraud, and only one-third of those polled favored alternative sentencing for drunk driving offenders. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Among Canadian respondents, 78 percent prefer fines in lieu of prison for minor marijuana offenders. Among British respondents, 70 percent endorsed sentencing alternatives. ...... The margin of error is +/-2.2% for Great Britain, and +/-3.1% for Canada and the United States. ...... The Angus Reid poll comes just weeks after a national telephone poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports found that a plurality of Americans now support legalizing and taxing the production and sale of cannabis. According to the poll of 1,000 adults, 47 percent of adults "believe the country should legalize and tax marijuana in order to help solve the nation's fiscal problems." Forty-two percent of respondents disagreed, while ten percent were undecided. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In 2011, a nationwide Gallup poll reported that 50 percent of Americans support legalizing the use of cannabis for adults. Forty-six percent of respondents said they opposed the idea. The 2011 Gallup survey results marked the first time that the polling firm, which has tracked Americans' attitudes toward marijuana since the late 1960s, reported that more Americans support legalizing cannabis than oppose it. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ http://norml.org/news/2012/05/03/angus-reid-poll-three-quarters-of-americans-oppose-prison-for-pot-offenses

I prefer fines, very big fines for pothead repeat offenders, dealers caught selling to teenagers and for DUI . small fines for first time or occassional recreational users.

Some food for thought Barb. ..Isn't being a recreational marijuana user, and as you say, 'pothead repeat offenders' ...the same thing ?? Other than the second group has the misfortune of getting repeatedly caught. i.e. The poor and minorities for the most part, according to the stats, ..especially when it comes to pot. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Barbara Jones:

I prefer fines, very big fines for pothead repeat offenders, dealers caught selling to teenagers and for DUI . small fines for first time or occassional recreational users.

The key word here Seti is OCCASSIONAL recreational user. I don't agree with dependence on daily use of MJ , I don't consider that recreational I consider daily useage being a pothead., and I don't think it is any better than being an alcoholic, or other drug addiction, or for that matter any kind of addiction, with the exception for MJ for medical useage if it is a real medical need and not just made up BS. Cigarettes smoking is no better either, that is another addiction, one of which I have, and the only thing that would make me stop is if it was illegal. Sad to say and hard to admit but the truth is that the thought it is going to cause me to die SOMEDAY earlier than I should if I did not smoke is not enough to make me quit, but if it was illegal and I had to face jail time I would quit. My way of rationalizing to myself is that I am going to die from something someday anyway , or I could be in a car wreck etc etc etc and die or have serious health problems from that or something else, but I would not rationalize going to jail. I would actually vote FOR a bill that made cigarette smoking illegal even though that is my addiction.

Well Barbara that was very honest....maybe too honest.................................drats...you basically say here that you want the Government to make your decisions for you cause you just can't do it for yourself and you would be better off (live longer) if the Government would just force you to quit...cause you just are not strong enough...not only that you want to give the Government the same Authority over me just because YOU are not strong enough to make decision for yourself...man that hurts...And I am a Liberal...and I find the idea that you would vote to give the Government Authority over my decisions just because YOU are too weak to make those decisions for yourself...I suppose then you want make Masturbation illegal also...and of Course caffiene and Sugar and salt...All of these are know to be damaging to people and cost society money and people get addicted to these...where do you draw the line Barbara...what decision will keep for yourself and by extension me...this is downright frustrating because on so many things you have thoughtful positions...but this...this just flies in the face of Freedom and Liberty...I says that I am not as smart as the elected official and therefore should let them make my decisions for me...because like a child I am not capable of making them for myself...I not Mommy to slap my hand and put me into Time Out...That is just sad ......................................................................I just do not understand what it will take to convince you that prohibition does not work...did you see the Headlines over the Weekend...28 bodies found in Dead on Saturday in several cities in Mexico...many were beheaded and hung up on the overpasses...thier heads were later found in a cooler at city hall...How many people do we have kill before people like you will begin to understand that Prohibition does not work...Now you want to give the Cigarettes back to the Gangsters to fill thier coffiers...so they can hang more dead bodies up...but in place like Pakistan and Afghanistan where Tobacco really grows well...oh and of course here in America...The Drug War is the single most destructive action Governments of the World are doing...and we, the USA are responsible for it Worldwide...it is only because we force our allies and trading partners to participate that it continues...if not for this most everyone else would have bailed on this unsuccessful endeavor...

