How do we stop all of the problems related to drug use in North America?
Easy, legalize and regulate all currently illegal drugs. Sell them in pharmacies with no advertising and no branding. Tax them at a reasonable rate like we do alcohol. High enough to generate revenue, low enough so that a significant Grey market can't form.
Suddenly these gangs in Mexico have lost 90% of their income. Crime in the US plummets. Government revenue climbs. We will still have more-or-less the same number of addicts, but compared with the crime/violence of the black market, that is a relatively easy problem to deal with. We have cut tobacco use in the US by half through HONEST education over the last several decades.
We can stop going after users and addicts who aren't causing trouble and go after the people who commit crime to feed their habit. Though that will go down too as the meth heads $200 per day habit will now be $10 per day and he can go unload trucks at UPS or mow lawns with a nail clipper to get that kind of money.
Meanwhile, the people who don't do drugs because they are smart enough to see that they are a bad idea will continue to not use them. Those who do use them can be open about their usage and more readily seek treatment if they want to quit. If they want to keep using drugs. At least they are getting a pure, consistent dosage, eliminating overdoses and other health problems.
Drug use will become more visible in our society, but again, a minor problem compared with the unintended consequences of our current prohibition.
Easy, legalize and regulate all currently illegal drugs. Sell them in pharmacies with no advertising and no branding. Tax them at a reasonable rate like we do alcohol. High enough to generate revenue, low enough so that a significant Grey market can't form.
Suddenly these gangs in Mexico have lost 90% of their income. Crime in the US plummets. Government revenue climbs. We will still have more-or-less the same number of addicts, but compared with the crime/violence of the black market, that is a relatively easy problem to deal with. We have cut tobacco use in the US by half through HONEST education over the last several decades.
We can stop going after users and addicts who aren't causing trouble and go after the people who commit crime to feed their habit. Though that will go down too as the meth heads $200 per day habit will now be $10 per day and he can go unload trucks at UPS or mow lawns with a nail clipper to get that kind of money.
Meanwhile, the people who don't do drugs because they are smart enough to see that they are a bad idea will continue to not use them. Those who do use them can be open about their usage and more readily seek treatment if they want to quit. If they want to keep using drugs. At least they are getting a pure, consistent dosage, eliminating overdoses and other health problems.
Drug use will become more visible in our society, but again, a minor problem compared with the unintended consequences of our current prohibition.
