Former Police Chief Norm Stamper: 'Let's Not Stop at Marijuana Legalization'

December 14, 2009
A new poll shows that most Americans are ready to legalize marijuana, but not drugs like coc aine or heroin. A 34-year police vet says it's time to legalize them all.
These days, it seems like everyone is talking in earnest about marijuana legalization, once dismissed as little more than a Cheech and Chong pipe dream. Indeed, a new poll reveals that 53 percent of Americans now support ending marijuana prohibition.

Bolstered by increasing public support for something once considered to be a political third rail, lawmakers from Rhode Island to Washington State have put the issue on the table for consideration. And citizen initiatives (particularly in California) are cropping up faster than ditch weed.

These are welcome developments to a retired police chief like me who oversaw the arrests of countless people for marijuana and other drugs, but saw no positive impact from all the blood, sweat and tears (and money) put into the effort. Soon, it seems, cops may no longer have to waste time and risk lives enforcing pot laws that don’t actually prevent anyone from using marijuana.

Yet, I'm alarmed that the above-mentioned poll showing majority support for marijuana legalization also found that fewer than one in 10 people agree that it's time to end the prohibition of other drugs.

www.alternet.org...

I agree it is time to legalize marijuana, not so sure about other drugs, on the other hand if that were the case they should be treated like an other disease, something certainly has to be done about the criminal element, keeping them in jail doesn't help them and we the tax payers are paying the bill, well over 50% of prisoners today are drug related crime.

Of course only marijuana should be legalized. I dont see it ever destroying someones life or creating violent crimes for that matter. Other drugs however do. The prohibition on marijuana is senceless seeing how much everyone is in debt and seeing how much california and other states make off of the taxes alone. A drug that kills people is bad, very bad, but a drug that realy dosent harm anyone is all good in my book. The only thing thats actually bad about marijuana is the fact that people are demonized for smoking it.

MessOnTheFED!



[edit on 18-12-2009 by MessOnTheFED!]

Cannabis is a no brainer, because it's a victimless crime. Studies have shown the adverse effects on the user are nil. Addiction, doesn't happen. Cancer, doesn't happen. Overdose, doesn't happen.

It gets a little trickier when you start to talk about things such as coc aine and heroin as those are both highly addictive and have the potential to kill you upon overdose. On those grounds, drugs like coc aine and heroin do inflict harm on the users, totally unlike cannabis... and I don't have a problem with keeping these drugs outlawed using this reasoning.

But to outlaw cannabis, which has been PROVEN to be less harmful than something as "benign" as caffeine... BLASPHEMY!!!

Drugs, like heroin for instance, don't destroy lives. The cost associated with the drug is what destroys lives.

That cost is a direct consequence, not of manufacturing overhead, but billions of dollars in government intervention, designed to stamp out drug producers.

The effect, form this madness, is to eliminate competition for the very largest drug cartels, which means prices become arbitrarily high.


Also, addiction is a disease. Once you are an addict, you're that way for life. Most junkies will tell you themselves that drugs have ruined their lives, just like a smoker tells you not to smoke, yet both imbibe their drug of choice routinely.

Make drugs legal, especially the real addictive ones, if for nothing else, to stop addicts from financially bankrupting themselves.

Milton Friedman Briefly Explains This Point:

reply to post by Kaytagg


You make some good points, another one is ruining the lives of young people who get caught with marijuana and put in prison longer then most violent criminals, this has got to stop.

This thread topic doesn't fall within the guidelines of the ASC forum..

This forum is for the discussion of conspiracies and cover-ups related to the trade and trafficking of illicit drugs. Personal use, advocacy of legalization, and related non-conspiratorial topics are not allowed. Members posting about personal recreational use of drugs and related mind-altering substances may be banned without warning.

This forum is not intended for discussion of legalization advocacy or speculation of enlightenment or spiritual possibilities related to drug use.

Please try to post within the guidelines


Closed.