[qoute]Step back into reality for a second. Who pays for these drugs? Who pays for the people that administer the drugs? I have no intentions as a taxpayer to pay for someone elses drug habit.[/quote]
You already do.
The value of drugs isn't just in getting high. Many have valid medical reasons. And when enjoyed in a responsible way many are perfectly safe.
They provide pleasure, in the same way that games do. They can be fun. There is nothing wrong with having fun as long as you do it responsibly.
The fact remains that everything you describe to me was done by people useing drugs ILLEGALLY. Meaning.. the law didn't stop them.
You also mention that these people might steal from you... but theft is and should be illegal. If the cops weren't busy busting drug offenders they would have more time to patrol your street.
Getting back to giving away drugs.
Obviously you wouldn't get drugs and walk out with them... You would be required to do them there... where you can't hurt anyone.
Don't mock the system. It is working very well TODAY in England where they do exactly that.. give away drugs to addicts..
now why does this work? Because most drug related crime is to get money to get the drugs... so if you provide another way to get the drugs that is legal, people almost always chose it.
The situation you describe defeats itself.
This leaves 2 possible causes for the misdeed. Either they needed the money for more drugs. Solved by getting them drugs for free.
Or the fact that they were on drugs was only a factor is WHAT misdeed they ended up doing. They were there to steal from a house, drugs or not.
Drugs being illegal also requires otherwise law-biding people to have to have contact with criminals. Drug dealers and gang-bangers, to aquire what many people grew up with.
The history of pot is worth looking into.
In this country, pot was often grown in a field that was being held fallow, since the weed doesn't draw nutriants from the soil like other plants, and gives the land a lot of rest... Most of the weed would be plowed into the field after the fallow cycle and the pot was taken out and made the farmers some extra cash.. and also provided a great way to fight boredom.
This was not too long ago.. less than 50 years.
And in many places in the south they still do this...
They don't see anything wrong with pot.. and with all the misinformation passed around by the dealers, people still think that pot is less bad for you than ciggs. Which is debateable..
Regardless... many peoples grandparents and parents smoked it legally.
So they reflect on it fondly.. and they pass that on to their kids who don't feel like pot is a drug... like it should be illegal, or that it is bad.
So they don't follow the law... and until the last 10 years... the police didn't really bother with pot much either.
pot is a gateway drug... but why?... because dealers lace their pot.. they make people become addicted to other drugs.. coke, heroine...
So then many of these kids who were just smoking some innocent pot, get into harder drugs.. they get into it heavy because they are pushed by their dealers to get into it heavy.
Most hard drug use would go away after a few decades with the right education and with the places you get drugs from telling you how bad they will be for you, and offering other drugs, that aren't addictive, and that don't damage you as much.
making the drugs illegal doesn't work... that is obvious... It doesn't stop anyone, that is obvious because the jails are full of drug offenders.
The countries that have the lowest crime rates are the ones with laxed views on drugs... at the least soft drugs.
Just making pot legal will prevent the dealers from lacing it.. because they won't be selling it.. and that will drop the bottom out of most of their scheme.. they won't be able to recruit effectively without that.
But they will still exist.
You already do.
The value of drugs isn't just in getting high. Many have valid medical reasons. And when enjoyed in a responsible way many are perfectly safe.
They provide pleasure, in the same way that games do. They can be fun. There is nothing wrong with having fun as long as you do it responsibly.
The fact remains that everything you describe to me was done by people useing drugs ILLEGALLY. Meaning.. the law didn't stop them.
You also mention that these people might steal from you... but theft is and should be illegal. If the cops weren't busy busting drug offenders they would have more time to patrol your street.
Getting back to giving away drugs.
Obviously you wouldn't get drugs and walk out with them... You would be required to do them there... where you can't hurt anyone.
Don't mock the system. It is working very well TODAY in England where they do exactly that.. give away drugs to addicts..
now why does this work? Because most drug related crime is to get money to get the drugs... so if you provide another way to get the drugs that is legal, people almost always chose it.
The situation you describe defeats itself.
They were supposed to rob a (apparantly wealthy) neighbors home
This leaves 2 possible causes for the misdeed. Either they needed the money for more drugs. Solved by getting them drugs for free.
Or the fact that they were on drugs was only a factor is WHAT misdeed they ended up doing. They were there to steal from a house, drugs or not.
Drugs being illegal also requires otherwise law-biding people to have to have contact with criminals. Drug dealers and gang-bangers, to aquire what many people grew up with.
The history of pot is worth looking into.
In this country, pot was often grown in a field that was being held fallow, since the weed doesn't draw nutriants from the soil like other plants, and gives the land a lot of rest... Most of the weed would be plowed into the field after the fallow cycle and the pot was taken out and made the farmers some extra cash.. and also provided a great way to fight boredom.
This was not too long ago.. less than 50 years.
And in many places in the south they still do this...
They don't see anything wrong with pot.. and with all the misinformation passed around by the dealers, people still think that pot is less bad for you than ciggs. Which is debateable..
Regardless... many peoples grandparents and parents smoked it legally.
So they reflect on it fondly.. and they pass that on to their kids who don't feel like pot is a drug... like it should be illegal, or that it is bad.
So they don't follow the law... and until the last 10 years... the police didn't really bother with pot much either.
pot is a gateway drug... but why?... because dealers lace their pot.. they make people become addicted to other drugs.. coke, heroine...
So then many of these kids who were just smoking some innocent pot, get into harder drugs.. they get into it heavy because they are pushed by their dealers to get into it heavy.
Most hard drug use would go away after a few decades with the right education and with the places you get drugs from telling you how bad they will be for you, and offering other drugs, that aren't addictive, and that don't damage you as much.
making the drugs illegal doesn't work... that is obvious... It doesn't stop anyone, that is obvious because the jails are full of drug offenders.
The countries that have the lowest crime rates are the ones with laxed views on drugs... at the least soft drugs.
Just making pot legal will prevent the dealers from lacing it.. because they won't be selling it.. and that will drop the bottom out of most of their scheme.. they won't be able to recruit effectively without that.
But they will still exist.