Human nature Robert,  punishment is and always has been the deterrent that reduces crimes and bad behavior in children and in adults as most adults still have some child no matter how old they get.  That is why laws are necessary and always will be,  call it government or whatever you want but laws will always be necessary.

Of course we must have some laws but every law is less freedom...so ideally we want as few as possible...we want to allow as much freedom as possible...And as far as restricting the useage of drugs or alcohol Laws have proven to be ineffective the World over...Prohibition has been PROVEN to make the situation much worse not better....Remember what happened here in America over Alcohol?...Right the same thing that is happening in Mexico right now....But do not think that it is a Mexican Problem....no it is OUR problem we are the consumer....and we are paying for the Mexican Drug war...Well over 40,000 people...people,,,,have died in Mexico since we began to fund their drug war efforts...This is IMMORAL...We are not at war with Mexico...This must stop now...It is bad for US and the Entire World!

Most of the people that smoke pot or use drugs claim the war against drugs does not or has not worked but the data and statistics prove different.   Countries that had drug laws and decided they did not work and tried it without drug laws are re-introducing drug laws because they found it did work better than it does without them.   Some of the countries are even stricter with drug laws now than they were before they tried it without drug laws.  I posted the info from these countries on here BEFORE.   Like crime in all areas laws and punishment will never completely stop the crimes it just slows them down by rather significant numbers.

Barbara Jones:

Most of the people that smoke pot or use drugs claim the war against drugs does not or has not worked but the data and statistics prove different..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................What data and statistics PROVE THIS CLAIM.....Post these statistics...no governmental figures as they are the ones imposing the prohibition and therefore are not in a position to be impartial.............    Countries that had drug laws and decided they did not work and tried it without drug laws are re-introducing drug laws because they found it did work better than it does without them.................................................................Where................   Some of the countries are even stricter with drug laws now than they were before they tried it without drug laws.  I posted the info from these countries on here BEFORE.   Like crime in all areas laws and punishment will never completely stop the crimes it just slows them down by rather significant numbers.

.................................................................This is all just made up BS...................In fact it is all false...You have been brainwashed...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Here is some interesting information from people that really know about the drug war...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................'War on drugs' has failed, say Latin American leaders Watershed summit will admit that prohibition has failed, and call for more nuanced and liberalised tactics Share 4259 Email Jamie Doward guardian.co.uk, Saturday 7 April 2012 16.51 EDT guatemala-president-otto-perez-molina-drugs-war Guatemala's president Otto Perez Molina believes a new approach to Latin America's war on drugs is urgently needed. Photograph: Johan Ordonez/AFP/Getty Images A historic meeting of Latin America's leaders, to be attended by Barack Obama, will hear serving heads of state admit that the war on drugs has been a failure and that alternatives to prohibition must now be found. The Summit of the Americas, to be held in Cartagena, Colombia is being seen by foreign policy experts as a watershed moment in the redrafting of global drugs policy in favour of a more nuanced and liberalised approach. Otto Pérez Molina, the president of Guatemala, who as former head of his country's military intelligence service experienced the power of drug cartels at close hand, is pushing his fellow Latin American leaders to use the summit to endorse a new regional security plan that would see an end to prohibition. In the Observer, Pérez Molina writes: "The prohibition paradigm that inspires mainstream global drug policy today is based on a false premise: that global drug markets can be eradicated." Pérez Molina concedes that moving beyond prohibition is problematic. "To suggest liberalisation – allowing consumption, production and trafficking of drugs without any restriction whatsoever – would be, in my opinion, profoundly irresponsible. Even more, it is an absurd proposition. If we accept regulations for alcoholic drinks and tobacco consumption and production, why should we allow drugs to be consumed and produced without any restrictions?" He insists, however, that prohibition has failed and an alternative system must be found. "Our proposal as the Guatemalan government is to abandon any ideological consideration regarding drug policy (whether prohibition or liberalisation) and to foster a global intergovernmental dialogue based on a realistic approach to drug regulation. Drug consumption, production and trafficking should be subject to global regulations, which means that drug consumption and production should be legalised, but within certain limits and conditions." The decision by Pérez Molina to speak out is seen as highly significant and not without political risk. Polls suggest the vast majority of Guatemalans oppose decriminalisation, but Pérez Molina's comments are seen by many as helping to usher in a new era of debate. They will be studied closely by foreign policy experts who detect that Latin American leaders are shifting their stance on prohibition following decades of drugs wars that have left hundreds of thousands dead. Mexico's president, Felipe Calderón, has called for a national debate on the issue. Last year Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's president, told the Observer that if legalising drugs curtailed the power of organised criminal gangs who had thrived during prohibition, "and the world thinks that's the solution, I will welcome it". One diplomat closely involved with the summit described the event as historic, saying it would be the first time for 40 years that leaders had met to have an open discussion on drugs. "This is the chance to look at this matter with new eyes," he said. Latin America's increasing hostility towards prohibition makes Obama's attendance at the summit potentially difficult. The Obama administration, keen not to hand ammunition to its opponents during an election year, will not want to be seen as softening its support for prohibition. However, it is seen as significant that the US vice-president, Joe Biden, has acknowledged that the debate about legalising drugs is now legitimate. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former president of Brazil and chairman of the global commission on drug policy, has said it is time for "an open debate on more humane and efficient drug policies", a view shared by George Shultz, the former US secretary of state, and former president Jimmy Carter.

