Should the United States end it's "War on Drugs?"

Please note that I am not only referring to legalizing marijuana, it's quite clear that that should happen and anyone who disagrees and fights the direction we're heading with that is simply digging their hands and feet into the ground only to be torn in half as we expand.

I'm referring to the war on all drugs, including the hard stuff.

My opinion is that this attempt at prohibition is ridiculous and pathetic. The amount of money and effort being spent just to turn the average citizen into a criminal is absurd.

As a former addict who is still participating in drug counseling three times a month meeting all kinds of other addicts I can tell you that most of us started in a doctor's office being prescribed legal heroin to mask our pain. For those of you who haven't tried painkillers or heroin, I can tell you they are the exact same thing. Heroin is made from morphine, and the feeling that each of them gives you is identical. The difference is that heroin isn't bringing money in for multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical companies.

Most overdoses are caused by people not knowing what they're getting. I know it's a long shot and probably won't happen in our life time, but regulating the sale of ALL drugs would make things a lot safer. Most heroin overdoses are either caused by people lacing their dope with Fentanyl or Acetyl Fentanyl (both of which are awesome, but only if you know what you're taking) or by people getting extremely pure heroin when they're used to the 10% purity shit that they're getting from their dealer, cut with brick dust or baking soda. You don't see a lot of unintentional overdoses on pills from experienced users, because they know exactly what they're getting. Why can't we do the same for other potentially dangerous drugs? Prohibition is not stopping anyone, it's just creating an unsafe environment.

What are your thoughts?

 

I would argue no drugs should be criminalized. You're allowing for the creation of a black market, essentially a complete distorted version of the free market. If the free market would be allowed to flex itself then we would see the best viable products for consumers. Competitions would be legalized for all business', urging them to create the most effective and safest product for their consumers that they're able to. The business of drugs would not be left to the drug cartels, government, and street corner dope dealers that harass your neighborhood. If people plan on consuming drugs they will do so at their own risk, it is not up to you, the government, or I, to dictate/govern how others govern their own lives. If people want to consume drugs, they will do so regardless of a "war on drugs," or not.