recently I read in a paper about how the war on drugs is failing and that it only makes things worse. It mentioned how its forcing drug addicting to use the same needle which can cause aids and such. Then it went on to talk about marijuana and meth and such and the girl in my community who dies in june from a prescription over dose and alcohol so I was sorta wondering what is everyones take on this, do you agree with the goverment and the drug hate or are you all for it, dont care, doing it, ect

I feel that they need to take a different approach to the whole thing. Telling kids "it's bad, don't do it" and nothing else isn't going to help anything. In another thread I mentioned that things like marijuana should be legal but harder drugs need to be kept illegal due to how dangerous they are. Drug use can also make violent crime go up so I am for keeping the peace and keeping the streets safe.

As for prescription drugs, there really is not much that can be done about that. They are legal with a prescription and some drugs that are abuse are needed to keep people alive or out of pain. I had my aunt steal my pain medications out of my purse when I was at a family function and she tried to steal my grandpa's pain meds as well. I also hate those same drugs because they can be addicting even if you are not abusing them. It can be hard to get off them if you are on them long term. Again, aside from locking people in rehab, there is not much someone can do about it. You can't help those people that do not want help unless they become a threat to others the law can not make them do anything.

The goverment doesn't want us to take illegale drugs. They want us to take THEIR drugs. If we legalize some drugs, like pot, then their will be no need for drug cartels to stay in buisness and our tax dollars will no longer be wasted on something stupid.

I don't do drugs. Waste of money, time, energy, and since it can be potentially lethal I just choose not to do it. The fact that they're illegal, where it is an insentive, it's obviously not the deciding factor. "It's legal if you don't get caught" I'm sure most people have heard that statement. Where I am right now, you can get kicked out if you fail a drug test and you aren't to have alchohol on campus. I know for a fact though plenty of people come back to the dorms high or drunk. Obviously saying "no" doesn't work, and heck punishing those that do it doesn't work either. Why? Because you need to catch them first.

I think they should make it legal. It takes away the "thrill" and if more people have a bad experiance with it more people will get the picture. It is the hard way of learning, but some people need to learn the hard way. Just like there's kids who don't think the hot stove is hot (until they touch it) there are people who won't believe the drug is bad until something bad happens. Plus since it's legal the gov. can put a clear warning on it, "If you're using, it's YOUR choice and therefore YOUR responcibility when something bad happens"

To top it off, it's their body. If they want to kill it, it's their choice. What next telling us we can't eat at McDonalds because we'll get fat?... oh wait, they're trying that too.

The government needs to remember it's purpose. To provide order as well as protection and justice from others. Not our own stupidity, they might as well try taking away all sharp objects and dangerous cleaning materials if that's their goal.

I have the train of thought that there should be some legal things. I have several friends who are all for smoking pot. In fact I know one who drives while they are high. These three friends of mine who i choose to have nameless are the nicest people I have ever met. Two of the three have excellent grades in school. In pot there just is not enough to make you a complete addict. They are also really calm, sweet, and treat life like they love it. I think that it should be legal in all states. Meth and cocaine and ect are another topic I think. Drugs that chemically change your brain to make you addicted is really bad in my opinion and between the cost and risk of problems you can get from the 'bad' drugs. I dont want to promote it or anything but it is your choice and if you are already addicted then yeah there is a problem

Originally Posted by Vixeona

Plus since it's legal the gov. can put a clear warning on it, "If you're using, it's YOUR choice and therefore YOUR responcibility when something bad happens"

To top it off, it's their body. If they want to kill it, it's their choice. What next telling us we can't eat at McDonalds because we'll get fat?... oh wait, they're trying that too.

I agree with this, but to a point. I don't think the government should legalize ALL drugs but I do think pot should be legalized the same way alcohol is. The money wasted on busting people with pot is staggering, and even more money is wasted with these people in jail. Not to mention the money the government could get with the tax they put on it.

