Ron Paul: Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroin, Should Be Legal

[Grassy Knoll]

Run time: 02:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9n4nwxgaQg   Posted on YouTube: May 06, 2011 By YouTube Member: FoxNewsInsider Views on YouTube: 208   Posted on DU: May 06, 2011 By DU Member: Grassy Knoll Views on DU: 4720

 
Here's the GOP's future in Amerca

[RKP5637]

1. I agree with this. Pot is no problem, the others education is needed. Making

them criminal only feeds crime and the black market. It's an absolutely ridiculous solution. And a lot of really innocent people get hurt/killed in the process.

[notesdev]

2. Here's hoping there'll be a prominent national Democrat with guts to say the same sometime soon

[The Northerner]

14. +1

[Dokkie]

3. I dont know

but I think I agree with him, check out the result in Portugal where they legalized all drugs. This is actually his strong point and I sure agree with him on this

[agentS]

4. Mary Jane you can get away with legalizing. The others...nope

Those drugs are hella nasty and hella bad. Mary Jane at least has health benefits. The others don't.

Look what happened to China after opium got forced on them by the British. It wasn't pretty.

[Enthusiast]

15. The legal status of these

drugs is doing more harm than the drugs themselves.

If the drugs were legal we could at least have a reasonable discussion of treatment. The tax payer would be money ahead if we supplied every dose for every single addict. We have tried this massive law enforcement war of drugs, imprison, mandatory sentencing thing -it does not work. It doesn't work at all. The problem keeps getting worse all the time. Why not try something different?

[AtheistCrusader]

20. Yes, because what the British did to China is equal to legalizing these drugs in the US.

[lakercub]

29. the black market

violence and drug cartel enrichment are hella worse. This crap won't go away, legal or not, so making it illegal is simply throwing money away.

[Newest Reality]

5. Victimless crimes are

often ridiculous and the punishment is draconian. If someone's habit is not causing them to harm someone else, then it is a matter of their ability to function as far as any social issues are concerned.

We would accomplish more by educating people about drug use and offering services for people who want help with quitting.

What creates the real problems is that the illegality of drugs creates a black market which profits dealers and those who enforce the laws. The high price of a habit is what causes users to turn to whatever is necessary to sustain it. That also creates health problems from lack of nutrition, etc.

There was a time, as some know, when opiates were in many commercial remedies and people who did have a habit could buy a packet of heroin at a local pharmacy for pennies. They could still live normal lives.

We have created the drug problem as it exists today and that makes it a social issue that we could also fix easily if we could get those who are invested in the drug war to stop. The question is, how do you tell an enforcement industry their cash cow has died and they should all just go home or fight real crime? Not to mention all the agencies and programs that revolve around the war on some drugs.

[Name removed]

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[dddem]

19. Drug use as it exists is not a victimless crime, in my opinion

In my suburb, thanks to Oxycontin and heroin, car thefts and home break-ins are on the rise. Gun violence and murder are not as shocking as they once were. I blame the use of illegal drugs. if the government had control over the distribution and quality of what the addicts need, and if there were controls, and regulations in place, you would greatly reduce the criminal element. Also, there is tax revenue to be considered (think tobacco and alcohol). And there would be clinics with people to look out for these poor slobs. Lets face it, nobody thinks "I want to grow up and be an addict". It happens. And when it does, I think addicts need to have access to rehab, not jail. With government oversight, I think that's a real possibility. I'm not advocating allowing folks to engage in any and all behavior with no government involvement - on the contrary, I think the government should be in the thick of it - promoting education, safety and abstinence, all while taxing the crap out of FDA approved narcotics. BTW - I enjoy the occasional martini, but that's the extent of my substance abuse (unless you count chocolate).
Peace

[AtheistCrusader]

21. These are all side effects of prohibition.

For instance, home-cooked meth probably wouldn't exist if not for the outright ban on 'softer' drugs, that incurred extreme cost, and danger in importation.

Prohibition makes a plan that happily grows in the dirt all by itself cost thousands of dollars a pound, hence the crime to pay for it.
Legalization would wipe out these drugs 'collectors value' in short order.

