Pubdate: Fri, 25 Aug 2006
Source: Springfield News-Leader (MO)
Section: Ozarks Voices
Copyright: 2006 The Springfield News-Leader
Contact:  http://www.springfieldnews-leader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1129
Author: Gary Presley
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

LEGALIZING DRUGS MIGHT HELP CITY

Columnist Brian Lewis says local merchant Edgar Hagens sees "drugs" 
where others see "gangs."

I agree, and that leads me to ask, "Why not then take drugs out of 
the equation?"

After all, drug abuse is not a criminal problem. It's a medical 
problem. Individual people use drugs for individual reasons, but I 
doubt any user sets out to use drugs simply to break the law.

I believe a person's abuse of drugs should be left to those best 
qualified to persuade the abuser that there is a better way. And 
those best qualified are not deputy sheriffs, police officers, jail 
guards or prison wardens. They are medical doctors, psychiatrists, 
psychologists and counselors.

There is, of course, one socially responsible reason for the criminal 
arrest of someone using drugs. If a person commits a crime against 
person or property, whether drug-induced or not, I think the 
authorities should haul them off to jail.

That was what happened to Mel Gibson. His drug of choice -- tequila 
- -- resulted in his arrest for driving while under the influence, 
which was the crime. Abusing alcohol before he sat down behind the 
wheel was symptomatic of his disease. Only because our justice system 
is blind do we believe he would have been guilty of two crimes if the 
deputy sheriff had found methamphetamine, marijuana or cocaine in his 
car instead of tequila.

Drug use and abuse should be decriminalized. Those who need drugs 
should be allowed to use them under the direction of a physician. 
Those who need drugs and abuse them so that they become a danger to 
themselves or the community should be subject to civil commitment to 
a treatment facility. Those who commit a crime under the influence of 
a drug should be punished for the crime and treated for drug abuse.

I have lived long enough to see society evolve to comprehend 
alcoholism as a disease. If that drug can be decriminalized and 
regulated, I would think other mind-altering agents could be as well.

The 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition and put the bootleggers out 
of business.

Decriminalizing drug use might do the same for any gang in 
Springfield -- and for all the hillbilly meth cooks, the Colombian 
cocaine kingpins and the leftover Taliban warlords growing heroin 
poppies in Afghanistan.

One thing is certain, they would no longer be able to profit from our 
collective ignorance and individual pain.

Gary Presley lives in Springfield.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman