Devil, Tell Us about the Drug Problem in the US

That wasn't my point. I'm not some nanny state advocate, far from it (example, Bloomberg needs to be impeached for the BS he's pulling in NYC and pushing across the state and country). I haven't really decided if I'm for legalization of pot or not. As a starting point I'm inclined to let it be a state issue and get the feds out of it, with the exception of stopping illegal imports and exports of the stuff. I'm against federal taxation of it, as I am against cigarette taxes, gas taxes, and other product specific taxes.

I had no great point beyond this: Want to smoke? Go for it, screw up your nads if you want, dumbass potheads.

Here's the text of an email I just sent to my grandsons: (they call me Big Bubba)



Tonight on Spike TV (channel 46 in Plymouth) at 10:00PM is the season premier of Spike TV's 2nd season of a "Cops" type show called DEA.This show is based loosely on Big Bubba's heroic exploits fighting the forces of evil in this country's never ending battle to preserve life, liberty & the American way!
I've attached a photo of me & my partner who were both Undercover (UC) at the time. (my partner was posing as a little girl in a very convincing disguise)

Wouldn't you sell dope to this man?

Edit: My "partner" is my middle daughter Stephanie who is now 36, married & she & her husband are burning coal this winter in a Harman TLC2000)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandte ... study.html I have smoked pot since I was 15 or 16. Everyday , many times a day. Use to get a pound and sell most of it so I got high for free. have tons of buddies did the same , smoking pot all the time. Nobody I know has had it. The only guy I new that did get it , never touched pot , only drank beer. Never once did I get in any trouble for pot , it was always drinking. Had a DUI in 79 and to may bar fights to remember. I don't smoke as much now , but it does ease my pain and spasms alot. I like devil's way of putting it , "like trying to empty the Alantic Ocean with a teaspoon."

pvolcko wrote:As a starting point I'm inclined to let it be a state issue and get the feds out of it, with the exception of stopping illegal imports and exports of the stuff.

Let me see if I follow your argument:

1.Leave the decision as to whether or not pot use/sales should be legal up to each state.

2. Keeps the feds out of the issue EXCEPT to continue the policy of stopping any state from actually getting the pot to sell in the first place??



Hmmmmmm

You'll note I said illegal pot imports. Anything that's being imported from another country that is going to be legally sold in any state in the country should have to go through normal customs processes and perhaps get some random FDA testing. Anything coming in or going out that isn't going through legal channels is still illegal and needs to be prevented, just like any other product (particularly medicinal or food type products).

Interior enforcement could be done in much the same way. Got the logs and papers for the product you're hauling, so be it, otherwise you're looking at some trouble. States can enforce their own bans, feds could aid in that enforcement when called upon or if they happen to stumble upon it. States can't stop products destined for another from simply passing through their state.

All normal stuff for intercountry and interstate commerce. What's the problem with that?

pvolcko wrote:You'll note I said illegal pot imports. Anything that's being imported from another country that is going to be legally sold in any state in the country should have to go through normal customs processes and perhaps get some random FDA testing. Anything coming in or going out that isn't going through legal channels is still illegal and needs to be prevented, just like any other product (particularly medicinal or food type products).
All normal stuff for intercountry and interstate commerce. What's the problem with that?

Nothing wrong with that. We do that anyway in re Chinese bootlegged DVD's, Rollex watch knock-offs, Levis... etc.
Since the federal ban on pot would be lifted, & so much pot be would be available legally, I don't think there would be much call for illegal importation anyway. An adult could walk into any CVS & just buy it over the counter, taxed like cigarettes & relatively cheap.
Sounds like a Win/Win situation to me. (of course the state would want to tax it too, so I can't see many states wanting to keep it illegal)

Now.....Why not use this model for all drugs? (criminalizing them does not work, so what's better:
1. Keeping them illegal with high street crime rates, murder, full prisons, huge law enforcement expenditures for victimless crimes, backed up courts, etc

OR:

2. Legalizing them & having a few self destructive people killing themselves with drugs AFTER they have paid us tax money to get them, but not having to rob you at gunpoint to afford their fix? (if these people didn't kill themselves with drugs they would do it with alcohol, Twinkies, being "Couch Potatoes" or any number of other ways to kill themselves that are none of my business....or yours.


Edit:

Another great benefit, & one that most DEA Agent's would love, would be refocusing all the anti-drug law enforcement assets we have into using them to concentrate on real crimes...ie terrorism, murder for hire, white slavery, etc...etc

DEA especially, by the nature of the work they do, is probably the best cadre of undercover & surveillance operatives that exist in the world. Most law enforcement organizations only come in AFTER the crime has been committed to investigate who did it & bring the perpetrators to justice. DEA has to actively get involved in all phases of the crime...ie planning.... execution ...aftermath ie laundering the money gained from the crime. THEREFORE, of necessity, DEA Agents must be expert at posing as criminals & infiltrating criminal organizations & gaining the confidence of gang members to fight them from the inside, where their actions are the most effective.
Probably the most effective way of fighting terrorism, which since 9/11 has become our nation's top priority.

http://www.tagtele.com/videos/voir/31869

A must watch!!
This one starts getting good about 30 minutes in...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8231634812734884936&ei=FFOSSafIEYSQqAK_nqS2Cw&q=war+on+drugs&dur=3