Barbara here is more information on the failed drug war................................Major Panel: Drug War Failed; Legalize Marijuana PHOTO: A soldlier patrols a field of cannabis plants in this June 9, 2010 file photo. A soldlier patrols a field of cannabis plants in this June 9, 2010 file photo. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images) More Sharing ServicesShare Share on facebook_likeEmail 28 Comments Print Single Page Text Size - / + By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press NEW YORK June 2, 2011 (AP) A high-level international panel slammed the war on drugs as a failure Thursday and called on governments to undertake experiments to decriminalize the use of drugs, especially marijuana, to undermine the power of organized crime. Compiled by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the report concludes that criminalization and repressive measures have failed with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world. "Political leaders and public figures should have the courage to articulate publicly what many of them acknowledge privately: that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that repressive strategies will not solve the drug problem, and that the war on drugs has not, and cannot, be won," the report said. The 19-member commission includes former presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, Greece's prime minister, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former U.S. officials George P. Schultz and Paul Volcker, the writers Carlos Fuentes and Mario Vargas Llosa, and British billionaire Richard Branson. At a news conference launching the report, former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who chairs the commission said ending the war on drugs does not imply complete liberalization. Tom Carper To Devin Nunes: What Are You Smoking? Watch Video Dad Sneaks Ailing Son Medical Marijuana Watch Video Antoine Dodson Arrested for Drug Possession Watch Video "The fact is that the war on drugs is a failure," he said. "Being a failure is not saying that you have nothing to do with drugs. You have to act. The drug are infiltrating the local power in several parts of the world. Corruption is increasing and the consumption of drugs is also increasing." Instead of punishing drug users, the commission argues that governments should "end the criminalization, marginalization and stigmatization of people who use drugs but who do no harm to others." The commission urged governments to experiment "with models of legal regulation of drugs to undermine the power of organized crime and safeguard the health and security of their citizens." It said this recommendation applies especially to marijuana. Branson, speaking at the press conference, highlighted the drug wars' high cost. "It's estimated that over one trillion have been spent on fighting this unwinnable battle," Branson said. "The irony is that a regulated market — one that is tightly controlled, one that would offer support not prison to those with drug problems — would cost tax payers much less money." The report called for drug policies based on methods empirically proven to reduce crime, lead to better health and promote economic and social development. The commission is especially critical of the United States, which its members say must lead changing its anti-drug policies from being guided by anti-crime approaches to ones rooted in health care and human rights. "We hope this country (the U.S.) at least starts to think there are alternatives," former Colombian president Cesar Gaviria told The Associated Press by phone. "We don't see the U.S. evolving in a way that is compatible with our (countries') long-term interests." The office of White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said the report was misguided. "Drug addiction is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated. Making drugs more available — as this report suggests — will make it harder to keep our communities healthy and safe," Office of National Drug Control Policy spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said. Page 2 of 2 NEW YORK June 2, 2011 (AP) That office cites statistics showing declines in U.S. drug use compared to 30 years ago, along with a more recent 46 percent drop in current cocaine use among young adults over the last five years. The report cited U.N. estimates that opiate use increased 34.5 percent worldwide and cocaine 27 percent from 1998 to 2008, while the use of cannabis, or marijuana, was up 8.5 percent. Gaviria responded to the White House criticism saying there is agreement with the U.S. on reducing consumption and the drug czar agrees that the phrase "war on drugs" doesn't help produce good policy. Tom Carper To Devin Nunes: What Are You Smoking? Watch Video Dad Sneaks Ailing Son Medical Marijuana Watch Video Antoine Dodson Arrested for Drug Possession Watch Video "But they need to go further," Gaviria told reporters. "They need to mobilize resources from law enforcement ... (and) to move from the jail system to education, treatment and the health system. Just changing language is not enough." Several European members of the commission cited evidence from Portugal, Germany, Switzerland and other countries that shifting from criminalizing drug users to treating and supporting them has reduced drug deaths and has either stabilized or reduced drug use. At the press conference, the commission received an online petition collected by the global campaigning organization Avaaz and signed by 544,961 people from countries all over the world calling for an end to the war on drugs and backing its recommendations. ——— Associated Press Writer Jonathan Katz contributed to this report.

