re: Question for the "legalize all drugs" crowd.

Link?

That's a terrible link

I'm gonna just repost from another thread, but edited for better clarity.....

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I have a relative that works in Public Defenders Office:

Many lawyers on both sides and some PO's want limited legalization of weed.

If legalized, restrictions include:

Amount sold to consumer, amount bought/possessed by consumer....fines and maybe probation only. Larger the amount possessed harsher the penalty(ies).

Like alcohol....use same DUI's laws as with any alcohol or drugs. I had a "friend" (term loosely) got a DUI for pain killers. He had a script, but abused it and nearly killed himself wrecking his vehicle. Busted for DUI.

If on probation and busted again for breaking possession limits, larger fine(s) and lengthen probation. Violation of probation, Including drug and alcohol in system, fines, probation maybe jail time.

Companies can restrict any drug or alcohol use on the job and any violation of drug/alcohol policy is fireable offense. And person fired cannot use legal system to challenge. Take it up in civil court only.

Truth is, many of the first time simple possession bustees don't show up for court and the judge, the JUDGE, throws the book at them whenever they are caught. Others violate probation, and the judge will come down on them harder too

If those busted(first offense, no priors) would just show up to the court date, not violate probation, their record in many cases can/will be expunged, depending on the judge. All the judges set their on fines, probationary guidelines depending on their mood in some cases and to me that's a problem. Some judges are harsher than others.

Make no mistake about it, its the probation violators who give judges, officers, and lawyers fits. If they would do what they are supposed to do, then it would not be as harsh as what y'all read about.

It would be a huge mistake just to blindly legalize drugs w/o any restrictions to how much you can buy/sell. Restrictions on where you can smoke it(drug free zones), in vehicle, at work(company policy restrictions), how much you can possess, who can cultivate, distribute(sell), etc.

Regulation for alcohol and tobacco are in place for these legalized substances. Same should be applied to weed

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Lawyers and LEO's for the most part are against legalizing synthetics, heroin, meth, crack, etc.

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Prosecutors and law enforcement officers are against legalization?

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I think I said many lawyers and LEO want to legalize weed, but regulated/restrictions.

It's the harder drugs they do not want to be legalized

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Legalize it but remove the safety nets.

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That's not gonna happen.

"Oh, drug addiction is a disease. These people need treatment and compassion!"

Then we have to pay for their treatment every time they fall off the wagon.

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Not much. If you're not using Heroine now, I doubt you would do it if its legal. Legal stuff would be cheaper, less criminal activity would surround it.

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Because gambling in Nevada and Atlantic City doesn't have a problem with the mafia, right? Just because you legalize something doesn't make crime go away. This is one of the silliest arguments people can make.

One of the mafias big money makers is selling counterfeit tax stamps for alcohol.

And, to think everybody is shooting heroin that wants to do it already is wrong, too. There may be people, (Impressionable kids, particularly) that refuse to experiment with heroine for fear of getting arrested. Professionals fear for licenses, etc. Legalize it and people will try it to see what it is like, and you will see more addiction.

I am not going to get into a lengthy argument or discussion, but I just wanted to leave that here. You guys need to think really hard before legalizing something like that. It's almost impossible to put that genie back into the bottle.

If you don't have kids think if you want to risk your kids getting hooked. Or grandkids.

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Let's start with legalization of marijuana as a first step. Regulate and tax it as we do alcohol. 

Frankly, even if it we legal, I wouldn't smoke marijuana unless I had medical condition that marijuana had been proven to help. Even though the smoke from marijuana is supposed to be less damaging than smoke from tobacco, I prefer not to gunk-up my lungs with either. 

I suppose THC in general would be legalized at the same time. 

Let's see what happens after ten years of THC-marijuana legalization. If, as proponents say, overall drug abuse goes down then there might be other legalizations or de-criminalizations, down the pike. If, as opponents say, drug abuse and other drug related problems increase, the step needs to be rethought. 

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I can agree to this.

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I'm not ready to see high school kids shooting up heroin. Are you?

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natural selection. At least they wont be voting

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Drug treatment costs more than that.

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Which might be relevant if normal people stayed in inpatient drug treatment for years on end, which they most certainly do not

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It costs about $20k per inmate per year in the state of Louisiana.

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OK, but if joe-blow simple possession 1st offense for weed would show up to court date and not violate probation, then he/she would never see any jail time at all.

Judges here in BR give jail time for 1st time marijuana possessors who have bench warrant(s) issued and/or probation violation(s) only, well, for the most part.

Judges give sentences anywhere from 30 days to 6 months depending on who the judge is for not showing up to court especially missing multiple court dates and probation violations.

That's not so much a legal system problem as it's a defendant problem and judge.