advantages to the war on drugs?
969313
It allows the police to use the excuse to obtain more funding from various sources. Unfortunately, the government tries to act like private industry where bigger is better.  Bigger is not better - bigger is merely bigger.  Efficiency is the key.  Unfortunately, the government bear by its very model is inefficient.
641240
The real reason for the drug war is because politically it sounds good.  Families can be devistated when family members are hurt or killed because of the drug trade, or by the loss of family members to addiction - Those families vote and so politicians saw an opportunity to garner votes without thinking it through.\n\nWe can NEVER win the war on drugs, but it is NOT exactly like prohibition, the cost on society if all drugs were legalized would be HUGE for rehab etc.\n\nUnfortunately, even without a chance at winning AND the fact it was a political move to get votes, I still think it is something that should still be fought.
421894
Yes. The war on drugs is a failure. There are more prisons than schools and this has not solved the problem. My state Oklahoma spends $48000 on average per year for each inmate and $3000 on every student. The majority of these are non-violent drug offenders and need help not incarceration. Do we remember Prohibition? Violence increases when you make things illegal and let's face it you can get drugs as easy as you can cigarettes and liquor. Having said this IT MUST BE REGULATED. On the black market who knows what you're buying MUCH MORE DANGEROUS because it's cut with all sorts of bad stuff. Make cash from TAXES and let it help the problem. I do not condone drug use, but I do not believe the government should be able to regulate what goes into my body. Where does it end. Can't have dessert cause it causes obesity and heart problems? There will still be a drug problem as long as people take them, but making it illegal has made the problem worse despite all good intentions.
911172
The war on drugs is being implemented and it is presumed that the streets are safe from violence.
1134454
Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana?\nExamining a Recent Study on Legalization\nThe war on drugs is an expensive battle, as a great deal of resources go into catching those who buy or sell illegal drugs on the black market, prosecuting them in court, and housing them in jail. These costs seem particularly exorbitant when dealing with the drug marijuana, as it is widely used, and is likely no more harmful than currently legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. There's another cost to the war on drugs, however, which is the revenue lost by governments who cannot collect taxes on illegal drugs. In a recent study for the Fraser Institute, Economist Stephen T. Easton attempted to calculate how much tax revenue the Canadian government could gain by legalizing marijuana. \nThe study estimates that the average price of 0.5 grams (a unit) of marijuana sold for $8.60 on the street, while its cost of production was only $1.70. In a free market, a $6.90 profit for a unit of marijuana would not last for long. Entrepreneurs noticing the great profits to be made in the marijuana market would start their own grow operations, increasing the supply of marijuana on the street, which would cause the street price of the drug to fall to a level much closer to the cost of production. Of course, this doesn't happen because the product is illegal; the prospect of jail time deters many entrepreneurs and the occasional drug bust ensures that the supply stays relatively low. We can consider much of this $6.90 per unit of marijuana profit a risk-premium for participating in the underground economy. Unfortunately, this risk premium is making a lot of criminals, many of whom have ties to organized crime, very wealthy. \n\nStephen T. Easton argues that if marijuana was legalized, we could transfer these excess profits caused by the risk-premium from these grow operations to the government: \n\nIf we substitute a tax on marijuana cigarettes equal to the difference between the local production cost and the street price people currently pay--that is, transfer the revenue from the current producers and marketers (many of whom work with organized crime) to the government, leaving all other marketing and transportation issues aside we would have revenue of (say) $7 per [unit]. If you could collect on every cigarette and ignore the transportation, marketing, and advertising costs, this comes to over $2 billion on Canadian sales and substantially more from an export tax, and you forego the costs of enforcement and deploy your policing assets elsewhere. \nOne interesting thing to note from such a scheme is that the street price of marijuana stays exactly the same, so the quantity demanded should remain the same as the price is unchanged. However, it's quite likely that the demand for marijuana would change from legalization. We saw that there was a risk in selling marijuana, but since drug laws often target both the buyer and the seller, there is also a risk (albeit smaller) to the consumer interested in buying marijuana. Legalization would eliminate this risk, causing the demand to rise. This is a mixed bag from a public policy standpoint: Increased marijuana use can have ill effects on the health of the population but the increased sales bring in more revenue for the government. However, if legalized, governments can control how much marijuana is consumed by increasing or decreasing the taxes on the product. There is a limit to this, however, as setting taxes too high will cause marijuana growers to sell on the black market to avoid excessive taxation. \nWhen considering legalizing marijuana, there are many economic, health, and social issues we must analyze. One economic study will not be the basis of Canada's public policy decisions, but Easton's research does conclusively show that there are economic benefits in the legalization of marijuana. With governments scrambling to find new sources of revenue to pay for important social obje
345987
When alcohol was outlawed it gave rise to the Mafia, easy money for people willing to break the law.  The outlawing of pot, cocaine, and LSD has led to the rise of the Cartels, another criminal enterprise.\n\nLegalising all of these drugs would help deter the outrageous profits such a cartel can make in the U.S. market.  Further, government taxation of the sales of such drugs would add money to the treasury.  None of the three mentioned in the question seems to be as hard on the human body and brain as alcohol.  I say legalise.