[20score]

6. Absolutely correct.

[TheEuclideanOne]

7. Ron Paul is in favor of legalizing drugs and prostitution?!?!?!

All I can say is Ron Paul, you have my vote, sir!

[emilyg]

8. How does Dennis K. and Paul grab you?

[TheEuclideanOne]

9. Dennis K?

Wish he were president! (and this time I am not joking :) )

[emilyg]

11. So do I.

[AtheistCrusader]

22. That would be the most hilarious ticket ever.

I would be compelled to vote for them.

It's time for the anti-war crowd to share power for a spell. Shut some of this blood drenched horror down.

[emilyg]

24. No joke - I would vote for them for

the same reasons. Imagine what we could do in our country if no more wars.

[freshwest]

12. He even said he'd be for universal single payer healthcare 'if the people vote for it.'

Other than that, he's just another worthless libertarian repuke.

[Enthusiast]

16. Even though he would end

social security and medicare?

[tomm2thumbs]

10. '...cocaine, heroin, prostitution, gay marriage' - FoxNews never gives up an opportunity

let me try that –


'...lies, murder, rape, FoxNews...'


hmmmm

[Plucketeer]

13. Don't just legalize it...

...pass it out for a nominal fee. Under 21, with the consent of an adult. Let the fees pay for the distribution system and pay the foreign suppliers for making it.

[AC_Mem]

18. Heroin

nearly killed someone dear to me; it is a horror of a drug and I can't imagine how anyone could think it would be a good thing to make it legal.

Pot - hell yes, legalize it and tax it. I have no problem with that, personally (and I'm a grandmother and don't smoke) I think it has less potential for harm than alcohol and it helps ease the suffering of those who have chronic medical conditions.

Change needs to happen, but the all or nothing to the point of legalizing heroin? I don't agree with that.

[physioex]

28. Mehhh...

Legalizing is pretty strong. I think decriminalizing would be better.

[Xicano]

23. I Agree with Ron Paul On This Issue

The problem with prohibition against substances such as this is prohibition never works, in fact, prohibition always makes matters worse.

I know there are some folks here who are expressing concern over legalizing hard drugs such as heroin and such. But the fact of the matter is education, not criminalization is what works best. The very fact of how destructive some of these hard drugs are makes it necessary to legalize them so they can be regulated. Prohibiting only puts them into the hands of the criminal element and doesn't stop the use of them.

Ask yourselves this. If you could walk into a 7-11 store tomorrow and purchase crack, how many of you would? I'm sure that most or only the ones who would are the same ones who would buy from a street dealer today. So what kept you from buying it from a convenience store? It wasn't the law, it was education. For those who would buy it anyway legal or other wise, the law doesn't prevent them from buying it anyway.

We know this is a fact. So why spend all this money on policing and jailing when just a fraction of that spent on education would do far more good? Also why keep funding the criminal element? When is the last time you saw Ralps grocery store do a drive by shooting on Vons grocery store for selling booze in the same neighborhood?

Look, driving vehicles can be a very dangerous thing to one's self and the public. So what do we do to make sure someone is competent enough to drive safely and what do we do when that someone shows too much of a history of driving unsafe? We require them to submit to a driving test for a driver's license, and, we suspend or revoke their license if they have too much of a history of being unsafe.

The same thing can and should be applied for dangerous hard drugs (not soft ones such as pot). You want to use heroin? Ok, but, first you must pass this test showing you know the nature and dangers of this drug to get a permit to buy, and, if you violate any of the regulations of the permit reasonably enough, your permit will be suspended or revoked.

Again, we should focus on education, not criminalization.

[Sparkly]

25. I totally disagree on heroin.

Possession for use should be decriminalized and addicts should be given treatment as we give (or should give) those with serious mental illnesses. This is a serious physical and mental disease.

However, heroin distribution should absolutely be criminal. Sure, most adults are likely not to want to try it in the first place. But teenagers are another story, and heroin addiction where I live is now an epidemic. It is horribly destructive -- the kids have no idea what they're getting into when they "experiment."

Pot on the other hand, should be legal, imho.

[4dsc]

26. I agree too.

[dorksied]

27. Ron Paul is a Nutjob

His ideas would lead to the total destruction of the Union, and the formation of Small 'city states', I believe. It would be a step backwards for our country.