Re: Drug Legalization -- Reduces use!

[Rick At Work <strongr@child.cpmc.columbia.edu>]

Based on nothing whatsoever besides my own personal opinions,
I've always been against criminalization of drugs. When we outlawed
alcohol, we promoted a whole new generation of organized crime.
(I don't think we lost too many drinkers, either) I imagine that our
present policies are keeping a lot of extremely nasty  people rolling
in dough as we speak.

I -am- concerned about a few issues, though. Assuming that all the
controls on drugs come off:

- How do we keep airline pilots, brain surgeons, etc. from doing a few
  lines and smoking a joint or two before going to work? Eek! I wouldn't
  want someone like literally holding my life in their hands.

- How do we control drug use by underage people whose personalities are
  still in development? If drugs are readily available, and even if they are
  semi-controlled, like alcohol, how do you keep little kids away from the
  stuff until they are grown up enough to make informed decisions, especially

  if older kids are doing it in school, beyond your supervision.

The trouble is that you'll never find GOP/Dem candidate to back total
legalization. The GOP is too conservative, and the Democrats will NOT
jeopardize themselves by allowing themselves to be painted as drug-libertines

at this point.

'Tis a shame, this is one area where I feel that we have done a very poor
job,
and could use some new ideas.

Greg Peisert wrote:

> Study Contradicts U.S. Drug Czar
>
>    Marijuana is easily and legally available in the Netherlands, while in
>    the United States mere possession is a serious crime. Yet a new study,
>    financed by the Netherlands government health ministry and conducted
>    jointly with Amsterdam University, indicates there is far less
>    per-capita pot use in the Netherlands than in the U.S.
>
>