Denver decriminalizes mushrooms!

[Justin]

Both camps position (war on drugs and libertarian darwinian) are tremendously lacking in logic.

Drug use doesn't "sort itself out" nor as has been pointed out, nor is it a death sentence. People can be smoking meth and still holding down a job for quite some time. Contrary to the advertisements, they aren't as easy to recognize as you would assume. Moreover, drug use doesn't sort itself out with "Darwinian evolution"; reference the rising statistics of babies born addicted to opiods if you don't believe me.... news flash, people high on stuff, "do stuff" a lot more than people who aren't high on stuff, which results in more kids being born to people who are high on stuff. If anything, "Darwinian" science makes that a win for spreading genetic code that is inclined to be addicted or hedonistic [which wouldn't have significant effects for a long, long time anyway....]. Contrary to the libertarian perspective, people don't just "use drugs in their basement and die", no, each addict on average imposes an INCREDIBLE societal cost in their decades long journey to oblivion. You can invent your own magic rules if you want where unicorns fart fairy dust, but the reality is, YOU LIVE HERE. Opoid addicted babies, innumerous unpaid ER visits, repeat transient crimes and the cost of service dealing with transients, shoplifting, vandalism, GTA, burglary, B&E, repeat prison cycles, etc. etc.

Each heavily drug addicted person probably costs society as much as each non-addicted person could ever hope to contribute. So it's not a circumstance of "they live by their own decision" such as would be the case if they shot themselves with a firearm, or attempted to "juggle chainsaws", as a limbless person doesn't need 18 ER visits for hand fetishes, and they don't give birth to a limbless baby that goes into foster care for the next 18 years, and the one that shot themselves cost society only one service call and their body disposal, at most. If you can't compare apples to apples, get off your high horses.

On the flip side, the war on drugs includes its own misinformation jailing people for addictions doesn't normally produce any outcome other than generating costs and revenue in the prison system.

Why can't people acknowledge that both ideas are utter shit? Why can't we acknowledge their are serious issues both with decriminalization and criminalization?

Now, all of this has little to do with shrooms, which is the OP link, but by this point I don't think anyone's talking about it anymore.

This is an incredibly good post and one that bears re-reading, so I'm quoting it in full.

Frankly, I think a lot of the people who adhere to the outlook of legalizing drugs have, by and large, lived fairly sheltered lives where their worst encounter with a serious addict was maybe getting hassled by a vagrant once or twice. It's amazing the sheer amount of time and resources that your average addict can cause to be wasted on their behalf, both from the standpoint of encounters with societal systems, e.g. law enforcement, emergency rooms, doctor visits, halfway houses, recovery facilities and the like, but also the massive financial, physical, and emotional toll an addict inflicts on their friends, family, and neighbors.

[BushMasterBoy]

The drug alcohol still kills more than other drugs. My favorite drug is caffeine. Do your own research. I still feel I am more likely to be killed by a texting driver than a gun or addict.

[Justin]

Judging by the number of idiots I see on the road staring at their phone as they drive, that's probably not an unreasonable assumption.

[BushMasterBoy]

[Gman]

I still feel I am more likely to be killed by a texting driver than a gun or addict.

Yeah, don't even get me started. As someone that is totally focused on driving, it's insanity with folks that just can't stay away from the phone for more than a few seconds.

[MrAK]

Today on drudge:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ts/1999501001/