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I believe any society has the right - and the obligation -to draw a line in the sand.

We draw such lines when it comes to crimes against persons and property-and we draw them for a reason : that reason being society needs and demands such laws.

Drug laws-in all their spiderweb intricacy-did not just happen. They were passed,long before most of us were born,because drugs had become an everyday evil in society. Infants were drugged with opiate syrups to keep them quiet. Dangerously addictive morphine derivatives were prescribed-or sold over the counter-with no more consideration than we give aspirin.Opium dens operated more-or-less openly, and promising lives went up in smoke and dreams.

This first "war on drugs" was very nearly won, with a combination of legal, moral,and societal sanctions.Drug use was a "wrong side of the street" thing for at least half of the 20th century :It was "just not done"; and those who used drugs were pitied-or, at the very least, thought to be strange,backward,alien.

The 1960's came, and drug use was suddenly glamorized. It is still glamorized, in spite of the monstrous wreckage it has caused. (Tune in any late night comedy show,and you'll hear at least 2 drug-related jokes, which receive thunderous applause.)

Society has spent billions trying to undo the deliberate machinations of those who wanted to pull it down-and will probably spend billions more-most of which will be in vain.

Does this mean Society should forfeit the battle, or that it should change tactics ?

_{ps: If we forfeit the battle, why not give up on other laws as well, and revert to anarchic savagery ?}

It is a little hard to see how drug use could get much more widespread than it is now in this country- teachers, lawyers, judges, politicians, executives, mechanics, junior-high school kids, and probably the clowns at the circus are all using drugs. This battle (and the war) has already been lost. It has been a rout, worse than the Gallipoli disaster of WWI.

Let's at least try to get rid of the huge profits made by the dealers, and the immense amount of civic corruption that has resulted from the drug war.

Is that what I consider the perfect solution? No. But there is no feasable way to get drugs out of our society right now.

Drugs, and anything else the government decides is contraband, is very different from laws protecting people and property. The first is a law against trade, and the latter are laws against harm to others and their property.

People have a fundamental urge to traffic in whatever the market will bear. The only market that has been successfully broken is the market in slaves, and that only in places that are sufficiently respectful of people and their rights.

It is a bad thing to be an addict. But it is a much worse thing to make drugs contraband. In addition to addicts you get smugglers, thugs, bent cops, corrupted airport rampers, etc.

"...Tune in any late night comedy show,and you'll hear at least 2 drug-related jokes, which receive thunderous applause.)..."

There is NOTHING funny about drugs. I know because my brother was into that crap and wound up doing ten years in federal prison. The unseen part of his drug dealing is seeing our mother lose a few years off her life, (she was 71 when he went in). That was the last thing she needed at that time of her life. Another part was having to cleanup the mess he left behind. He wasn't the best bookkeeper, so my another brother had to clean it up. Took him about 8 years to do that. He didn't need that task either.
Since our mother was in her 70's, and wanted to go see him, I had to drive her. I like to travel but NOT for that purpose. In one way or another, we all had to do something to help clean up his mess. We all had our lives to live while he cooled his heels for ten. There were other issues too numerous to mention here but suffice it to say our family were innocent victims of the drug trade. He's been out for almost two years and we all pray he dosen't screw up again. Next time, he'll be in for the rest of his life. We would hate for that to happen. Being a participant in the family tragedy, I have grown to hate drugs and the problems they cause for those who are smart enough to not get into that line of work. IT JUST DON'T PAY.