4 ms·

I'm not sure how much I agree with this. On the one hand, yes, you'll have fewer arrests on drug charges, but you'll still have (or maybe have more of) crimes

by taborj 6y ago

I'm not sure how much I agree with this. On the one hand, yes, you'll have fewer arrests on drug charges, but you'll still have (or maybe have more of) crimes related to drug use, such as theft and assault. Addicts looking for cash for a fix drop much of their moral compass.

CameronNemo 6y ago
Do you have any evidence to back up these statements?
addicted44 6y ago
Do you have any actual evidence that addicts engage in a disproportionate number of thefts and assaults? And whether the number of thefts and assaults they engage in is all that significant. Finally, I'm pretty sure moral compass has little to do with whether addicts engage in theft and assault.
ses1984 6y ago
How much of current drug arrests are related to addicts looking for a fix? Spoiler alert, it's a tiny fraction. Theft and assault should still be crimes. Usage should not be criminalized. Trafficking should be replaced with regulated commerce.
- WarOnPrivacy 6y ago
  The prominent crimes here from addicts looking for a fix are panhandling, vagrancy and trespassing.
  - ses1984 6y ago
    I don't think anyone is arguing that ending the war on drugs is going to directly reduce these crimes. It may have an impact on these crimes from second order effects, but to really tackle those crimes you would need to go one step further than ending the war on drugs and replacing it with more progressive policies.
marssaxman 6y ago
There's an easy solution: prescribe drugs to addicts. Heroin is cheap; much cheaper than crime. Switzerland and Portugal have adopted this policy.
- pstuart 6y ago
  Opium is free if you want to plant a nice flower garden.
carapace 6y ago
Anecdote time... Long ago and far away I once had a friend who was a speed addict. (Amphetmines) I liked the guy but he wasn't allowed in my house because he would steal shit to sell to buy speed. So, on the one hand you're not quite wrong. On the other hand, we could have just given him some speed. It's actually pretty cheap. The real problem is whatever happened in his life to make him an addict. Cops and jail do not help with that. (There'a a nice ending to this one: eventually he got clean and has been stable for years now.)

by taborj 6y ago

CameronNemo 6y ago

Do you have any evidence to back up these statements?

addicted44 6y ago

Do you have any actual evidence that addicts engage in a disproportionate number of thefts and assaults? And whether the number of thefts and assaults they engage in is all that significant. Finally, I'm pretty sure moral compass has little to do with whether addicts engage in theft and assault.

ses1984 6y ago

How much of current drug arrests are related to addicts looking for a fix? Spoiler alert, it's a tiny fraction. Theft and assault should still be crimes. Usage should not be criminalized. Trafficking should be replaced with regulated commerce.

WarOnPrivacy 6y ago
The prominent crimes here from addicts looking for a fix are panhandling, vagrancy and trespassing.
- ses1984 6y ago
  I don't think anyone is arguing that ending the war on drugs is going to directly reduce these crimes. It may have an impact on these crimes from second order effects, but to really tackle those crimes you would need to go one step further than ending the war on drugs and replacing it with more progressive policies.

marssaxman 6y ago

There's an easy solution: prescribe drugs to addicts. Heroin is cheap; much cheaper than crime. Switzerland and Portugal have adopted this policy.

pstuart 6y ago
Opium is free if you want to plant a nice flower garden.

carapace 6y ago

Anecdote time... Long ago and far away I once had a friend who was a speed addict. (Amphetmines) I liked the guy but he wasn't allowed in my house because he would steal shit to sell to buy speed. So, on the one hand you're not quite wrong. On the other hand, we could have just given him some speed. It's actually pretty cheap. The real problem is whatever happened in his life to make him an addict. Cops and jail do not help with that. (There'a a nice ending to this one: eventually he got clean and has been stable for years now.)