25766
The war on drugs is nowhere near over.  I was watching on the news a while back that after the tougher laws passed in Iowa reguarding the sales of certain ingredients in meth, that meth lab siezures had gone down a dramatic amount.  However, I still see people using every bit as much as before.  In my opinion, the law enforcement officials have not been working hard enough, and therefore cite the new law for less busts being made.
977347
I don't believe there are any disadvantages.  The advantages would be relieving stress or blue balls, helping to be able to concentrate, etc.
1126303
Another division or so and we might actually become effective at stopping both the human traffic and drugs. I think people or underestimating the positive effect this could have against the drug insurgency. Mexico has always been a major player and the drugs have contributed to the immigration problem.
905159
Money!  Thats it.  Plain and simple.  The federal government aquires and distributes insane amounts of money for and from this so called "war on drugs"   What i mean is, the vast majority of prison inmates are booked due to drug related offences.  For each inmate booked the prison is alotted a certain amount of revenue.  Prisons are run by the state, therefore the state ultimatly ends up with this money.  Polititians find numerous ways to skim off the top as well as the high end execs.  Prisons are only one major source of benifiting from this mass amount of revenue.  In short a crime filled, chaotic country makes more cash than one such as amsterdam.
285966
The gov't believes that we would lose the war on drugs.  They also have no way of taxing the crops that are home grown.  So they wouldn't make that much money off of it.  They make more money having marijuana be illegal.\nCurrently in America 16% of adults smoke weed.  Currently in the Netherlands (where pot is legal) only 6% of adults smoke weed.\n\nThousands of people die from smoking cigarettes every day, so why is that legal, when marijuana, something that can't kill you is illegal.  Your statement doesn't make any sense, Man.\n\nCheck this out about common misconceptions of marijuana: \nwww.drugpolicy.org/ marijuana / factsmyths /
1123715
Everything but the drugs (I hope) may be true, but the military doesn't start wars in the middle of our streets, they save it for poor unfortunate other countries.  And they don't fight over drug selling territories (something illegal), they fight over oil rights (something mostly legal).\n\nOtherwise, you make an interesting point.  Make sure you vote out the thugs in office next november (another difference, since we don't get a vote in who runs the gangs)!
1148721
to tax on it of course. The government should just make drugs legal (not all but some). Cuz we all know that when something is made illegal it's wanted more!!! If the government makes it legal that would put drug dealers out of business and they can tax on it. Also if it is available maybe it wont be wanted as much!!
106621
Advantage/s:\n1) no election expenses\n2) no casualties/fatalities due to elections\n3)\n\nDisadvantage/s:\n1) people would be left with no choice but to be under their stupid and non-performing representatives longer\n2) more protests and demonstrations against no-el\n3)
692142
I think the idea is to punish those who are dealing LARGE AMOUNTS (like those selling to the US) and to not punish those who use it for personal use. Actually Cocaine, Heroine, and Marajuana are all useful Medicinal drugs, and were commonly used as such until Nixon.
1138969
There are no disadvantages its used for medicinal purposes in a lot of states and countries! Have you ever heard of coke being use for medicinal purposes? NOPE!  No disadvantages that I know of.
225910
well, there has been a drug war going on now for a long time and the problem continues to increase. The whole problem is not going to be resolved to that level. We have a drug culture now, that goes far beyond illegal drugs, - the massive amount of prescription drugs adults and adolescents are consuming is also a huge problem and industry thrives of addiction's like this.  The fix,is the human mind. Until humans are satisfied, being alive and enjoying what life has to offer, all on it's own - the problem will exist. I think the population is forced to live stressed out because of the amount of effort you have to put out to survive, when your starting from a dis-advantage point of your life entry. If your serious about this, you must attain a position in government, so you can join the fight, but keep in mind - the politician has their hands in it - just like a massive portion of the population. \n The cops and the courts pay the bill's off it, and I dont think they really want a sollution, just too keep it at manageable levels.