CA Pot Legalization - The War on Drugs

"With (the penalty against marijuana consumption) merely being a citation, no one is paying any attention to it," said former Long Beach congressman and current California attorney general candidate Dan Lungren, expressing a common idea. "As long as we focus on sellers and not users, we're kidding ourselves. Unless we can do something about demand as well as supply, we will never make headway (in the war on drugs)."

Dan Lungren is stating the same thing that Sojkas Call loyal reader, Keith, expressed in his response to the last blog. So, with there a general consensus among the citizenry and public officials that the current marijuana law is being ignored anyways, why is there any discussion against legalization of 1 ounce or less? Legalization of 1 ounce or less would reduce the demand for the illicit drug from organized crime sources since it could then be procured or grown legally. Doesn't that satisfy Mr. Lungren? Apparently not!

In Berkeley, CA, Mr. Jame W. Smith is trying to push the city council for tougher enforcement of marijuana laws in spite of the fact it would take resources away from violent crime. Why do people have such irrational views about the current prohibited drugs?

Sojkas Call believes the brainwashing from the media who are supported by the pharmaceutical drug companies and organized crime has been very successful over the last 50+ years. Legal sleeping pills, anti-depressants, pain-killers, amphetamines, tranquilizers, and the list go on and on are all OK. But, a freely growing herb, mushroom, cactus, flower, leaf, etc that affects your mood must be horrible and banned or society will fall apart.

The hypocrisy of this argument is so obvious and the real reasons for keeping the current list of drugs illegal so transparent, it is beyond this blogs understanding how people can still be fooled so easily. Legalize all the drugs and eliminate organized crimes involvement. We can raise tax money, eliminate police, reduce the prison population, and spend more money on drug and alcohol rehabilitation. What is not to like?

Comments

Keith said…
Wow, Lungren an I are on the same page? How did that happen? I am not sure how Dan is proposing to reverse direction on litigation for the demand siders and what has been slowly slipping out of the grasp of his "industry", (the war on drugs) criminal justice system, when the cj system is already reprioritizing its focus on violent crimes with Schwatzenager's decision to release non-violent criminals from prisons for budgetary reasons. He seems to be a lone wolf in the woods without the resources to carry through what he believes is the answer. At least you know where he stands in his run for Atty Gen'l. More budget money for incarceration to save people from hurting themselves. Next they will be putting people in prison for attempted suicide. He ran for Governor last election an lost, I doubt he will garner much interest as Atty Gen'l. He is out of touch simple fiscal reality in these dire economic times.
Sojka's Call said…
Keith - you are on the same page with Lungren but for diametrically opposed reasons. I should have made that more clear maybe - you both believe the current law is ineffective - you both have diametrically opposed actions you would take to rectify.

I hope you are right regarding his attorney general bid - he seems out of touch with the needed priorities in a budget constrained state of economic affairs. The state should be going after big-time corporate criminals like Enron (too late now, but there are other similar activities today) who ripped the state off for billions of dollars. Instead Dan the Man wants to bust more people for smoking pot - go figure.......

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