It Was Just Pot, They Said

[FoxtArt]

I would agree, there isn't much of a deterrence now . Drug addicts are not the type of person to be always looking towards future consequences or savings; they are hedonists (but there again, so are most Americans anymore). The point of retaining the right kind of "criminalization" is perhaps, partially deterrence (to those that are not hedonistic, who easily mentally disregard trying drugs even once because they are illegal), but perhaps more importantly, so that all the other problems that accompany addicts can be dealt with - the "broken window" crimes and transients.

The problem with decriminalization really boils down to removing the only viable tool of dealing with transients.... and almost all of the transients are addicts, with a decent portion also having mental illness. "Criminalization" done right should sort of be like how firearms multiply the choices prosecutors have with certain types of property crime and minor assaults, which interestingly enough has entered the minds of many kinds of crooks (who will only hold up a gas station or a bank with say, a finger or a toy gun).

Decriminalize, and you're left with little to no enforceable way to resolve the tent campers crapping outside your business in public space and repeatedly shoplifting/vandalizing, thanks to various court rulings, plea deals, and weak punishments for those kind of offenses, its at most a revolving door at the courthouse for citations. You just have to get used to the addicts being your new neighbors, and they start to lose all fear of enforcement/police.