A smarter way to fight drug abuse

I have made a number of posts and comments supporting legalization of drugs. A friend pointed out to me that to legalize certain drugs has the effect of endorsing the use of those drugs. This is why our Government should never exceed it's authority to begin with. Our Government should not be in the business of regulating the details of individual lives. However, that's all on the level of political ideals, and does not take reality into account.

Just so people understand my view, I do not endorse the use of mood-altering substances without the guidance and supervision of a physician (but please leave my coffee alone!)

For those of you who love to read as much as I love to express myself....


I intend to stop using terms like "legalization" to describe my view that there is a smarter way to fight drug abuse. It has bothered me that the term "legalization" appears to put a stamp of approval on drug use. That has never been my view. However I believe we can adopt a smarter response to drug trafficking, that does not indiscriminately deprive the sick of essential medicines just because they are manufactured from substances that can be abused, and that does not treat victim-users the same as the criminals who market, manufacture, and distribute deadly substances that should NEVER be legalized.

When I have made longer posts on this topic, I have argued for the legalization of specific non-intoxicating marijuana extracts, while expressing ambivalence about legalization of raw Marijuana. I have argued for the death penalty for marketing, manufacture, and distribution of dangerous drugs, while suggesting the Government allow restricted use of some of the less dangerous drugs under supervised conditions, to eliminate the desirability of the most destructive drugs, while eliminating the profit from black-market distribution of the somewhat less dangerous drugs.

My idea has been to give addicts what they crave short-term, and under supervision, to protect the public from them while they are high, and hopefully also to eventually them get off of the drugs.

My rationale for suggesting Government provide access to these harmful drugs is that no one prefers meth over cocaine, except for economic reasons. I want to take the profit out of distributing those drugs, and also out of distributing the destructive substitutes that have been created as a response to restricted supplies of the less dangerous drugs. Essentially, I'm arguing that our Government should end the black market by competing with the black market. Make the drug trade unprofitable. I know my idea feels empty from the standpoint of justice, for the victims of illegal drugs, but I do believe it would put a permanent end to the marketing (pushing) of these drugs.