Free Talk Live

April 20 is the counter-culture “holiday” on which lots and lots of people come together to advocate marijuana legalization (or just get high). Should drugs—especially marijuana—be legal? The answer is “yes.” Immediately. Without hesitation. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200 seized in a civil asset forfeiture. The war on drugs has been a dismal failure. It’s high time to end prohibition. Even if you aren’t willing to go whole-hog and legalize all drugs, at the very least we should legalize marijuana.

Challenged with a $133 million deficit, one western German city has introduced a day tax on prostitutes to help whittle down its budget gap. The new "pleasure tax" requires prostitutes in Dortmund to purchase a 6 euro "day ticket" for each day they work, or face a potential fine. The city estimates that the new tax will add some 750,000 euros to its coffers each year. Such taxes are not unusual in Germany where prostitution is legal and sex workers must pay tax on their income.

Missouri state auditor says that law enforcement agencies maybe under reporting what they take as asset forfeiture during criminal investigations.

Cops break into a man's home looking for drugs and hold him hostage, traumatizing the residents, causing significant property damage, and refuse to pay for it.

Report of the global commission on drugs says the global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world. It suggests to end the criminalization, marginalization and stigmatization of people who use drugs but who do no harm to others. Challenge rather than reinforce common misconceptions about drug markets, drug use and drug dependence.

Indiana is one of several states that require civil asset forfeiture proceeds to go to a fund for public schools. Many states passed such laws in the late 1990s after media and public backlashes against civil forfeiture abuse. The states saw the funds as a way to remedy the incentive problems that arise when police and prosecutorial offices benefit directly from the money they seize. In Indiana, the requirement is actually written into the state's constitution.

1/26/12 16k(35 LBS!) cocaine was found @ U.N. in NWC. The drugs were confiscated -- no arrests, no seizure. By contrast...

(from http://www.erowid.org/freedom/law/forfeiture/forfeiture_info1.shtml paraphrased)

Why is the War on Drugs lost? It reflects our failure to learn from history. Drug prohibition has all the characteristics of other well-intentioned, yet counterproductive, government programmes. Specifically, the drug war causes crime; it corrupts the police; it violates civil liberties; it throws good money after bad; and it weakens – even destroys – families, neighbourhoods, and communities.

The FDA is “cracking down” on drugs which did not go through their ridiculously expensive FDA approval process; all pre-1938 drugs. According to the NY Times, 80% of all nitroglycerin pills on the market fall into this category. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/business/27nitro.html