One thing I don't get about this whole topic, is why the government refuses to face up to the fact that their current tactics in the "War on Drugs" are ineffective, at best. And I really don't care what statistics someone can come up with to show that we are seizing more drugs these days, it really isn't making a dent, at least not from what I can see.
I'm just saying this from my own personal experience, but take it for what it's worth:
Maybe a year and a half ago, the DEA and various other agencies did a few raids on some well known dealers in my town and surrounding ones. They ended up putting out of action the four most prominent.
Would you like to know the result?
Getting weed went from taking ten minutes, to half an hour. And that was only for a few weeks until new dealers sprung up.
I can't imagine how much money it cost the government, in terms of paying the various agency officers, stakeouts, investigations, and red tape, to only slightly inconvenience people for two weeks.
It doesn't make much sense to continue fighting this war the way we're going... I basically see three options:
1. Continue as-is, and continue to fail.
2. Make stronger sentences for those convicted, and have it thrown out in court (20+ years for getting caught with a joint most certainly falls under "cruel and unusual punishment" and will be fought vigorously by various groups)
3. Legalize pot, tax it, and either take the money saved from trying to ban it to either:
A) Continue as-is, with more resources, for other drugs, and hope it works out better; or
B) Spend the money on TRUTHFULL drug-education, and treatment programs. (or, you know, after-school programs that have been proven to reduce drug use, yet are being cut away from school budgets in many areas)
I feel this "War on Drugs" CAN be "won"... But not if we try to hammer away at everything at once. Cut losses, accept you can't stop everything, and go after the ones that are actually seriously dangerous (cocaine, heroine, ecstasy, etc.)
