[Jeff Higgins]

There are people out there that will abuse anything. Do we regulate food and diets in the face of so many fat people? Of course not; the burden to the rest of society would be overwhelming. Would you give up your P-car because a few owners can't seem to exercise good judgement with theirs? Should they be regulated out of existance to keep anyone from hurting themselves? Of course not.

No one here is arguing that drug abuse is good. There will always be those that will abuse them. The point is, the current state of affairs is costing the rest of us far too much and has proven to be wholey inneffective in slowing down the abusers. De-criminalize and treat rather than punish; that's the message.

Do any of you with friends in jail, or that have had friends in jail, think that was the answer for them? Hardly. Jail ruins their lives; a criminal record ruins their lives. Not the drugs. Let's not confuse this issue; many of the arguments against drugs, when de-constructed far enough, are arguments against the illegality of drugs. Let's not confuse all of the problems stemming from the criminal trade in drugs, the huge money involved, the violence, the ruined lives, all of that, with the actual affect of the drugs. Let's not confuse those who would abuse them, under any circumstances, with those who would use them responsibly. The drugs are a far smaller problem than the laws, and infrastructure built around enforcing those laws.