Pubdate: Tue, 28 Jul 2015
Source: Orange County Register, The (CA)
Contact:  2015 The Orange County Register
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321
Author: James David Jacobs
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n421/a02.html

LEGALIZING DRUGS A FAILED EXPERIMENT

Re: "Drug legalization: Learn from Portugal" [Editorial, July 26]: So 
we should follow Portugal's example, and legalize all drugs? Maybe we 
should follow Portugal's example and become a welfare state that is 
almost as bankrupt as Greece? Oh, pardon me. I guess we are already 
following Portugal in dependency and fiscal matters.

I will gladly support the legalization of all drugs the minute the 
state makes drug users fully responsible for their drug use. This can 
be demonstrated by removing addicts and alcoholics from the disabled 
list and discontinuing their Social Security disability and general 
relief payments. They should also be forced to seek nongovernmental 
shelter the same as the rest of us and not be allowed to live in a 
cardboard box on some street corner harassing folks as they walk by.

The state should remove the voluntary intoxication defense from 
crimes such as murder, robbery and gun theft, and cause the drug user 
to face the consequences of his crimes the same as everyone else. By 
the way, how do we protect the poor unfortunate citizen who gets in 
the way of one of our intoxicated drug users who has decided to get 
in his car and go for a drive?

Proposition 47 reduced all drug possession crimes to misdemeanors, 
and crime has jumped as much as 20 percent in some areas. The use of 
drug courts, which requires a rehabilitative program, is now almost 
nonexistent. Why double down on an experiment that has already failed?

James David Jacobs 
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom