1 post from March 2009

I was just reading Jack Cafferty's commentary on the legalization of drugs. It's an issue I feel rather strongly about, having seen some of the effects of drugs on people's lives (including a friend), and studied and done research on communities affected by drugs.

I agree that the tax revenue seems really lucrative, but it's a tradeoff. There's a whole set of different issues to contend with and it's not as black and white as saying 'Hey, we spend 77 billion on enforcement and legalization and tax revenue would net us 33 billion'.

That's not counting money we'd have to spend on enforcement, regulation, administration, and fighting the black market that creeps up--and it will--creating more of this drug dealer/cartel violence that Jack is saying would miraculously disappear. How do you regulate distribution? Do we put limits on how much somebody can buy? If we don't, how do we stop people from becoming small-time dealers? If we do, what if people get seriously addicted and have reached their quota already? There might still be a black market. There already is for people sneaking cigarettes across state lines to avoid purchasing them in their high-tax states of residence.

Those too poor, too desperate or strung out to get their fix will rob and rape and murder people. But there may be more of them. Increased consumption due to lifting the taboo might make those issues much worse. Lives will still be ruined. Personally, I would feel unsafe out there if more people became drug users.

Some store owners still sell cigarettes to kids, or adults who have legally purchased them give them out to those underage. Would you like that to happen with crack? Imagine that for a moment. Tobacco is bad enough, but cocaine?

 And we'll have to spend money to fight these increased problems, denting that supposed $33 billion revenue. Money in the short run, but lots of violence and social problems in the long. Terrible idea.

The "War on Drugs" doesn't escape criticism either, however. It is inefficient and ruins many lives. We need to reform the plan, or throw it out and come up with a new way to fight drug use and abuse in our society. Perhaps send more offenders into comprehensive rehab programs instead of jail. Hiring more public defenders, who tend to be so overloaded with clients that they often lack facetime with those they are representing. This leads to those clients sometimes being encouraged to plea to something instead of having their case heard with a real defense behind them.

Whatever we do, we need to take both the short and long-term effects into consideration. I don't think legalization is the answer. It's a Pandora's Box that should remain sealed, no matter how tempting it seems to lift the lid.