War on drugs

" Could it be that you're extrapolating data on one statistic and believe you can logically apply if across the board without any heed to other factors? "

" Could be. "

" I do not know much about Czech, other than Prague is more and more trendy (and less and less cheap), and that -- so i've heard -- lsd is quasi-legal there.

But, I have spent a lot of time in the Netherlands and they do set a great example which would validate your hypothesis. Coffee shops sell marijuana, smart shops sell mushrooms, prostitutes have unions (rather than pimps) and -- again, so I've heard, no firsthand experience -- they give heroin away in churches.

And yet here in the United States, paradoxically, our drug abuse and drug related crime rates are magnitudes of order higher than those of the NL. I don't have numbers off hand but they're available, I've seen them, and they are staggering.

Why? Consider my last example. Giving away free heroin in churches provides recipients with free therapeutic counseling, clean needles, and also alleviates them having to conduct business with shady dope dealers (and who isn't more shady then a dope dealer, right) as well as needing to rob and steal to pay for their next fix.

The differences stem from a radical paradigm shift characteristic of the uber-tolerant (though ironically highly conservative, at least outside A'dam) Dutch: they see drug (ab)use as a sickness not a crime.

word. "

" Are you sure it's legal to smoke pot in the Czech Republic?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis#Czech_Republic
"

" Drug laws were not created by a logical process nor do they respect or submit to logical processed. The purpose of drug criminalization is not to protect society or enforce morality but to protect the profits of pharma companies and enable a police state of tyrannical oppression in the United States by making everyone's neighbor a suspected criminal and ridiculously inflating our police and prison budgets.

In short, drug laws are a ruse, a misdirection, to draw our attention away from the fascism of our government and economy. "

" Hey nice job arguing with questions you never actually answer. This article is ridiculous. "

" You seem to have hit the hammer on the head, for lack of a better statement. I live in British Columbia, Canada where they also have relaxed marijuana laws. Even though BC has its share of drug problems, personal marijuana use has never been an issue for authorities. Even though I do not condone using the drug, I beleive that your ariticle pinpoints a major unnoticed issue in the already flawed "war on drugs." "

" I don't think it's this simple. You have to look at cultural and political differences, plus the fact that Czech is much smaller than the US so statistics are skewed.
That said, the war on drugs is a pretty hopeless endeavor. "

" I'm gonna print this article out.

Then I'll roll it up and smoke it. "

" Here's my logic concerning the legalization of marijuana. As it stands, Marijuana is only obtainable through the hands of a drug dealer. Drug dealers often deal in more than one type of drug such as methamphetamines. While people are there buying some pot, they're offered some meth as well and sure, they'll try it. If you legalize Marijuana and regulate who can sell it, you take the transaction out of the hands of seedy dealers and put it into the hands of retailers. Retailers can be regulated. Retailers can sell other things (food and drinks) to make extra money instead of selling harder drugs.

its a simple matter of taking the proverbial drug dealer out of the equation. "

" In my uncontrolled youth, I can never remember sitting around discussing what the most effective next step in my inexorable slide to oblivion might be, this could be like the saying "If you remember the 60's, you weren't there", or, it might be because nobody actually wants to be a problem to society if left to their own devices. People that kept increasing the strength of their pills did so on popular information provided by psychedelic drug vendors (just like todays pharmaceutical salesmen), if you like aspirin, try vicodin, but keep some uppers around in case you OD. It really depends on the merchandisers you hang out with, and the profit they can make. "

" Amen Brother.
But seriously, we'll need all the luck in the world to see a change like that.
"

" Interesting editorial. I think you're missing something major about the US war on drugs: it is irrational. Say whatever it takes to maintain the current drug laws. Afterall, it's *illegal* for the DEA director to support legalization. He's legally bound to do everything he can to keep drugs illegal. Now that's crazy. "

" "Could it be that the vast majority our so-called "drug-related crime" is caused by our marijuana prohibition policies?"Only regular users (losers) make the claim that regulation is going to improve society.
"

" Yes, it is pretty well legal in the Netherlands. There is also a hugh hard drugs problem.
And the statistics are a little misleading.
In the NL the police won't even come to your house anymore if called. Drug users and dealers are in charge, life for the average hard working guy or gal is not all that fantastic.
It is pretty bad when your car stereo get stolen for the 11th time, and lawenforcement won't take your call.
So, yes. There are BIG problems overthere, just nobody wants too do something about it.
I lived there for 33 years. "

" Drugs in America, be it legal or illegal, is on the rise. Kids are taught at an early age that it is ok to take drugs that alter moods because many of their friends & reletives are on drugs to control ADHD, depression, and other so called "mental illnesses" that are diagnosed by mental health "professionals"...

While there are people out there who have a legitimate mental illness, there are many more on prescribed drugs that don't need them...

What is wrong with a little pot once in a while? "

" This discussion is like so many that parents have with their 25 year old kid who still lives at home in the basement and has no purpose in life but getting high. Everyone who wants to legalize pot is just looking for justification for their own habit.

There's no philosophy here - so be honest. Just say, "I like smoking weed, dude. It makes me feel like less of a loser for a few minutes. And I don't like rules or being told what to do. So let's make it legal so I don't feel so guilty about my unproductive life."

Here's an idea: give up the pot, get a job, and start making a contribution to society. Otherwise, when your parents are dead, you're in big trouble. There will be nobody to pamper you any more. "

" i agree that marijuana should be legalized.. if it is in the hands of a controlled retail it will be less dangerous to the user and dealer. Less robberies, less jail time and less money spent on this rediculous drug war.

For the cat titled "oh come on now" that is the most stereotypical statement I have ever heard.. everyone thinks that if you smoke weed, you are a failure... Alot of the time the people that do fail fail because they have been charged with felonies making it difficult to buy a home get a job ect. thats the system.

For all you who believe in freedom... have a safe drive home from the bar. "