Showing posts with label War on Drugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label War on Drugs. Show all posts
Monday, July 1, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Flying Pig Moment...
...wherein I agree with Barney Frank.
I never thought I'd write that sentence!
The subject is drug legalization. He and I are on the same page.
Scary, isn't it?
I never thought I'd write that sentence!
The subject is drug legalization. He and I are on the same page.
Scary, isn't it?
Friday, May 31, 2013
War on Drugs...
As usual, Ms. McArdle finds some unobvious angles to ponder...
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
How's That War on Drugs Going?
The green line shows what we're spending, per capita, on the war on drugs. The blue line shows the drug use, per capita, over the same period. Chart is by Matt Groff.
What a stunning success!
Yes, that was tongue-in-cheek. Sure wish we hadn't wasted those billions of dollars...
What a stunning success!
Yes, that was tongue-in-cheek. Sure wish we hadn't wasted those billions of dollars...
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Economists Say: “End the Drug War!”
Gary Becker and Kevin Murphy are noted economists, both professors at the University of Chicago and both fellows at the Hoover Institution. In addition, Mr. Becker is the 1992 Nobel Economics prize winner. In other words, they are both mainstream economists – not fringe lunatics like me.
They argue persuasively for an end to the war on drugs, and for legalization (whether limited or complete) of currently illicit drugs ($WSJ). Their arguments are the mostly same as mine: the war on drugs hasn't worked at its primary purpose (lowering the rate of use of potentially dangerous drugs), it's enabled a huge criminal enterprise, and the cost (measured any way you'd like, including dollars and the criminalization of private choices) is outrageous. The only argument of mine that they left out is the moral argument: that government has no right to prevent me from freely choosing to use drugs, so long as in doing so I don't harm anyone else.
Most of those arguing for decriminalization of drugs, unlike me, are primarily motivated by their desire to use these drugs without risking their liberty. Our politicians know that this group, treated as a demographic, has little impact at the polls and doesn't significantly contribute to political campaigns. Therefore they get little attention compared with the rest of Americans, who still support the war on drugs by large (though declining) majorities. So I'm not anticipating change anytime soon, and perhaps not within my own lifetime. Still, it's nice to see my own position laid out so nicely by mainstream thinkers in a mainstream publication...
They argue persuasively for an end to the war on drugs, and for legalization (whether limited or complete) of currently illicit drugs ($WSJ). Their arguments are the mostly same as mine: the war on drugs hasn't worked at its primary purpose (lowering the rate of use of potentially dangerous drugs), it's enabled a huge criminal enterprise, and the cost (measured any way you'd like, including dollars and the criminalization of private choices) is outrageous. The only argument of mine that they left out is the moral argument: that government has no right to prevent me from freely choosing to use drugs, so long as in doing so I don't harm anyone else.
Most of those arguing for decriminalization of drugs, unlike me, are primarily motivated by their desire to use these drugs without risking their liberty. Our politicians know that this group, treated as a demographic, has little impact at the polls and doesn't significantly contribute to political campaigns. Therefore they get little attention compared with the rest of Americans, who still support the war on drugs by large (though declining) majorities. So I'm not anticipating change anytime soon, and perhaps not within my own lifetime. Still, it's nice to see my own position laid out so nicely by mainstream thinkers in a mainstream publication...
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The War on Drugs: an Alternative View...
This website is full of information and commentary about the futility and waste of the global war on drugs...
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Real Deal...
Since returning from my travels last week, I've been fighting off some evil rhinovirus. I've got all the usual symptoms of a really bad cold, including (most especially) being thoroughly congested.
Being as ancient as I am, this is far from the first time I've had such a cold. In the past I've used decongestants with great success. But this time they weren't doing a thing. My lovely bride suggested that I do a little research yesterday into decongestants, and then she'd pop down to the drug store and get me some of whatever works best.