Here is a great video put out by Law Enforcement Against Prohibition....this is a group of cops, judges, lawyers etc, that deal with this problem daily and even they think the drug war is a failure....great video.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj3gnIGANhs

22 February 2012 News: Plan to introduce the Coffee shops ID in Amsterdam announced again Much criticized plan of the Dutch government to introduce the Coffee shops identity card in Amsterdam, has been repeated again by the administration officials in February of 2012. The plan is that starting from January 1, 2013, people without a special ID will not be allowed to make purchases of cannabis in the city Coffee shops. ID in the size of the credit card with the picture of the owner would be issued at request to all adult inhabitants of Amsterdam, while tourists and visitors to Amsterdam would be excluded from applying for this permit. The definite details of this plan should be announced coming months. What are the new Drug Laws introduced in the Netherlands? Under the pressure of other European countries, especially France, and to combat the organized crime, Dutch authorities search for the new solutions in their drug policy. It is not about an outright change of the existing law, but about various small steps to limit the freedom Dutch people have. There is also a stress on very strict following of already existing laws. Even a minor law infraction, results in a coffee shop closure. It has been estimated, that from 1500 coffee shops in 2007, there are no more than 650 – 700 left in the whole Netherlands, with about a third of them in Amsterdam. In some small municipalities in the Netherlands, smoking of pot in the open has been outlawed. This is really new, because in principle you may smoke the pot, as well as tobacco outside. Now, some small cities have forbidden it. You should go inside a coffee shop, or smoke inside your home or a private garden. Thus, not in a public view. At the beginning of October 2011, Dutch government made a plan to ban the sale of cannabis with the content of THC of more than 15%. This proposal would mean that so called Nederwiet, locally grown pot, much more potent than imported varieties as it usually has 30% of THC or more, would be treated as the hard drug and therefore forbidden

 Robert,  we should learn from other countries and not repeat the same mistakes.  The Netherlands tried it already and found the relaxed laws on smoking pot just created more and more problems and now they are introducing stricter soft drug laws and are getting very adamant about strong enforcement.

Robert, we should learn from other countries and not repeat the same mistakes. The Netherlands tried it already and found the relaxed laws on smoking pot just created more and more problems and now they are introducing stricter soft drug laws and are getting very adamant about strong enforcement.

The Netherlands like the US has been experiencing a bit of a conservative movement, similiar to our TEA BAGGERs...these idiots are the ones who are pushing to restrict Mary from tourists...not citizens...here is an article on the subject....We are the problem (US) our anti-drug laws make it VERY difficult for any country to legalize drugs...You failed to notice that drug use and crime have both reduced in the Netherlands since the country quit enforcing its drug laws...Sweet..Prohibition does not work...it never has and never will....Because of the drug war will jail more of our Citizens than even IRAN....Or China, or Libya under Kaddafi....more than North Korea...How can we claim they are EVIL when we imprison more of our people than they do?....How is that freedom...We should be ashamed of ourselves...not just for treating our fellow citizens like this but for forcing other countries like Mexico to follow our rules of mistreating people and stealing their freedom...This is disgusting and absolutely un-American...Anti-freedom...and it is only about Money...Greed...the Military Industrial complex is making a fortune off the drug war and that is why it still exists...It has nothing to do with protecting you or your family or our country....it is about Greed...plain and simple...And it is bad for our country, and the World.

