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Decriminalize Drugs ?

Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Portugal decriminalized drugs in 2001. After 8 years the result is, it worked !
This is not making it legal, just moving it to be a civic matter , not criminal.

All the people that thought it would make drug abusers out of everyone, would be rampant on the streets, children would use it indiscriminately were proved wrong.
Now if we could only get Washington to listen.

http://cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10080

On July 1, 2001, a nationwide law in Portugal took effect that decriminalized all drugs, including cocaine and heroin. Under the new legal framework, all drugs were "decriminalized," not "legalized." Thus, drug possession for personal use and drug usage itself are still legally prohibited, but violations of those prohibitions are deemed to be exclusively administrative violations and are removed completely from the criminal realm. Drug trafficking continues to be prosecuted as a criminal offense
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Full document with all the details about usage, abuse :
http://www.cato.org/pubs/wtpap...eenwald_whitepaper.pdf
By freeing its citizens from the fear of prosecution and imprisonment for drug usage,
Portugal has dramatically improved its ability to encourage drug addicts to avail themselves of
treatment. The resources that were previously devoted to prosecuting and imprisoning drug
addicts are now available to provide treatment programs to addicts. Those developments,
along with Portugal?s shift to a harm-reduction approach, have dramatically improved drug-
related social ills, including drug-caused moralities and drug-related disease transmission.
Ideally, treatment programs would be strictly voluntary, but Portugal?s program is certainly
preferable to criminalization.

The Portuguese have seen the benefits of decriminalization, and therefore there is no
serious political push in Portugal to return to a criminalization framework. Drug policy-
makers in the Portuguese government are virtually unanimous in their belief that decriminalization
has enabled a far more effective approach to managing Portugal?s addiction problems and other drug-related afflictions.

Since the available data demonstrate that they are right, the Portuguese model ought to be
carefully considered by policymakers around the world.
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"Drug trafficking continues to be prosecuted as a criminal offense"
You hit at least one end of the problem well enough, and you will see some results.
 
I agree with the principal concept, but it's really hard to compare us to Portugal. They don't have Mexico & South America knocking on their southern door and I doubt that their criminal network involved in drug trafficing and distribution in no where as violent and powerful as we have here.

 
has no correlation on what the effect here would be or about "nightmare scenarios". They did not legalize it and still go after distributors, the retards around here want everyone to be free to buy/use at any time.
 
Originally posted by: vi edit
I agree with the principal concept, but it's really hard to compare us to Portugal. They don't have Mexico & South America knocking on their southern door and I doubt that their criminal network involved in drug trafficing and distribution in no where as violent and powerful as we have here.
Click to expand...

So what would happen if marijuana were decriminalized, or even legalized in the United States? Drug cartels declare war on the U.S. government to prohibit it again..?
 
Originally posted by: lupi
has no correlation on what the effect here would be or about "nightmare scenarios". They did not legalize it and still go after distributors, the retards around here want everyone to be free to buy/use at any time.
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I like how everyone who disagrees with you must be "retarded."
 
Originally posted by: lupi
has no correlation on what the effect here would be or about "nightmare scenarios". They did not legalize it and still go after distributors, the retards around here want everyone to be free to buy/use at any time.
Click to expand...

It has a huge correlation. It shows that if you focus on treatment vs punishment you can reduce usage and related crime. Something we have not been able to do.

It goes after the dealers vs the users.

The consumption, acquisition and
possession for one?s own consumption
of plants, substances or preparations

The key phrase??for one?s own consumption??is defined in Article 2(2), as a quantity
?not exceeding the quantity required for an average individual consumption during a period of 10 days.? Decriminalization does not apply to ?drug trafficking,? which remains criminalized and is defined as ?possession of more than the average dose for ten days of use.?
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For punishment: If someone is a repeat offender they can have their fines waved if they agree to get help.
 
Originally posted by: BeauJangles
Originally posted by: lupi
has no correlation on what the effect here would be or about "nightmare scenarios". They did not legalize it and still go after distributors, the retards around here want everyone to be free to buy/use at any time.
Click to expand...

I like how everyone who disagrees with you must be "retarded."
Click to expand...

it works best in discussions about this; like that one time someone posted a defense of reduced or removed penalties and such and stated no one was actually asking for full legalization: then the dope heads posted right after that they wanted full legalization. the timing was beautiful, didn't even need to type a reply, just submit a quote to a quote 😀
 
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Originally posted by: lupi
has no correlation on what the effect here would be or about "nightmare scenarios". They did not legalize it and still go after distributors, the retards around here want everyone to be free to buy/use at any time.
Click to expand...

It has a huge correlation. It shows that if you focus on treatment vs punishment you can reduce usage and related crime. Something we have not been able to do.

It goes after the dealers vs the users.

The consumption, acquisition and
possession for one?s own consumption
of plants, substances or preparations

The key phrase??for one?s own consumption??is defined in Article 2(2), as a quantity
?not exceeding the quantity required for an average individual consumption during a period of 10 days.? Decriminalization does not apply to ?drug trafficking,? which remains criminalized and is defined as ?possession of more than the average dose for ten days of use.?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...



and that's where you are missing the point. those users will just stay angry at the system because you are still interdicting their supply.
 
