For those that whine about our drug laws..

[Sstashmoo]

Quote: "How about that legal drug caffiene?"

Nobody is dying, losing their job, endangering others or robbing old ladies to purchase a cup of coffee.

Quote: "In my opinion, the FDA is more about profit than safety."

Uh huh.. So you're implying that when one of these departments of government order a product removed, that means that Miles or Pfizer et al was unsuccessful in buying them off? Try bribing someone from the FDA, EPA, USDA etc. and see what happens.

Quote: "What is your take on the fast-food industry?"

Nothing wrong with fast food, it's the lifestyle so many accompany with it. Excessive consumption and zero exercise. The latter can be more closely associated with heart disease, rather than diet alone.

[ziggyselbin]

No, ziggyselbin, legalization will not solve the despair and cost of addiction. Nothing will.

What legalization will do is free up the courts to pursue more important criminals, reduce the cost of running and maintaining prisons, remove a source of corruption in the legal and law enforcement communities, and cut off an enormous source of funding for street gangs and criminal syndicates.

All good things.

It might it, might not. There would certainly still be a very active drug underworld. I imagine it would be quite similar to a methadone clinic or social services. The user/addict would have to register and follow specific guidelines. That might work........or the user/addict might sell his drugs just as the methadone recipients do now. Of course the rule could be the drug must be taken in the presence of staff but the junkie knows how to get around that.

I don't necessarily disagree with legalization but there are certainly things as I mentioned that can not be anticipated.And what drugs would be legalized? Heroin? ok. Marijuana? ok....but cocaine in it's various forms has less than a negative thousand being legalized. And as near as I can tell aside from a boisterous few the majority don't care about the rest.So any legalization seems unlikely.

However as someone mentioned to me recently legalizing heroin might solve our dilemma is Afghanistan as the Taliban is funded by poppy/heroin production.

[ccbatson]

Legalizing coupled to government takeover of the trade is not a solution either...Legalization as in letting individuals decide [[right or wrong...as with alcohol, tobacco, etc...it happens to be a bad choice) for themselves, while radical, would solve many many societal problems.