Let us face the facts Barbara, Not only is the Drug War extremely damaging to America and World the simple fact is that we can no longer afford it....Making Economic Sense The drug war is responsible for hundreds of billions of wasted tax dollars and misallocated government spending, as well as devastating human costs that far outweigh the damage caused by drugs alone. The United States’ unrivaled incarceration rate is a constant financial drain, causing an immeasurable loss in workforce productivity, and puts a strain on scant legal and law enforcement resources. While the federal government spends billions trying to reduce the demand for illegal drugs through prohibition, treatment consistently proves to be a more effective, cheaper and more humane way to lower the demand for illegal drugs. The war on drugs has also driven the drug trade underground, creating a violent illicit market that is responsible for far too many lost lives and broken communities. Organized crime, gangs and drug cartels have the most to gain financially from prohibition, and these profits can easily be funneled into arms smuggling, violence and corruption. The devastation wrought by Mexican cartels in particular has made it far too costly to continue with a failed prohibition strategy. Prohibition is also to blame for an enormous opportunity cost. Despite the tax revenue and economic opportunities that a regulated marijuana market could generate, our laws still prevent the legal sale of the nation’s largest cash crop. Combined with the savings from ending prohibition enforcement, marijuana taxation could generate revenue for federal and state governments. DPA is working to end wasteful government spending on the drug war by leading the national dialogue about ending prohibition and refocusing resources on evidence-based health approaches to drug use.

This must end...Prohibition does not work...how many more have to die for us to learn and try something different...this is just immoral...the only reason the gangs are in the drug business is because it is illegal and they make a bunch of money off it...We must end this...Legalization removes the Gangs from the equation and cuts off the profit for them and this all ends...just like it did with Alcohol...during prohibiton the Gangs were shooting it out in the streets over turf just as the Gangs are now...it all ended with legalization...It is up to US.. You and I...It is our Policies that make this happen all over the world...Mexico, peru, columbia, afghanistan, you name it...Everytime we see one of these headlines we should feel ashamed of ourselves for it is our decisions that are causing these deaths...WE are the problem...if not for our actions these gangs would not exist...So here is just a single report of some of the deaths we caused this week.......................................................................................................................................................................................................18 Headless Bodies in Mexico Tourist Area PHOTO: Police and forensic technicians Police and forensic technicians are at a morgue offloading vehicles that contained the remains of 18 dismembered and beheaded bodies, in Guadalajara, Mexico, May 9, 2012. (Ulises Ruiz Basurto/EPA) More Sharing ServicesShare Share on facebook_likeEmail Comment Print Text Size - / + By RANDY KREIDER May 10, 2012 Police found 18 mutilated, headless bodies near a lake popular with tourists and American retirees just outside Guadalajara, Mexico, a massacre that authorities blamed on the Zetas drug cartel. A phone call alerted police to two vans on a dirt road near Lake Chapala early Wednesday morning. When police opened the van, they found 18 headless and dismembered bodies inside. Some were so badly mutilated that police have still not determined their gender. The bodies appear to have been refrigerated after death. Handwritten messages were found in the van. "They are clearly messages between rival groups that are in conflict," said Tomas Coronado, prosecutor for the state of Jalisco. Officials said the notes were signed by the Zetas. PHOTOS of Mexican drug cartel violence. Los Zetas have been battling the Jalisco New Generation gang, a minor cartel allied with the Sinaloa cartel, which is the Zetas chief rival for dominance of the Mexican drug trade. The Zetas cartel, which was founded by ex-members of the Mexican military, controls most of eastern Mexico and much of the north. A woman detained yesterday in connection with the separate kidnapping of 12 people in the same area told police that the abductions were connected to events in Tamaulipas state. Two dozen men and women were found decapitated or hanging from bridges in Nuevo Laredo, on the border with Texas, on Friday, where the Zetas are battling the Gulf cartel, another Sinaloa cartel ally.

 Nope, too many countries already tried legalizing drugs and found it did not work and are reintroducing drug laws.  No need to repeat here what was already tried elsewhere and DID NOT WORK.   These countries are wishing they never tried legalizing because now they have a worse problem than ever before.  BTW,  Mexico is a good example  the reason it got so bad in Mexico is because they did not enforce drug laws.

