Dissecting some common drug war fallacies
Today, I saw a facebook notification that someone had commented on the Crushing Bastards post that relayed my previous blog post concerning the YouCut submission to end cannabis prohibition. This was their comment:
"I have to disagree here. Those fields of poppies in Afghanistan sending the world 90% of it's opium and the fields of Colombia need to be napalmed. Cannabis may not cause instant death but it sure does numb the clarity of the mind, I spoke to a ex-con once who had stopped smoking weed due to it making him paranoid. It was the drugged up troops that caused the massive cruelty in Vietnam. I'm all for growing hemp and stuff for medicinal use for people with chronic pain but I don't want my kids being mowed down by Captain Crazy on his Bob Marley tour."
My response:
"Of course we don't want our children to smoke cannabis, it is a right of responsible adults. Its normal for us in society to distinguish certain behaviors between adults and children (alcohol, cigarettes, gambling), why cant we do that with cannabis? We will do better to control underage drug use through honest education and a regulated system of age-restricted establishments. Today's drug dealers (mostly high schoolers) don't ask for ID.
As for Afghanistan and Colombia, the farmers growing poppies and coca do so because of the enormous demand and sky-high profits. The DEA's Plan Colombia to spray coca fields in the late 1990s didn't affect the price, purity or availability of cocaine or heroin in the United States: http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL32774_20050217.pdf
I doubt that napalming afghan poppy fields on taxpayer's dime would do much to curb the world's heroin supply.
Cannabis may not be the best drug for everyone, but should people go to jail for it?"
A little more clarity on the coca and poppy production in Afghanistan and Colombia probably would've been better, but what the heck, its facebook.
Profits are sky-high because of prohibition; the strictly-enforced drug laws increase the risk for those willing to take it. An illegal drug like cannabis, one with persistently high-demand sows the seeds for a lucrative criminal black market. Black markets fund criminal enterprises (cartels, gangs, terrorist groups). In a broad stroke of irony, prohibiting drugs makes them more attractive to criminals. Too often, we think that destroying the supply of illegal drugs in their raw stage will hinder the supply of the refined product in the American market. Coca farmers grow their crop because of the huge profits they and others down the production stages stand to incur in the creation of cocaine. Spraying coca fields in Colombia only ruined the livelihoods of poor Colombian farmers. It simply prompted the growers to move to Venezuela or other countries in which the US did not exert its military control. Farmers know they will be able to sell their entire crop; that alone is rationale for growing coca. How can we blame farmers for growing a crop that is profitable? Their livelihoods depend on it. Killing coca plants does not in any meaningful way affect the demand for powder cocaine or crack in America. In fact, since demand is unchanged and supply has decreased due to crop-dusting in the short-run, the price could increase. Higher prices mean higher profits which increases the incentive to get involved in the lucrative drug business.
And odds are, "Captain Crazy on his Bob Marley Tour" is probably fully medicated on cannabis all the time, whether its legal or not. Sudden legalization will not cause mass hysteria, it will merely displaces the current underground supply chain and shift it to a regulated market will product quality checks, age verification and a safe purchasing experience. Not to mention increased personal freedom as people will no longer be prosecuted for pursuing happiness.
If you agree with me, submit your idea to end cannabis prohibition on YouCut too. Feel free to copy and paste my submission from the post below.
"I have to disagree here. Those fields of poppies in Afghanistan sending the world 90% of it's opium and the fields of Colombia need to be napalmed. Cannabis may not cause instant death but it sure does numb the clarity of the mind, I spoke to a ex-con once who had stopped smoking weed due to it making him paranoid. It was the drugged up troops that caused the massive cruelty in Vietnam. I'm all for growing hemp and stuff for medicinal use for people with chronic pain but I don't want my kids being mowed down by Captain Crazy on his Bob Marley tour."
My response:
"Of course we don't want our children to smoke cannabis, it is a right of responsible adults. Its normal for us in society to distinguish certain behaviors between adults and children (alcohol, cigarettes, gambling), why cant we do that with cannabis? We will do better to control underage drug use through honest education and a regulated system of age-restricted establishments. Today's drug dealers (mostly high schoolers) don't ask for ID.
As for Afghanistan and Colombia, the farmers growing poppies and coca do so because of the enormous demand and sky-high profits. The DEA's Plan Colombia to spray coca fields in the late 1990s didn't affect the price, purity or availability of cocaine or heroin in the United States: http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL32774_20050217.pdf
I doubt that napalming afghan poppy fields on taxpayer's dime would do much to curb the world's heroin supply.
Cannabis may not be the best drug for everyone, but should people go to jail for it?"
A little more clarity on the coca and poppy production in Afghanistan and Colombia probably would've been better, but what the heck, its facebook.
Profits are sky-high because of prohibition; the strictly-enforced drug laws increase the risk for those willing to take it. An illegal drug like cannabis, one with persistently high-demand sows the seeds for a lucrative criminal black market. Black markets fund criminal enterprises (cartels, gangs, terrorist groups). In a broad stroke of irony, prohibiting drugs makes them more attractive to criminals. Too often, we think that destroying the supply of illegal drugs in their raw stage will hinder the supply of the refined product in the American market. Coca farmers grow their crop because of the huge profits they and others down the production stages stand to incur in the creation of cocaine. Spraying coca fields in Colombia only ruined the livelihoods of poor Colombian farmers. It simply prompted the growers to move to Venezuela or other countries in which the US did not exert its military control. Farmers know they will be able to sell their entire crop; that alone is rationale for growing coca. How can we blame farmers for growing a crop that is profitable? Their livelihoods depend on it. Killing coca plants does not in any meaningful way affect the demand for powder cocaine or crack in America. In fact, since demand is unchanged and supply has decreased due to crop-dusting in the short-run, the price could increase. Higher prices mean higher profits which increases the incentive to get involved in the lucrative drug business.
And odds are, "Captain Crazy on his Bob Marley Tour" is probably fully medicated on cannabis all the time, whether its legal or not. Sudden legalization will not cause mass hysteria, it will merely displaces the current underground supply chain and shift it to a regulated market will product quality checks, age verification and a safe purchasing experience. Not to mention increased personal freedom as people will no longer be prosecuted for pursuing happiness.
If you agree with me, submit your idea to end cannabis prohibition on YouCut too. Feel free to copy and paste my submission from the post below.
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