Legalizing would not encourage our kids to be glorified street pharmacists no more than legalizing alcohol made them glorified bootleggers. I doubt that if this were to ever happen people would still be selling drugs on the street. THAT is the purpose of legalization. The THUG would not be selling the drug, the STORES would be selling it. Now, the THUG may 'scalp' the drugs, if you will, and that would be illegal. But you'd have to think, who's gonna by it from the Thug (who will most likely up the price) when they can get it at the store for cheaper? There would be a State Drug Store just like there is a State Liquor Store. Would it be illegal if I bought a bottle of Hennesey and sold it to someone else? I don't know.
I don't think this would create any more crackheads than we have now, though. I know I wouldn't be like, "Ooh, Crack's legal now, I'ma get me some!!" Nah. Weed, on the other hand...
While I understand his reasoning behind legalizing drugs and agree with his reasoning, he's forgotten some important stuff. I do think that there would be a reduction in SELLING crimes, but not without consequences. In the beginning, there would be a lot of robberies, I think. Don't really know. I don't think legalizing is the answer. DECRIMINALIZING
SOME drugs would be better (lung chewing PCP would not be one of them, lol). Decriminalizing meaning that there would be no charge for possession. Now, intent to sell would still remain the same with decriminalization, as would selling and trafficking.
Just last week, one of my friends was pulled over and had LESS THAN THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA to be charged with possession. BUT since the little bit of weed was in two separate bags, they are trying to get him on intent to sell. EVEN THOUGH he had LESS than the minimum amount for a charge. Now, chit like that is why I tend to agree with decriminalizing it. And then for one cop to say to the other cop, "Do you want this for your personal stash?" That's BS. And a lawyer friend of mine also told me that most times, the drugs don't even get marked for evidence. So, people are being arrested, getting records, only for someone IN the system to take advantage of the drug (use or sell). So, where did the crime stop with that arrest? It didn't, and it doesn't. Yeah, everyone has free will, but DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO is not a proper way to encourage our citizens to steer away from illegal activity. So, our people are going to jail for the same crimes that the cops who pull them over commit. The same crimes that the government makes possible in the first place. So, where is the JUSTICE in that if JUST-US are going to prison?
I think that the government is making too much money to legalize drugs. Taxes would not give them the buck that they are getting now. Just my speculation.
I do know, however, that smokers should beware of this type of thing. If drugs are legalized, they will go straight downhill. Look at the crap they put into cigarettes. They would put the same thing in joints/blunts. The purity (if you will) of the plant would be gone, and the highs would not be the same. Not to mention, the prices would skyrocket.
I think that they should research drug abuse in Amsterdam before making any decisions on this. Hell, over there, you can go into a Canibus Cafe. Menus and everything.
I always wondered if lifting prohibition was like this, with all the debates and everything. And what made them make the final decision to do it?
Are the people who are adamantly against drugs like that because they are illegal? If they had always been legal, would it still be a moral/ethical issue? We don't have Mothers Against Drinking, just MADD. Food for thought...