No Barbara you are mistaken...The reason it got so bad is because you and I and the rest of America started giving Mexico money to start enforcing the Drug war as we wanted and that is when these whole situation escalated...but never the less...If not for our Drug Laws Mexico would not have these problems...More countries are reducing drug laws than increasing Barbara...get real...Most of the world would end the drug war immediately if we allowed that...Canada wanted to reduce their drug laws and we threaten a trade embargo...Most countries do not participate because they believe in the drug war...no they only participate because they can not afford to lose our help or trade or what ever....We are the Problem...Prohibition does not work and that is why more countries are dropping drug prohibition than increasing it...Most countries are switching to treating addiction as a health issue instead of a criminal issue...as it is...Sanity always wins in the end...We can not afford the drug war...never could...How much is a persons life worth...a million, well there went another 18 million...this is disgusting we should be ashamed of ourselves...It is immoral, and unjust, And I would say unconstitutional...it is not legal for us to assist other Governments in their civil responsibilities...but we are...This must end...Barbara the drug war is totally ineffective...the availability of drugs has not been effected by the Governments efforts...The laws have proven ineffective as a means of prevention by fear of enforcement...the only thing the laws have done is to imprison minorities at a vastly higher rate than the rest of society and therefore continuing a form of Jim Crow laws...The drug war has also caused a distrust of the Police as the citizens understand that Mary is not as dangerous as the Government claims this make people understand the Government Lies to them...and this is clear proof of that...also they now distrust the police because the police are in on the scam to ruin peoples lives over money...there is no moral argument to justify the drug war the only supporting argument for it would be economic...that it creates jobs...cops, border agensts, Immigration, dea, fda, Lawyers, judges, manufacturers of equipment for above, builders and operators of Prisons and rehab centers...and on and on...No Barbara the drug war does not serve our needs as citizens...it is a very destructive force...that needs to end now....How many more headlines to we have to read...Okay so the next step will be for us to start sending large numbers of troops and equipment...that is quite clear as we will not put up this kind of action happening right on our border...How many of our fine young men and women are you willing to let die for your pointless war on drugs...remember since we started financing this bloody war over 40,000 Mexicans have died...so how many of our children are willing to kill for this Pointless, immoral action?...How many Barbara...Or are our children somehow more valuable than those of the Mexican People....it is ok for them to die for our War but not our own children...well to late my friend we have already lost troops in Mexico...At least two that I know of...How many more will it take for you to say enough...How many old ladies that get killed when the cops bust in the wrong door...If the ends justify the means do that means it would be ok if the cops accidentally killed you Husband one day while you were out...You come home to find cops all around your home and Husband dead...for no reason...Oops sorry lady we got the wrong address from our little teenage crack head we scared the *** out of for info...Guess he lied...Sorry...How many times...How many more lives...It is not justifiable, the Drug war is more destructive than the drugs...the Drug war is responsible for more deaths than the drugs cause...so how are we helping with the drug war?...what is the point...If we are trying to save people from themselves or others we are seriously failing...not only are the drugs still around and therefore still causing the negative effects of addiction, people are afraid to seek treatment for fear of repercussions, and then on top of that now we have all the violence associated with the drug war...not to mention the costs...so the drug war has accomplished nothing but creating an underground society that the government has no way of keeping track of...this community pays no taxes on their income and all of their activities happen in secret...and the Government and Gangster just keep escalating the interactions between themselves and each other...Who makes all of this possible...what one group makes this possible...The Bankers of course...the bankers put up the money for both sides...the good guys and the bad guys...the bankers launder all the drug money and help the Gangsters avoid detection and so forth... But it is just capitalism...you know like Barbara hiring the contractor to pick up trash...it is not illegal and it makes me more money...The Drug War is Immoral...Period....One dead granny makes it not cost effective as Grand ma is priceless...and if Grandma is priceless how much are the kids worth...if just one innocent child were to die it would surely not be worth it....And since the Drug war has had no effect on the availability of Drugs it has saved no lives...it has only increased drug related deaths since every death related to enforcement is an added death that would not have occurred without enforcement...It is just not worth it...Nobody is helped by the drug...No one...except the Military/Industrial complex...The drug war has made our society more dangerous and the method of enforcement is quite simply biased against minorities...the Drug war is Immoral...and therefore must end...The drug war must end as it is a threat to our National Security...The amount of money the sale of illegal drugs provide to Gangsters is staggering...Many of the individual cartels generate much more funding than our DEA...Their budgets are staggering...so large they can afford aircraft, ships, even make their own submarines...able to dig huge tunnels etc...The gangsters have proven an ability to regularly infiltrate our nations defenses...they do it every single day...We have been fighting the drug war since 1933 and have had no impact...it is like wach-a-mole at the fair...every time we stomp it out somewhere it just springs up in two more place because of the vast profits...The only answer the only way to protect our National Security is to legal drugs and eliminate that profit for the Gangsters...just like we did with Alcohol...

My answer remains the same.  legalizing will not work and has not worked where it has been tried.  Drugs are not the same as alcohol because they are much more potent, addictive, and dangerous.    Weed could possibly be treated the same as alcohol and we could live with the increase in potheads just like we have lived with the increases in alcoholics after alcohol was legalized but NOT hard drugs.