FPTV: The War over the War on Drugs, Part I of IV

Should drugs like marijuana, heroin, and cocaine be legal? Watch the fireworks as Ethan Nadelmann, author of Think Again: Drugs and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance clashes with David Murray, chief scientist at the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy. (This clip is Part I of IV.)

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• drugs
• legalization
• drug
• war
• marijuana
• heroin
• cocaine
• meth
• addiction

[Beanfold]

You cannot control individuals from doing drugs, period. Increasing penalties will not reduce the amount of dealers or users. All it will do is vastly increase the danger involved with them.

[skr1blz]

Where is the logic in this: Someone smokes marijuana. So he gets arrested and thrown into jail. So you have one more marijuana user "on the streets", and thus the "use goes down". WHAT EXACTLY WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THIS? So now instead of being a free man this person is living in a cage, because he smoked marijuana? Now instead of being able to be productive and do work, get educated and have a family, he is on welfare, being fed and guarded and raped in the prison? This makes no sense.

[FFS1NICO]

i'm smoking a dooby with my 17-year old sister and i'm admiring the great progress Dr. Murray is making.

[FFS1NICO]

@SouthardJon maby you should try it?

[ScrewSocialism]

Dr. "Dumbass" Murrary...admit it! You only want drugs to be illegal so that you can get your cut! Everyone knows the Federal gov't and the CIA are the largest drug dealers in the WORLD. The US does not care about human life. The US has huge poppy and pot fields in Afghanistan right NOW. Ever Heard of Iran/Contra...Bush and Clinton were huge CIA dope dealers. Read your history folks. The drug war is about racism. It is an easy way to keep poor people locked up.

[hippetihohoijaa]

Even the government doesn't believe in this war on drugs shit.

[Chaaarge]

Arresting people for weed is like arresting people for breathing. Everyone does it anyway!

[tantric38]

Why does the gov't call them controlled substances when they have absolutely no control over them and the situation is completely beyond their control? They are fighting an unwinnable war for it's a war on nature and nature, including the human kind, always wins. They have lost and will continue to lose and until they get over themselves and their fantasies. And they wonder why people think there's no difference between the 2 parties. On this issue they are united in their stubborn ignorance.

[mycelian]

@The3rdPlateau I agree fully that we're putting our heads in the sand by keeping drugs illegal. Especially since I know that *I* have cousins who dose their babies under 2 years of age with cold medication because "they'll sleep better", which is just teaching those kids that self-medicating with more dangerous drugs is perfectly okay. All drugs should be respected, and seeking information/education should be a focus more than "it's a legal drug, it must be fine"

[mycelian]

@ProjectFlashlight612 unfortuntely I'm not sure that decrim is better than legalization and regulation - the users have to get their drugs from somewhere, after all, and when there's no legally regulated supply and distribution system (a la alcohol, which yes, can be home brewed) then the supply and distribution is automatically handled by criminals who protect with guns and who will adulterate drugs for more profits. Legalize doesn't mean it's a "free for all", despite anti beliefs about it.

[kayenta33]

the "war on drugs" must be the most astonishing act of collective stupidity and denial in recorded history.

[ProjectFlashlight612]

Marijuana should be decriminalised, but not legalised, and possession of small amounts of any drug should carry an instant-fine penalty. Drug TRAFFICKING should be made even more illegal than it is now. Punish those who profit from illegal drugs, not the users. As it is, prohibition of drugs just makes gangsters rich and booze/tobacco companies secure in their death-profits with their 'safe' legal poison.