Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Wednesday night

Had a nice nap today and was back at the gym. Tired.

Regarding the decriminalization of drugs, see my post here. It sounds like a good idea. The "War on Drugs" has been and continues to be a failure. And look at what's going on in Mexico now and spilling over into the U.S.

I've read, however, that prescription drugs are "the new cocaine." Abusing or mis-using prescription drugs can be deadly. Look at what happened to Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith. I think the prosecution of Anna Nicole Smith's boyfriend and her doctor is perfectly justified.

Some people commit fraud to get illegal prescriptions, like Rush Limbaugh or Jeb Bush's daughter, and they don't end up in prison. But people who even possess certain amounts of illegal drugs do. It makes no sense, and it's certainly not fair.

We should decriminalize the use of illegal drugs and at the same time go after people who put lives at risk by pushing prescription drugs, including doctors, drug dealers and/or enablers. (Sad to say, I've seen this problem first-hand.)

Right now, people who "doctor-shop" or forge prescriptions to get extra pills (like Rush Limbaugh or Jeb Bush's daughter) are offered treatment. The same should be offered to people who have a problem with illegal drugs, instead of just throwing them in prison. The current way of dealing with these people can't be good for society. It destroys their lives and their families even as it deprives society of potentially useful talent (perhaps even greater than Rush Limbaugh's) to improve it.

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