> RoMunn wrote: > This is what I meant that it is a complicated issue. A nick pointed out, big > growers/dealers/distributors are a problem, but that's a function of drugs > being illegal. Still, no one wants to legalize crack, etc. so what do you do > with those drugs and the crime related to them? As you suggest, you have not > solved anything with those folks. >
Here are the assumptions: 1.) People are going to use until they decide they don't want to, legal or no. 2.) When they decide they don't want to they need a quick aggressive program to help them recover. So you solve 80% of the hard use problems by building free clinics and providing free drugs. This eliminates that demand from illegal drug dealers and thus removes the profit incentive. Look at it like obesity. Food is regulated by the federal government and a health issue. When people lack the funds for food, they can apply for government help to get the food. Controlled substances would work the same way. Let's say a yuppie wanted to use. He'd go to his local clinic, apply for his drug of choice, pay for it, and use it. If he couldn't pay he could apply for assistance which would provide him the drug for free. There's some experiment in Canada (that I previously posted) where they did this with Heroin addicts to great success. The addicts would come in, use, and leave the next day. Most were able to clean up their lives and return to work and many got treatment. Some mitigated their use, but decided to continue with a low level of use while others were able to quit. It's complicated. Maybe there're better ideas than what I propose. But for sure, illegality hasn't and won't work. So it's time to try something different or continue to suffer from our own stubborn ignorance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:209904 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54