Get High in Cali

[Oldvol75]

Well atleast they wouldn't know it if California falls off into the ocean!

 

[GASOUTHERNVOL]

And people that drink drive drunk and kill people. They beat spouses and children and kill, no different, just differ in the method (machination vs mandible).

Yes, there would be an increase in usage, but it wouldn't be massive.
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the effects of "all drugs" is far worse then booze. Im not talking about weed, I am talking about the hard stuff.

 

[BearCat204]

This is change I can believe in

 

[Cartervol]

I thought most people in Cali were already high or on some mind altering drug. They don't call it the land of fruits and nuts for nothing.

 

[MystifyingVol]

the effects of "all drugs" is far worse then booze. Im not talking about weed, I am talking about the hard stuff.

I just don't think you'd see a big increase in usage of the "hard stuff" just because it is legal. I'd much rather spend money on rehabbing someone addicted to meth than throwing them in the slammer.

If they commit a crime while high, then they are punished under applicable laws.

For the record, I don't use drugs and wouldn't if they are legal. I just recgonize that anti-drug laws are being used in a tryannical manner and the enforcement of them is a waste of money.
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[MystifyingVol]

I would think that in a legalization issue, hard drug usage would increase at a smaller rate than marijuana usage.

Someone who has never tried LSD, cocaine, PCP, etc isn't going to run out to the local drug mart and grab a hit just because it is legal.

The National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine conducted a study in 1999 where they determined that ""In sum, there is little evidence that decriminalization of marijuana use necessarily leads to a substantial increase in marijuana use." Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. National Academy Press: Washington, D.C., 102.

The statistics from a country where they did do partial legalization follows:

In 2004, 54.1% of the Federal prison population was drug related. I couldn't find state information, I'm sure the percentages are similar. Since 80's, when the War on Drugs went into effect, the percentage has increased drastically year over year:

In 2001 dollars, that 54.1% (on the Federal level only) cost us $1,762,285,944 to house. This doesn't included enforcement or judicial costs. I guarantee that legalization would raise more than that in taxes.

 

[volinbham]

Decriminalization makes the most sense. Legalizing and taxing would incur a ton of costs on licensing producers, ensuring product safety, tax collection etc. It's so easy to grow that many would take that route rather than buy.

If you decriminalize, you save the enforcement and incarceration costs and likely drive down prices so dealing weed isn't as lucrative.