Wouldn’t America Be Better Off Ending the Federal War on Drugs and Putting That Money Towards Border Security?
Question by Ryan and The RINO 2012: Wouldn’t America be better off ending the federal War on Drugs and putting that money towards border security?
The U.S. spends appx. $ 50 billion per YEAR to fight the U.S. War on Drugs. It has been estimated that the cost to completely secure the southern U.S. border and deport ALL illegal immigrants would be appx. $ 285 billion over 5 years. (so about $ 57 billion per year)
If marijuana was legal (marijuana arrests comprise 44% of all drug arrests), the states would cease having to worry about locking up non-violent marijuana offenders completely and could even generate some revenue by taxing the drug. (similar to the way state’s tax alcohol). In addition, hard drugs (crack, cocaine, meth, heroine, etc.) could be decriminalized similar to the program tried in Portugal. (focus on addiction treatment instead of prison time). This decriminalization of hard drugs would accomplish two things: A) hard drug rates would decrease (similar to how they did in Portugal), B) the profitability of hard drugs would plummet (similar to the way medical marijuana ie legal marijuana has caused the price of black market marijuana in California to plummet). If drugs aren’t profitable, cartels can’t make TONS of profits selling them. (That wouldn’t be a bad thing….)
What do you think??
AP IMPACT: After 40 years, $ 1 trillion, U.S. War on Drugs has failed to meet any of its goals
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=10642775
Plummeting Marijuana Prices Create A Panic In Calif.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126806429&ft=1&f=2&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+NprProgramsATC+%28NPR+Programs:+All+Things+Considered%29
Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work? (hint: YES!!)
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html
The Cato paper reports that between 2001 and 2006 in Portugal, rates of lifetime use of any illegal drug among seventh through ninth graders fell from 14.1% to 10.6%; drug use in older teens also declined. Lifetime heroin use among 16-to-18-year-olds fell from 2.5% to 1.8% (although there was a slight increase in marijuana use in that age group). New HIV infections in drug users fell by 17% between 1999 and 2003, and deaths related to heroin and similar drugs were cut by more than half. In addition, the number of people on methadone and buprenorphine treatment for drug addiction rose to 14,877 from 6,040, after decriminalization, and money saved on enforcement allowed for increased funding of drug-free treatment as well.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100708/ap_on_re_us/us_immigration_enforcement_lawsuit_27
The federal government is worried that other states will follow Arizona’s lead, overwhelming federal agencies with non-criminal illegal immigrants who will cost the government millions to deport.
A March study by the liberal Center for American Progress estimated that deporting the entire illegal immigration population and securing the borders would cost $ 285 billion over five years.
Ed………..”What happened to the “just say no” program?”
It didn’t work.
otis……..”If there wasn’t a demand for drugs — there would be no supply.”
But there IS a demand. To deny this fact is to deny reality.
otis……..”Edit: There’s also a demand for child porn — should that be legalized too?”
You act like people can’t get it. I’m not saying legalize the exploitation of children. I’m saying legalize marijuana because it’s less harmful than alcohol. And DECRIMINALIZE hard drugs and offer treatment programs instead (in an effort to decrease DEMAND).
See??
Best answer:
Answer by D.R. East-Coast Elite
Yes I agree, the war on drugs should be ended.
Though I would try to put more of that money into our failing education system.
What is the point of border security if you’re raising a generation of retards?
What do you think? Answer below!
Addiction Treatment Center Gilbert | Intervention Center Gilbert AZ – gilbert.alcoholdrugrehabaz.com Addiction Treatment Center Gilbert Call (480) 999-3383 to Get Help Now! We offer the best drug rehab, alcohol rehab facilities and drug detox programs in Gilbert, Arizona. Call us now if you battle drug addiction, alcohol addiction or prescription medicine abuse. http
CU Cancer Center opens phase I clinical trial of anti-cancer stem cell agent …
Filed under: Drug Treatment Centers Arizona
"It's a terrific opportunity to put a drug targeting cancer stem cells in the clinic, especially a drug with as much promise in preclinical studies as this one," says Antonio Jimeno, MD, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center, director of the …
Read more on Medical Xpress
Prescott area among top in nation for percentage of at-home workers
Filed under: Drug Treatment Centers Arizona
The Prescott Daily Courier | Prescott, Arizona … Welsh had overcome her own addiction to alcohol and drugs, and was working as a behavioral health technician in a residential treatment program to help others overcome addiction, when she decided to …
Read more on Prescott Daily Courier