Prison reform needed?

[37L1]

when you have a child show up addicted to heroin because he can buy it legally, not so sure I agree

What is your definition of "child", before I ask more questions?

 

[RockyTop85]

Decriminalization is a terrible idea. Treat drugs exactly the same as we do hard liquor.

I guess we’d have to define decriminalization.

I was being pretty generic.

 

[hog88]

when you have a child show up addicted to heroin because he can buy it legally, not so sure I agree

If someone is going to do drugs and become addicted they will do it whether it’s legal or not.

 

[hog88]

I guess we’d have to define decriminalization.

I was being pretty generic.

I guess we do.

 

[theFallGuy]

If someone is going to do drugs and become addicted they will do it whether it’s legal or not.

so we should just speed up the process and facilitate it? I've seen the devastating effects heroin use has done to families up close with teens to young 20's. Sorry, just can't get on board with that but I realize that's just my personal opinion

 

[hog88]

so we should just speed up the process and facilitate it? I've seen the devastating effects heroin use has done to families up close with teens to young 20's. Sorry, just can't get on board with that but I realize that's just my personal opinion

My guess is there wouldn’t be a noticeable rise in addictions if drugs were legal. Users are going to use regardless.

 

[37L1]

My guess is there wouldn’t be a noticeable rise in addictions if drugs were legal. Users are going to use regardless.

Maybe, maybe not. If it is more accessible and more prevalent, usage will probably be up for while, until Darwin kicks in.

 

[theFallGuy]

My guess is there wouldn’t be a noticeable rise in addictions if drugs were legal. Users are going to use regardless.

Do you have any teenagers? serious question

 

[hog88]

Do you have any teenagers? serious question

No, both of mine are grown with kids of their own. Neither of our kids drink/drank much even though we never stigmatized it and if they wanted a beer or drink at the house they could. I don’t think either of them did drugs, might have smoked some pot in HS/College but if they did I don’t know.

 

[hog88]

Maybe, maybe not. If it is more accessible and more prevalent, usage will probably be up for while, until Darwin kicks in.

Legalize it, sell it like booze and allow employers to set their own policies on employee use and I doubt we’d see much of a spike. Very, very few people don’t do drugs because it’s illegal.

 

[RockyTop85]

when you have a child show up addicted to heroin because he can buy it legally, not so sure I agree

Children can’t buy booze, though.

 

[McDad]

I doubt it. Law enforcement has two well-organized lobbying operations in most states. A lot of our laws are designed around furtherance of the drug war.

Are you an attorney? I can't remember.

Aren't lawyers also invested in more laws on our books?

 

[Orangeslice13]

so you are okay with crack, heroin, and bath salts being legal? Serious question

Decriminalize doesn’t mean legal

 

[McDad]

when you have a child show up addicted to heroin because he can buy it legally, not so sure I agree

I lost a brother to alcohol addiction. I understand the pain addiction can cause a family. What I don't understand is how many people would be into hard drugs if decriminalized or sold legally. You could actually pay me to take heroin and I would not touch it. Too much fear to even put it in my body.

 

[hog88]

Decriminalize doesn’t mean legal

Decriminalize would be a mistake.

 

[hog88]

I lost a brother to alcohol addiction. I understand the pain addiction can cause a family. What I don't understand is how many people would be into hard drugs if decriminalized or sold legally. You could actually pay me to take heroin and I would not touch it. Too much fear to even put it in my body.

There are two reasons I’ve never been interested in drugs.
1. I hate pissing away money and as a kid I didn’t have any
2. I’ve always worked jobs that had random piss tests.

Being illegal hasn’t been a factor.

 

[theFallGuy]

Children can’t buy booze, though.

still get their hands on it from legal buyers

 

[McDad]

There are two reasons I’ve never been interested in drugs.
1. I hate pissing away money and as a kid I didn’t have any
2. I’ve always worked jobs that had random piss tests.

Being illegal hasn’t been a factor.

There is way too much addiction in my family tree for me to risk it. Hell, I can't even say no to a donut. What chance to I have against heroin if I develop a taste for it?

 

[hog88]

There is way too much addiction in my family tree for me to risk it. Hell, I can't even say no to a donut. What chance to I have against heroin if I develop a taste for it?

My moms side of the family has some problems with alcohol, damn injun blood.

 

[theFallGuy]

I lost a brother to alcohol addiction. I understand the pain addiction can cause a family. What I don't understand is how many people would be into hard drugs if decriminalized or sold legally. You could actually pay me to take heroin and I would not touch it. Too much fear to even put it in my body.

because teens make stupid decisions. Unfortunately things like heroin are so addictive it often only takes once to ruin your life. I don't support making it legal because it makes it seem "acceptable ". Maybe that is dumb but I'm okay with that.

 

[Orangeslice13]

Decriminalize would be a mistake.

It’s a public health issue as opposed to a legal one.

 

[theFallGuy]

It’s a public health issue as opposed to a legal one.

i partially agree. However i would say most end up in jail because of the things they do to support their habit as opposed to simple possession. Robbing and stealing, violence, etc

 

[McDad]

because teens make stupid decisions. Unfortunately things like heroin are so addictive it often only takes once to ruin your life. I don't support making it legal because it makes it seem "acceptable ". Maybe that is dumb but I'm okay with that.

I understand your pov. I used to share it. And, I think you are right. There will be some kids who are cavalier with experimentation because it is legal. A free society is not perfect. A free society simply allows for us to make decision both good and bad.

 

[RockyTop85]

Are you an attorney? I can't remember.

Aren't lawyers also invested in more laws on our books?

I am. We are, somewhat, although we have courts for that. I don’t think lawyers at large are as successful at lobbying as prosecutors and cops are, though. At least where I am in TN, FOP support counts for a lot in local elections.

 

[DancingOutlaw]

so we should just speed up the process and facilitate it? I've seen the devastating effects heroin use has done to families up close with teens to young 20's. Sorry, just can't get on board with that but I realize that's just my personal opinion

I mean what if your kid shows up at your doorstep addicted to corn likker? The legality or illegality of a drug does not set the usage rate. We've seen that for decades. If anything the risk would decrease, how many people are burglarized, robbed, beaten, or killed in the search for more drugs? Decriminalizing drugs isn't going to bring on some massive wave of new users. But it would shift the social focus and allow us to redirect a portion of the ridiculous expenditures for the War on Drugs into helping those that actually get into addiction problems.