Legalization of Drugs

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Since my last post has sparked some interesting discussion regarding the legalization of drugs, let’s dig a little deeper. Obviously this is a HUGE issue with many facets and implications. One facet is whether marijuana should be treated the same as “harder” illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Another is legalization (making a particular drug legal to buy) versus decriminalization (leaving the drug technically illegal but making enforcement a very low priority, effectively instructing the authorities to look the other way).

I am far from an expert on the subject and only tonight started reading about it more fully. But a few initial ideas keep popping up as I read:

  1. When people want something, but the government makes it illegal, a black market appears. Ridiculously high prices result from the risk involved, leading to huge profits for the dealers of the banned item and huge incentive for others to become dealers themselves. (see Prohibition)
  2. When a product is bought and sold on the black market, none of the typical mechanisms exist for quality control, safety, or resolution of disputes among suppliers, dealers, and buyers.
  3. Black markets typically produce other types of crime due to their unregulated and off-the-record natures.
  4. As a nation we have spent billions of dollars fighting drugs every year for decades. Yet illegal drugs are still quite common along with their associated problems. Whatever we’re doing isn’t solving the problem. For an interesting look at our failure in the war on drugs, rent 2001 Best Picture nominee Traffic.

Obviously the preceding statements support the idea of loosening restrictions on drugs. However, other facts and theories support their continued prohibition, such as:

  1. Illegal drugs are banned for a reason: they are dangerous. Many argue that marijuana is no more dangerous, or even less so, than alcohol or tobacco, which are obviously legal but heavily regulated. But few would dispute that harder illegal drugs can cause drastic and potentially fatal harm to the human body, that many are extremely addictive, and that they had destroyed countless lives.
  2. Legalization would increase the number of users and some of the associated problems, such as users who drive under the influence, decreased productivity, addiction, and use by minors who might not fully understand the dangers involved.
  3. Even if some or all illegal drugs were legalized, many questions remain regarding the new market for them. Who would be authorized to sell them? Could a user buy them at the corner Kwik-E-Mart, or must he go to a pharmacy or specialized store? Would a doctor’s prescription be required? Why would a doctor write such a prescription? Is there an age requirement for a buyer? A background check? Who manufacturers the drugs? What insurance company would sell liability insurance to the manufacturer of such dangerous substances? Would the drugs be taxed like tobacco and alcohol? If so, how much, and where would that tax revenue go?
  4. There’s obviously a moral question as well. Should the government make it illegal to do things that most people think are wrong? It already does on many different issues, but is that right? What role should a person’s free will play in the debate? Should I have the legal right to damage my body with cocaine if I so choose? What about alcohol or cigarettes, which kill MILLIONS more people than illegal drugs but are legal in America?

If you are interested in further reading, here are some places to start:

In case you’re wondering, I’m not a closet pothead. I despise tobacco and all illegal drugs unless they have some legitimate medical purpose. The only non-medical drugs I use are caffeine (daily) and alcohol (occasionally). I’m just a fan of common sense. If our society is going to create and enforce a law or invest in a program, I want to see a positive return from that investment. I want our society to be as strong and healthy as it possibly can be, including all the different elements of life. If the war on drugs does more harm than good, which I believe it does, then let’s work together and figure out a better plan.

What are your thoughts on this issue? I would take a poll, but I fear the issue is too complex to fit neatly into a single-question poll.

June Random Facts

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It’s been a while for these, too! I’ve done so many of these that I worry about repeating one. =) Happy reading.

  1. In eighth grade I won the school and district spelling bees and got to advance to the county level. We competed a Skyline High School in Dallas. I think I came in ninth after misspelling “leucitite“. I also won my school spelling bee in fifth grade, but I lost at the district level. That time I missed “grammar”.
  2. I have trouble remembering things that I hear, especially if I hear lots of info at once. For that reason alone, I could not be a pilot or a Starbucks barista.
  3. On my nights off, sometimes I go to the local discount movie theater and watch scary movies for $1.75 since Jenny doesn’t like them.
  4. Part of me hopes I have a good excuse to get in a fight someday so I’d know how I would do.
  5. I enjoy poker but am not very good at it so far. Part of my strategy has involved being unpredictable to throw off the competitors who actually know what they’re doing. But I’ve been studying strategy and playing online in case I decide to play in Vegas.
  6. During a trip to New York during college, I ate in a cafe near the stuttering lawyer from My Cousin Vinny.
  7. One of my profs got busted for child pornography. I always thought he was kinda weird and creepy. I also didn’t like him because he gave me a B in World Cultures III. I didn’t suspect the kiddie porn at the time, but it didn’t surprise me when the news came out.
  8. I think the war on drugs is unwinnable and not worth fighting. Ditto for the war on terror. Our government cannot rid the world of every thing that’s unpleasant. Let’s spend all that money on problems we can actually help to solve, like the energy crisis and poverty.
  9. One time in high school I played paintball with my youth group. Although I had welts on my legs for days afterward, they were totally worth it.
  10. I think pregnant women are sexy, but I can’t explain why.

