Originally posted by svt4stv:
ps i equate marijuana to alchohol, actually it's not even as bad, and it should be legal to persons over 21.


If you start with the assumption that making so-called victimless "crimes" illegal has never been effective in stopping the widespread behaviour(eg. drugs, prostitution)it seems to me that by definition a different approach is required.

With drugs like marijuana where the behaviour modification and long-term health effects are similar to alcohol, many governments have come to the conclusion that control via regulation will have a much more positive impact on its quality, who uses it, who has access to it, and who manufactures and supplies it. The Netherlands and Switzerland are two examples of countries going this route.

And considering the use of more dangerous drugs, the threat of incarceration and the stigma of a criminal record have proven virtually useless in controlling that behaviour. Family interventions, forced lifestyle change, and medical interventions have all proven more effective. And for those whose drug use behaviour can't be controlled, then the regulated supply of their "fix" must be part of the solution.

The key to winning the war on drugs is to control the demand side of the financial equation.

Spend those billions on effectively regulating and controlling the behaviour of the user, manage and control the supply side to remove the revenue stream from the criminal supplier, and they will, over time, voluntarily stop making the product.