More on Legalizing Drugs

If drugs became legal to sell and consume, like alcohol, the question arises about what to do with the people who've been making their living by selling drugs on the street. My War on Drugs discussion friend (see earlier post of April 8, 2009) points out that wars always end with some violent, aimless men, especially on the losing side -- such as the Jameses and Youngers after the Civil War -- inflicting themselves on society and that the same problem would emerge with the end of the Drug War. On the bright side, my friend has a theory that more young people might stay in school, if they weren't drawn by the possibilities of selling drugs, Admittedly, my friend recognizes that the transition might be a difficult one. I think this is especially so, if other illegal pursuits were attempted in transition.

The book, Freakonomics, has an interesting slant on drug dealers. The author writes that the street pushers barely earn minimum wage and that they can only score financially by being at the top of the drug distribution chain. If that's the case, the pushers may find it more remunerative to pursue other employment. So, I agree with the idea that more young people might stay in school as a result of legalization of drugs. In case of the drug king pins, I imagine they are smart enough to find another illegal pursuit they can pursue without too much heat from the law or to go legitimate. It is possible that the legalization of drugs will have lasting positive consequences in spite of some transitory negative ones.

Nationally, there are several movements underway with the goal of legalizing drugs and ending the insanity of a hopeless war. I suggest that we should all consider the arguments on both sides of this issue before condemning the idea of legalization of drugs. This is the first step in public education. Eventually to convince Congress and the Kansas Legislature that drug laws should be changed, the focus of any legalization movement would be public education. Only if the public is overwhelming in favor of something will the legislatures be convinced to act. As for Kansas -- when changing laws is the goal -- this state is always last or next to last in adopting laws that the rest of the country embraces.