State's Experiment Brought Increased Crime, Car Wrecks and Homelessness I'd like the opportunity to reply to and rebut Rep. Bill McCamley's proposition to legalize marijuana here in New Mexico. The lessons learned from legalizing alcohol should be a stellar role model as to why this is a bad idea. During Prohibition, the relationship between organized crime and politicians helped to transition bribes - that were/are illegal - to political contributions that were perfectly legal. We all know how special interests and dollars spent to line their pockets is working out for the politicians today. [continues 502 words]
The Lessons Learned From Legalizing Alcohol Should Be a Role Model for Why Decriminalizing Drugs Is a Bad Idea When I first read Diane Dimond's column, "When will we really listen to the experts on drugs?", my first mental response was, this woman really is out of touch as to how and why we have the prisons overflowing and the social issues that plague us today over drugs. I only agree with one portion of her column, "We believe that by placing drug abuse in the hands of medical professionals instead of the criminal justice system, we will reduce rates of addiction and overdose deaths," says LEAP's mission statement. "We believe that in a regulated and controlled environment, drugs will be safer for adult use and less accessible to our children." [continues 494 words]