Originally posted by: lupi
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Originally posted by: lupi
has no correlation on what the effect here would be or about "nightmare scenarios". They did not legalize it and still go after distributors, the retards around here want everyone to be free to buy/use at any time.
Click to expand...

It has a huge correlation. It shows that if you focus on treatment vs punishment you can reduce usage and related crime. Something we have not been able to do.

It goes after the dealers vs the users.

The consumption, acquisition and
possession for one?s own consumption
of plants, substances or preparations

The key phrase??for one?s own consumption??is defined in Article 2(2), as a quantity
?not exceeding the quantity required for an average individual consumption during a period of 10 days.? Decriminalization does not apply to ?drug trafficking,? which remains criminalized and is defined as ?possession of more than the average dose for ten days of use.?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...



and that's where you are missing the point. those users will just stay angry at the system because you are still interdicting their supply.
Click to expand...

That is not what the results prove. You have a theory, they have data.


 
Originally posted by: Shadow Conception
Originally posted by: vi edit
I agree with the principal concept, but it's really hard to compare us to Portugal. They don't have Mexico & South America knocking on their southern door and I doubt that their criminal network involved in drug trafficing and distribution in no where as violent and powerful as we have here.
Click to expand...

So what would happen if marijuana were decriminalized, or even legalized in the United States? Drug cartels declare war on the U.S. government to prohibit it again..?
Click to expand...

If the product is legal to use, then there's more incentive to sell it regardless if it's still not legal to sell. Walmart and 7-11 aren't the wholesale distribution and retail vendor for weed. Philip Morris isn't producing it. Those networks (gangs/cartels/whatever) are still there trying to collect a profit. Much of the violence and activities surrounding the delivery and sales of it are still going to be present. If not even more so now that there is potenially more demand.

 
I am fine with this for the same reason I approve of legal alcohol and guns.
Making them illegal does not solve any problems, it just makes more criminal issues. People will still get whatever they want. You may as well just legalize this stuff and regulate (and tax) the hell out of it.
Criminalizing it does NOT cause it to go away.

In the case of guns, all it does it disarm decent citizens.

My only problem is in America, most of the folks who want to keep the guns also want to outlaw all the drugs and throw teens in jail for 6 years because they got caught with a joint.
I vote Libertarian every election but nothing seems to happen.
 


Originally posted by: vi edit
I agree with the principal concept, but it's really hard to compare us to Portugal. They don't have Mexico & South America knocking on their southern door and I doubt that their criminal network involved in drug trafficing and distribution in no where as violent and powerful as we have here.
Click to expand...


The thing is if you remove the users it doesn't matter how violent the dealers are. Without customers you take away their reason for being.

Portugal focused on helping the users to get off drugs vs throwing them in jail because they did use, lowering the market for the drugs.


 
yeah, we'll I'll just hold my breath the moment it becomes a non criminal offense to use or poses an amount for personal consumption as the flock moves as one to treatment centers.
 
Originally posted by: Modelworks


Originally posted by: vi edit
I agree with the principal concept, but it's really hard to compare us to Portugal. They don't have Mexico & South America knocking on their southern door and I doubt that their criminal network involved in drug trafficing and distribution in no where as violent and powerful as we have here.
Click to expand...


The thing is if you remove the users it doesn't matter how violent the dealers are. Without customers you take away their reason for being.

Portugal focused on helping the users to get off drugs vs throwing them in jail because they did use, lowering the market for the drugs.
Click to expand...

Eh. If pot was decriminalized I think you'd actually have more people regularly consuming that in the 16-25 age group than alcohol. The harder drugs, maybe. But recreational stuff I think would see a boom.

 
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Portugal decriminalized drugs in 2001. After 8 years the result is, it worked !
This is not making it legal, just moving it to be a civic matter , not criminal.

All the people that thought it would make drug abusers out of everyone, would be rampant on the streets, children would use it indiscriminately were proved wrong.
Now if we could only get Washington to listen.
Click to expand...

Legalization might do just that.
There are many people who support decriminalization but oppose legalization.
 
Originally posted by: lupi
yeah, we'll I'll just hold my breath the moment it becomes a non criminal offense to use or poses an amount for personal consumption as the flock moves as one to treatment centers.
Click to expand...

Yep, right after they kill small children and rape all the women. All because of that evil marijuana.
 
There aren't a lot of color people to rape the white women in Portugal. Wasn't that the reason the US government banned cocaine, heroine, and other illegal drugs, to protect the white women?
 
Originally posted by: kstu
Originally posted by: lupi
yeah, we'll I'll just hold my breath the moment it becomes a non criminal offense to use or poses an amount for personal consumption as the flock moves as one to treatment centers.
Click to expand...

Yep, right after they kill small children and rape all the women. All because of that evil marijuana.
Click to expand...

people do that now, what's your point?
 
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