Any one remember the D.A.R.E. program? yeah studies have shown how ineffective it was and that it even caused kids to want to try them more (my source is wikipedia but there are several others). I'm all for the its your body and your choice. I feel the same way about the war on drugs as I do about abstinence only health classes. Whether its legal or illegal people are still going to do it, just as kids are still going to have sex. Maybe if we gave them a good education about it they'd be more likely to make the less stupid choice about it. I'm not talking about scare tactics, I'm talking about good neutral education about the side effects and causes. but eh thats just my two cents.

Don't even get me started on DARE. It really is a useless program. If they're going to do something in the school system they need to show people what happens with your body while on drugs and not all this hyped up propaganda and just telling students "it's bad don't do it"

Exactly! Telling someone not to do something is like asking them to DO it, especially the youngins (hell I'm even guilty of it). Eventually my parents had to let me test and find my limits and I've NEVER done anything irresponsibly. Don't scare them by saying "drugs are bad if you do them you'll die!!!!" instead educate "this is (insert drug here) prolonged usage causes this, this and this. Here are pictures." Kind of like a slide show I got in health class with the pictures of STDS and what they can do/look like *shudder*

I'm a big believer in education is one of the best ways to prevention. Do not get me started XD

Exactly. I also think that kids should not be forced to believe in what their parents say just because "they say so" and that they should make their own choices based on facts. This not only goes for drugs but for everything. I mean of course I don't want my kids to get into heavy drug use or anything but I do want them to know both pros and cons on it.

I say legalize all drugs for several reasons:
1. Taxes. Tax the CRAP out of them. Then those taxes could be used towards REHABS that actually WORK.

2. You take power away from drug dealers when they're no longer providing a service to people. Why go spend a buttload of money for something when you can just walk to the nearest drug story (pun intended ;) ) and buy it there?

3. Clear up some jail space, for serious. That 19 year old who was just experimenting for awhile doesn't really deserve to be in a friggin' prison.

4. And finally, I think that I agree. I don't want any of MY loved ones to be doing drugs but I think: to each their own. If someone wants to smoke crack (and isn't hurting anyone but themselves) then c'est la vie.

Of course, this is just my opinion. xD

i think the government itself is helping the drug smugglers and etc...
seriously, theres allot of evidence thatn points to the government leading to people doing drugs or selling / distributing / smuggling them. its all part of their little way of geting money or putting people in jail and geting money from them that way as well, as well they target the weak people that are really prone to doing them

im totally against the government
the papers were right about making it worse than wat it already is cause now since they are stoppin one way, people are finding newer and more advanced ways to smuggle and bring the drugs around. aids is growing more more for that reason yes, but i think that is a very nasty drug anyway n should be taken off right away.

but the government hasnt learned that they are not going to stop it, yes they might be winning the war over there, but on the other side the product just doubled cause the demand just increased.
. the cops and dea are dumb compared to you average druggy anyway. not really helpin anyone by raising crime rate and murder and scuicide, ya know....

i think they shoulda left it alone in the first place. cause now with the recession and them fightin the war on drugs just kinda put everyone in a crapperhole.

dont get me wrong im glad to see they are tryin their best to do some good but really... look at the outcome that has come from it so far... like in mexico
crime rates up
demand is up

For the most part, it's bullshit.

I read that 1 out of 3 arrests are for possession of marijuana. Caffeine is more harmful than marijuana. WTF man?

It's a waste of money, they spend billions and billions of dollars trying to keep it out; our taxes go to this useless war they have going on.

But, considering the fact USA's economy is really bad, the possibilities of marijuana being legal once again, is very, very high. Why? Marijuana could, seriously, bring this economy right back up within a year or two. Marijuana is the number one drug used and it's beyond profitable. Including, taxes on it.
I actually read an article the other day about it, how "it's getting harder and harder for them to ignore [legalize marijuana]," I say this is a win.

Actually, marijuana can easily be grown by anybody, so I don't think that the taxing it will make *that* big of a difference.

Originally Posted by Smellerbee

Actually, marijuana can easily be grown by anybody, so I don't think that the taxing it will make *that* big of a difference.

Yeah but the fact it's against the law, it's not as easy.
Including, if it was legal, they wouldn't allow just ANYONE to grow it. They would obviously have some restrictions to it, other places already have it legal, you do realize this yes?