Pubdate: Sun, 20 Mar 2016 Source: Buffalo News (NY) Copyright: 2016 The Buffalo News Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/GXIzebQL Website: http://www.buffalonews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61 Author: George D. Poe LEGALIZING DRUGS WOULD SOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS William F. Buckley said it first and he had it right. To paraphrase Buckley: "Legalize everything, legalize all drugs." As a nation, the United States has thrown billions of dollars down an unquenchable rat hole in an effort to end the flow of drugs streaming in from Mexico, Afghanistan, wherever. The efforts have failed. Corner drug shops, similar to OTBs, should be erected and staffed so that addicts are able to satisfy their needs easily and at moderate cost. This will keep them out of my face during the day and out of my house at night. It will also relieve users of criminal, furtive behavior, of worrying about making a contact, having enough money for a buy and being arrested. Let's release the thousands doing time for minor drug offenses. Will it ever happen? Of course not. There's too much money being made and changing hands. But Buckley had it right. George D. Poe Williamsville - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom