The US justice system.

[SpellAndShield]

This really seems to be an issue of victimless crimes. Someone injecting heroine into his arm and sleeping on his matress at home is NOT a crime, just stupid behaviour.

 

I don't support the State in executing people, too many mistakes are made and more importantly it gives the State even more power than it already has.

[Aurielius]

This really seems to be an issue of victimless crimes. Someone injecting heroine into his arm and sleeping on his matress at home is NOT a crime, just stupid behaviour.

One must assume your exposure to heroin addicts is limited then because they always run out of money, friends, jobs etc and eventually will do anything for the next 'fix' which means that crime is the most likely avenue for quick revenue. Hardly a victim less addiction.

[Lisnpuppy]

This really seems to be an issue of victimless crimes. Someone injecting heroine into his arm and sleeping on his matress at home is NOT a crime, just stupid behaviour.

One must assume your exposure to heroin addicts is limited then because they always run out of money, friends, jobs etc and eventually will do anything for the next 'fix' which means that crime is the most likely avenue for quick revenue. Hardly a victim less addiction.

 

Though this is about the justice system...I wanted to chime in that I support legalizing drugs and believe the criminal justice system is trying to push that boulder uphill only to have it fall over the other side. I worked for many years in a long-term and short-term rehab facility for addicts (from alcohol, MJ to heroine) and though there are many crimes associated with drug use....many are not worthy of considerable jail time until the actual sellers/dealers are involved. The money being spent incarcerating those for possession and the like could be better spent on treating drug abuse and dependence and the mental health issues that often lead to drug use in the first place.

[Aurielius]

This really seems to be an issue of victimless crimes. Someone injecting heroine into his arm and sleeping on his matress at home is NOT a crime, just stupid behaviour.

One must assume your exposure to heroin addicts is limited then because they always run out of money, friends, jobs etc and eventually will do anything for the next 'fix' which means that crime is the most likely avenue for quick revenue. Hardly a victim less addiction.

 

Though this is about the justice system...I wanted to chime in that I support legalizing drugs and believe the criminal justice system is trying to push that boulder uphill only to have it fall over the other side. I worked for many years in a long-term and short-term rehab facility for addicts (from alcohol, MJ to heroine) and though there are many crimes associated with drug use....many are not worthy of considerable jail time until the actual sellers/dealers are involved. The money being spent incarcerating those for possession and the like could be better spent on treating drug abuse and dependence and the mental health issues that often lead to drug use in the first place.

Legalizing all drugs is akin to legalizing 200 proof grain alcohol just because scotch isn't so bad, have little problem with legalizing marijuana but that is a far cry from legalizing heroin or cocaine. The former group is relatively harmless that latter categories are definitely so.

 

" Societies whose vices outweigh their virtues are not sustainable." -Gibbons-The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire

Edited December 6, 2011 by Aurielius

[Ghogiel]

This really seems to be an issue of victimless crimes. Someone injecting heroine into his arm and sleeping on his matress at home is NOT a crime, just stupid behaviour.

One must assume your exposure to heroin addicts is limited then because they always run out of money, friends, jobs etc and eventually will do anything for the next 'fix' which means that crime is the most likely avenue for quick revenue. Hardly a victim less addiction.

Simple poverty also puts people in that position.

[Aurielius]

This really seems to be an issue of victimless crimes. Someone injecting heroine into his arm and sleeping on his matress at home is NOT a crime, just stupid behaviour.

One must assume your exposure to heroin addicts is limited then because they always run out of money, friends, jobs etc and eventually will do anything for the next 'fix' which means that crime is the most likely avenue for quick revenue. Hardly a victim less addiction.

Simple poverty also puts people in that position.

Poverty is not an addiction..it's a condition that can be rectified. Comparing the poor to addicts? Have known a few 'poor ' people and the concept of crime to alleviate their plight would have astonished and appalled them, also have known a few addicts and the same lack of scruples wouldn't have caused them the least moral dilemma.

[Ghogiel]

This really seems to be an issue of victimless crimes. Someone injecting heroine into his arm and sleeping on his matress at home is NOT a crime, just stupid behaviour.

One must assume your exposure to heroin addicts is limited then because they always run out of money, friends, jobs etc and eventually will do anything for the next 'fix' which means that crime is the most likely avenue for quick revenue. Hardly a victim less addiction.

Simple poverty also puts people in that position.

Poverty is not an addiction..it's a condition that can be rectified. Comparing the poor to addicts? Have known a few 'poor ' people and the concept of crime to alleviate their plight would have astonished and appalled them, also have known a few addicts and the same lack of scruples wouldn't have caused them the least moral dilemma.

crime and poverty is readily linked in every city and country in the world.

[Aurielius]

This really seems to be an issue of victimless crimes. Someone injecting heroine into his arm and sleeping on his matress at home is NOT a crime, just stupid behaviour.

One must assume your exposure to heroin addicts is limited then because they always run out of money, friends, jobs etc and eventually will do anything for the next 'fix' which means that crime is the most likely avenue for quick revenue. Hardly a victim less addiction.

Simple poverty also puts people in that position.

Poverty is not an addiction..it's a condition that can be rectified. Comparing the poor to addicts? Have known a few 'poor ' people and the concept of crime to alleviate their plight would have astonished and appalled them, also have known a few addicts and the same lack of scruples wouldn't have caused them the least moral dilemma.

crime and poverty is readily linked in every city and country in the world.

So you make the leap that since crime and poverty exist together therefor poverty and addiction are equivalent? I would have thought that such sophistry is beneath your proven intellect, it's a case of logic leaping that you so frown upon in others. Though for the record you only implied the connection but did not flatly state it, so if I misconstrued your intent you can disabuse me, as I am sure you will. :whistling:

Edited December 6, 2011 by Aurielius

[Ghogiel]

I have never equated poverty and addiction as equivalent. Your sophistry is more astounding than usual. What I am doing is saying there is research that poverty is linked to crime, (along with drug abuse) http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07343t.pdf

[HeyYou]

The US spends billions of dollars per year trying to stop pot from coming in to the country, even though a significant percentage of it is already grown here. We also spend huge piles of cash housing prisoners that were busted with piddling amounts, and their sole crime was possession. We are targeting the wrong group here.

 

Marijuana is less harmful to the human body than alcohol. However, it has economic repercussions that various industries don't want to see happen. Therefore, there is corporate pressure to keep it illegal. It seems that people didn't learn a damn thing from prohibition back in the 20's, that banning a substance that has a broad user-base, actually has the net affect of INCREASING crime. It has also been noted that legalizing various drugs actually saw a DECLINE in use. (especially among teenagers...... imagine that. )

 

Look at the number of people that are killed by alcohol, that have never in their life taken a drink. A day doesn't go by here in the small town I live in, that I don't see at least THREE drunk driving arrests. I have buried more friends due to alcohol, some were their consumption, most were someone elses..... than ANY other cause. None of them were caused by pot. Not one.

 

Yet alcohol is legal, and pot is not.