Moved to the appropriate forum. In 2001, the Portuguese government decriminalized all drugs, from aspirin to heroin.

 

Question: How's that going for them? Answer: surprisingly well.

 

Our views of the world are colored by our experiences. Sometimes it is very hard to think outside the box, and visualize how things could possibly be any other way. But guess what. They can.

 

https://mic.com/articles/110344/14-years-after-portugal-decriminalized-all-drugs-here-s-what-s-happening

 

Excellent reference link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal

I'm not so bothered about the health and well-being of drug addicts.  To a large extent, that is their problem, not mine.  

 

I am more concerned about weakening the grip that organised crime has on our addict population, and reducing the level of crime that addicts commit to fuel their addiction.

 

Decriminalising drugs reduces the opportunities for criminals, improves the opportunities for victims to inform on their dealers, and tilts the balance in favour of the victims and against the gangs.

good point cowboy but what about the addicts (legal ones) such as cigarette and alcohol, prescription drugs. you cannot simply say not my problem, it is part of society. 

society has accepted that these addictions are health problems, drug addiction will eventually be accepted as the same.

33 minutes ago, John P Ryke said:

good point cowboy but what about the addicts (legal ones) such as cigarette and alcohol, prescription drugs. you cannot simply say not my problem, it is part of society. 

society has accepted that these addictions are health problems, drug addiction will eventually be accepted as the same.

Correct - and I don't view the health problems of drug addicts any differently from the health problems of smokers or alcoholics or people that eat too many sweet foods, except for alcoholics where I have a personal interest.

 

But to a certain extent society's cost in dealing with these problems is only a part of society's part in dealing with all the problems of prosperity - traffic, congestion, old age, ill health...

 

We could take a Spartan approach, and say you're not entitled to societal health care if you didn't run a marathon (OK - that wasn't Sparta (was it?))  last year, but I don't think that is the way to go.  But I don't mind paying for getriatric care, or the medical care of drug-users or alcoholics or diabetics, because the alternative is not pallatable,  If decriminalisation does not result in a LARGE increase in drug abuse, then surely the undermining of the criminal economy is a great benefit to us all

 

SC 

Well the so called war on drugs has failed and in a big way,coca production this year up 17%,most of central America and Mexico almost war zones,Poppy production in Afghanistan at record levels,and huge increases of meth production,and the money spent on this folly runs to billions so i agree time to try a new approach.

17 hours ago, John P Ryke said:

society has accepted that these addictions are health problems, drug addiction will eventually be accepted as the same.

Overeating, liking sweets and not exercising is a health problem too.

How far do you want your nanny state to go?

A chip in your fridge to lock it when you eat too much and compulsory exercise machines in every home is the ultimate answer.

 

The war on drugs was just another one of America's fake wars, primarily to make money and control people.

 

Everybody who followed the news in the last decades should have read enough articles from drug experts (drug police, anti drug addiction workers, etc.) to know that the so called war on drugs does not work. And making more war on drugs like longer prison, death penalty, etc. still does not work.

 

I remember especially one article with a high ranking police officer. They just made a huge drug bust, I think it was in the UK. The reporter asked him what the consequences will be and the police officer answered similar to this:

Now the drugs will be more expensive on the streets. And because many drug users need more money to pay for the drugs they will commit more crimes to get that money. That is what will change...

Portugal has a model that Thailand and other Asian countries should consider following.  Stop throwing otherwise good citizen in jail and instead concentrate efforts in eradicating the source of hard drugs (meth, crack, heroin, nicotine <laugh>), getting addicts help, and educating kids to understand what hard drugs do to the body and mind. 

from 2016

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/59eqqk/ungass-portugal-what-happened-after-decriminalization-drugs-weed-to-heroin

 

Actually Portugal is not completely free of restrictions on the use of drugs. For instance, possession even of marijuana can lead to a talk with the drug committee and incur some costs. Unlike Spain where small cultivation of marijuana is decriminalized, in Portugal even a pot plant can potentially get you jail time.

 

That said, on the hard drug end of things, I would really like to hear what is the effect of the drug policy on the rest of the population? Are there fewer break-ins? Fewer thefts and muggings? Less drug-dealing related crime (murders, woundings, gun fights etc). Are the streets and homes safer?

On 11/30/2018 at 9:19 PM, StreetCowboy said:

I'm not so bothered about the health and well-being of drug addicts.  To a large extent, that is their problem, not mine.  

 

I am more concerned about weakening the grip that organised crime has on our addict population, and reducing the level of crime that addicts commit to fuel their addiction.

 

Decriminalising drugs reduces the opportunities for criminals, improves the opportunities for victims to inform on their dealers, and tilts the balance in favour of the victims and against the gangs.

Make them legal and sell them through government pharmacies at prices cheaper than the drug dealers charge. Use the money generated to finance decent drug addiction problems.

Keith Richards put out some of his best tunes, was hard working and all that while strung out on heroin. Like he said "I don't have a drug problem. I have a police problem".

I’ve never understood why Portugal, which has a lot of economic problems and high unemployment, has never legalized marijuana for sale and made not just millions and millions in tax dollars but also create thousands of jobs. 

People should read the history of Prohibition in Usofa to see how criminalizing what is really a social & health problem simply hands control of your society to organized crime.

 

And, as every senior cop knows, the more 'successful' the 'war on drugs' [ie the more drug seizures], the higher the profits of the criminals who are not loathe to corrupt politicians, judges, police & customs officials and take over whole swathes of a national economy.

 

The 'War on Drugs' is self-defeating & a waste of vast financial & police resources.

 

 

On 11/30/2018 at 10:06 PM, John P Ryke said:

good point cowboy but what about the addicts (legal ones) such as cigarette and alcohol, prescription drugs. you cannot simply say not my problem, it is part of society. 

society has accepted that these addictions are health problems, drug addiction will eventually be accepted as the same.

I can, It's not my problem, I have zero, zero sympathy for any of them.  If they all overdosed and died, I wouldn't lose a minute of sleep.  Guess you have never been a victim of a drug related crime??  I have, my only regret is I didn't live in Florida where I could have shot them dead legally.

57 minutes ago, TunnelRat69 said:

Guess you have never been a victim of a drug related crime??  I have, my only regret is I didn't live in Florida where I could have shot them dead legally.

1

Without the war on drugs, there wouldn't be drug-related crime.

Just like there's no smoking-related crime.

Not many people stealing to finance their alcohol habit either, as far as I know.

 

Drug related crimes are entirely caused by our governments.

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Without the war on drugs, there wouldn't be drug-related crime.

Just like there's no smoking-related crime.

Not many people stealing to finance their alcohol habit either, as far as I know.

 

Drug related crimes are entirely caused by our governments.

 

Exactly.

 

16 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I’ve never understood why Portugal, which has a lot of economic problems and high unemployment, has never legalized marijuana for sale and made not just millions and millions in tax dollars but also create thousands of jobs. 

Since June 2018, it is legal to sell medicinal Marijuana...