Flood Pics

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After the recent storms, I went to my favorite park (Villages of Bear Creek Park in Euless) to check out the creek. I wasn’t disappointed. Authorities had closed the road that runs through the park due to earlier high water. The creek had receded below road level by the time I arrived, but just barely. You can see the rushing water flowing under the bridge and tree limbs caught in the guardrail.

Fuel Poll

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Newbie’s Gender Poll is now closed. As you might have guess, the results were split 50/50, six votes apiece. 🙂

The new poll requires you to do a little math. Figure out how many miles you drive round-trip for your daily commute to work or school. Then divide that by the miles per gallon that your car gets. That answer is how much gas you burn each day by commuting. You can easily calculate the actual cost from there. I’m curious to see these results.

Vegas Baby!

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Jenny and I are planning a little trip to Vegas in a few weeks. Our main purposes are relaxation and sightseeing – chilling in the pool, sleeping a lot, checking out the Strip hotels that we missed last time, and maybe a little gambling. Jenny wants to play craps. I might belly up to a poker table for a little while. I think we’ll spend one night at the Golden Nugget to check out their new shark tank. The other night we’ll probably stay somewhere on the Strip but haven’t decided where. Any suggestions? We’re looking for something with personality, comfortable, and reasonably priced, but not a dump, either (no mirrors on the ceiling, thankyouverymuch). We’re considering the MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, The Mirage, New York New York, and others. Due to the depressed economy and drop in travel, the Vegas hotels are offering great deals.

I definitely want to visit Stratosphere, the tallest Vegas hotel and one of the tallest in the world. The top of the hotel has an observation deck plus three different thrill rides. One is aptly called Insanity – The Ride and hangs its riders over the edge and spins them right round, baby, right round about 900 feet above the Strip. I LOVE thrill rides, but this video even scares me:


Insanity On The Stratosphere – Click here for the most popular videos

June Rants and Raves

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It’s been a while, eh? Here are some rants and raves for June:

  • Rave – Motion Control Light Switches – I recently installed some motion detector light switches in our garage and utility room. Anytime we walk into either room, the switch detects our body heat and turns on the light for 1 minute. Due to the location of our light switches and a problem with the garage door light, the new switches save us from having to walk into a dark house. Great invention!
  • Rant – Speeders – I am one of those really annoying people who drive at or even below the speed limit on the highway, especially on my commute when the traffic is light. Why? 1) It saves gas. A car’s wind resistance increases exponentially with speed. The faster you drive, the greater your drag, and the more fuel you burn. 2) I don’t want a speeding ticket. I have NEVER been pulled over for any reason and hope to keep it that way. When a car speeds past me, its driver shows disregard for the law, for the environment, and for the safety of the other drivers on the road. He/she also doesn’t really save much time except on a long drive. I have no sympathy for people who get speeding tickets. I also hope Congress will reduce the highway speed limit to 55.
  • Rave – Wii Punch-Out – As a kid I played a boxing game called Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out on the original Nintendo. It wasn’t a typical boxing game because it was also a puzzle game. Each boxer had specific moves that you had to dodge/block and then counter. To beat him, you had to figure out the pattern and respond. Nintendo remade/updated the game for the Wii with better graphics and incorporated the Wii-mote. It’s just as fun, but now it’s a serious workout! After we got it and started playing, I was sore for two days. =)
  • Rant – Wipeout – I want to compete on ABC’s game show Wipeout. The prize for each week’s winner is $50k, but I would compete for free. I would PAY THEM to let me compete because it looks so incredibly fun. But they only accept California residents.
  • Rave – Blogging – I like blogging. No surprise there. I love being able to talk about whatever I want. It’s like having my own newspaper column except I have no deadlines and can pick any topic I want. I love knowing that you guys keep coming back to check my blog. I love it when you leave comments. I love tracking how many hits I get and where my referrals come from. I also love other people’s blogs. In the sidebar at the right of your screen, you can click links to some other blogs that I find interesting. Some of you might even have your own blogs. (please tell me if you do!)