DRUGS, ADDICTION ARE MEDICAL, NOT LEGAL, ISSUES

Mankind has a basically addictive personality. Multiple attempts over
the millennia have attempted to outlaw drugs and they have all been
universally unsuccessful. Modern drug wars will be as well, in spite
of good intentions and hard work.

The addict should come under the purview of the medical profession,
not the legal profession. Rehab, etc. should be offered, if not
demanded. In any case, the drugs should be provided under
tightly-controlled guidelines, largely eliminating illegal activity
now carried on by crime lords. "Soft" drugs like marijuana should be
sold in state stores, like alcohol (a much more dangerous and now
legal drug), and the revenue used for education and other worthwhile
causes.

Billions of dollars would be saved by eliminating the need for
interdiction. The police and Coast Guard would be freed up to do their
real work. So many of our prison beds are for drug-related crime that
we could turn some prisons into condos.

A large barrier to changing the system is that those in positions of
power don't want to relinquish that power.

So we have an enigma wrapped in a conundrum, and I think the best we
will ever do is nip around the edges.

J. L. Sitnick