My starting point was the medication I had been taking. It's active ingredient was phenylephrine, which I quickly discovered was rather notoriously ineffective compared to the traditional decongestant pseudoephidrine. So why would they have switched to a less-effective ingredient? Because many states have passed laws banning or restricting the sale of over-the-counter pseudoephridrine – because the drug lords discovered an easy way to make methamphetamines by using pseudoephidrine. These criminals go buy huge quantities of cold medicine and convert it to methamphetamines.
Yet another way the drug wars are impacting my life! This problem only exists because methamphetamines are illegal...
In California, sales of pseudoephidrine are controlled – an individual can buy small quantities only. That means that you can't just go pull it off the shelf like any other cold medication – you have to ask the pharmacist for it. My lovely bride did just that, and also picked me up a couple boxes of those wonderful tissues with lotions embedded, so your nose doesn't get rubbed raw.
Last night I took the first round of pseudoephidrine. Result: in less than a half hour, I could breath easily through my nose for the first time in several days. Ah, what a relief! And those tissues...sheer heaven on my nose...
There was one downside for me, though: my personal reaction to pseudoephidrine is that it keeps me wide awake. I got not a wink of sleep last night. But I feel much, much better this morning – not least because I can once again breathe freely...
Being as ancient as I am, this is far from the first time I've had such a cold. In the past I've used decongestants with great success. But this time they weren't doing a thing. My lovely bride suggested that I do a little research yesterday into decongestants, and then she'd pop down to the drug store and get me some of whatever works best.
My starting point was the medication I had been taking. It's active ingredient was phenylephrine, which I quickly discovered was rather notoriously ineffective compared to the traditional decongestant pseudoephidrine. So why would they have switched to a less-effective ingredient? Because many states have passed laws banning or restricting the sale of over-the-counter pseudoephridrine – because the drug lords discovered an easy way to make methamphetamines by using pseudoephidrine. These criminals go buy huge quantities of cold medicine and convert it to methamphetamines.
Yet another way the drug wars are impacting my life! This problem only exists because methamphetamines are illegal...
In California, sales of pseudoephidrine are controlled – an individual can buy small quantities only. That means that you can't just go pull it off the shelf like any other cold medication – you have to ask the pharmacist for it. My lovely bride did just that, and also picked me up a couple boxes of those wonderful tissues with lotions embedded, so your nose doesn't get rubbed raw.
Last night I took the first round of pseudoephidrine. Result: in less than a half hour, I could breath easily through my nose for the first time in several days. Ah, what a relief! And those tissues...sheer heaven on my nose...
There was one downside for me, though: my personal reaction to pseudoephidrine is that it keeps me wide awake. I got not a wink of sleep last night. But I feel much, much better this morning – not least because I can once again breathe freely...
Monday, November 14, 2011
Cocaine Prices vs. Crime Rates...
An interesting piece by Llewellyn Hinkes-Jones explores the idea that lower cocaine prices on the street are the cause for the declining rate of violent crime in the U.S. over the past 15 years or so.
I have no idea whether that notion has any merit. However, inadvertently the article makes many points that bolster the case for legalizing drugs like cocaine. One of the consequences of making such a high-demand item (as evidenced by the price people are willing to pay for it) illegal is that people will finance their desire by committing crimes – property crimes and violent crimes. This country saw that during Prohibition, and rolled it back. I, along with many others, believe we should do the same thing with other illegal drugs. There's nothing special about alcohol, which manifestly has the same sorts of undesirable impacts on people and society that the illegal drugs do...
I have no idea whether that notion has any merit. However, inadvertently the article makes many points that bolster the case for legalizing drugs like cocaine. One of the consequences of making such a high-demand item (as evidenced by the price people are willing to pay for it) illegal is that people will finance their desire by committing crimes – property crimes and violent crimes. This country saw that during Prohibition, and rolled it back. I, along with many others, believe we should do the same thing with other illegal drugs. There's nothing special about alcohol, which manifestly has the same sorts of undesirable impacts on people and society that the illegal drugs do...
Sunday, May 16, 2010
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