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They haven't been getting a pass, criminalization is just totally ineffective at dealing with the problem. As far as disproportionate enforcement goes, rural an

by jrs95 9y ago

They haven't been getting a pass, criminalization is just totally ineffective at dealing with the problem. As far as disproportionate enforcement goes, rural and suburban Americans haven't been murdering anyone at nearly the rate of inner city gangs, which is a big part of why there's more enforcement in urban areas.

drzaiusapelord 9y ago
Criminalization is not what I'm advocating. If Sessions and Trump are fighting the legalization of medicinal cannibis what exactly do you think are the chances of decrim or state funded medical treatment for opioid and meth addicts? >rural and suburban Americans haven't been murdering anyone Those drugs are brought into the US by very violent gangs and I certainly can grow pot peacefully in my home. Ignoring the trafficking of these drugs is morally inexcusable. How many of these addicts make their own opioids or meth? Meth linked crimes are a huge number and almost always violent. Opioid withdrawal brings in a great deal of crime too. Those rural towns that have fallen into opioid addiction are crime hellholes for this very reason. Heavy opioid use is linked to crime, unlike some drugs: >(2) heavy opioid users committed crimes significantly more frequently than did moderate opioid users, non-opioid polydrug users, cannabis users or alcohol users https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2790266 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2790266 Also: >Methamphetamine was the only drug use variable that was strongly correlated with homicide. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18936516 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18936516 I'd much rather work with "urban pot" users than rural meth and opioid addicts, and so would you. Why the former is more under attack than the latter shows our systemic problems with race in this country. Remember sentiment like this is why pot is illegal, from Harry J. Anslinger, the founder of the war on drugs: “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.” “Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men.”
- pizza 9y ago
  Criminalization only increases the attractiveness of the drug trade. The government's stance doesn't merely ignore the trafficking, it makes it ridiculously lucrative.
  - pizza 9y ago
    Which, of course, ends up hurting people more.
dragonwriter 9y ago
> As far as disproportionate enforcement goes, rural and suburban Americans haven't been murdering anyone at nearly the rate of inner city gang Certainly, more ruled-as-murders per population unit happen in urban areas, but I'm aware of no statistics by urban/rural residence of killer (where a crime happens doesn't tell you where the criminal is from, and people who live in rural areas obviously can commit crimes in cities.) And rural areas have higher death rates and it's at least plausible that the decreased population density makes it easier for evidence of homicide to be concealed and murders to be passed off as death by other causes, so the relative rates of ruled-as-murders may not accurately reflect the relative rate of actually-is-murder.
- 987412365 9y ago
  That's a real stretch
- 1123581321 9y ago
  Race is a proxy for urban/rural and income. Population density is correlated with increased crime rates. Certainly that's not to say urban living causes crime. The idea that so many rural deaths could be covered-up murders is simply fanciful.

by jrs95 9y ago

drzaiusapelord 9y ago

Criminalization is not what I'm advocating. If Sessions and Trump are fighting the legalization of medicinal cannibis what exactly do you think are the chances of decrim or state funded medical treatment for opioid and meth addicts? >rural and suburban Americans haven't been murdering anyone Those drugs are brought into the US by very violent gangs and I certainly can grow pot peacefully in my home. Ignoring the trafficking of these drugs is morally inexcusable. How many of these addicts make their own opioids or meth? Meth linked crimes are a huge number and almost always violent. Opioid withdrawal brings in a great deal of crime too. Those rural towns that have fallen into opioid addiction are crime hellholes for this very reason. Heavy opioid use is linked to crime, unlike some drugs: >(2) heavy opioid users committed crimes significantly more frequently than did moderate opioid users, non-opioid polydrug users, cannabis users or alcohol users https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2790266 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2790266 Also: >Methamphetamine was the only drug use variable that was strongly correlated with homicide. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18936516 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18936516 I'd much rather work with "urban pot" users than rural meth and opioid addicts, and so would you. Why the former is more under attack than the latter shows our systemic problems with race in this country. Remember sentiment like this is why pot is illegal, from Harry J. Anslinger, the founder of the war on drugs: “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.” “Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men.”

pizza 9y ago
Criminalization only increases the attractiveness of the drug trade. The government's stance doesn't merely ignore the trafficking, it makes it ridiculously lucrative.
- pizza 9y ago
  Which, of course, ends up hurting people more.

dragonwriter 9y ago

> As far as disproportionate enforcement goes, rural and suburban Americans haven't been murdering anyone at nearly the rate of inner city gang Certainly, more ruled-as-murders per population unit happen in urban areas, but I'm aware of no statistics by urban/rural residence of killer (where a crime happens doesn't tell you where the criminal is from, and people who live in rural areas obviously can commit crimes in cities.) And rural areas have higher death rates and it's at least plausible that the decreased population density makes it easier for evidence of homicide to be concealed and murders to be passed off as death by other causes, so the relative rates of ruled-as-murders may not accurately reflect the relative rate of actually-is-murder.

987412365 9y ago
That's a real stretch
1123581321 9y ago
Race is a proxy for urban/rural and income. Population density is correlated with increased crime rates. Certainly that's not to say urban living causes crime. The idea that so many rural deaths could be covered-up murders is simply fanciful.