Have you ever experimented with drugs? Ever known people who take them?

In my experience, that of being thoroughly surrounded by drug abuse growing up as a ward of the state, having tried, inhaled and thoroughly enjoyed, amongst other heretofore nameless experiences; I find that people who take drugs are usually self medicating because they have an underlying mental illness.  I've seen awful things happen to people under the influence too, and as tragic as those things may have been, it usually wasn't the drug, it was the underlying mental illness.

'Legalize' is the wrong frame.  I think even Cenk would agree, that 'decriminalize' is the more proper frame.  The Europeans treat it as a disease and it should be.  We treat alcoholism as a disease and alcohol is undeniably a 'drug'.  Let's spend our resources on education and treatment for those addicted.  It'll cost us half as much than jailing people and ruining what futures they may have.

by veeve on 04/02/2009 05:52:39 PM EST