Pubdate: Sun, 07 Aug 2016 Source: Star-News (Wilmington, NC) Copyright: 2016 Wilmington Morning Star Contact: http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/submit01 Website: http://www.starnewsonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/500 Author: Roger Mason LEGALIZE DRUGS Are you tired of hearing about the "opioid epidemic" ? Me too! As long as we have a "war on drugs" and draconian drug laws, we will continue to have drug epidemics. The answer is as simple as it is shocking to most people...legalize all drugs for all adults. Anyone who commits any crime while under the influence of any drug (including alcohol) would get doubled penalties. People might not realize all drugs were legal in America for 137 years until the nefarious and evil Harrison Narcotics Act. Recently, on a cruise to Mexico, I saw the pharmacies were freely selling opiates (e.g oxycodone) without a prescription for $15. There were no lines to get in the door. Quite the contrary...sales were few, as people were bored with opiates. Every country that has legalized personal possession of drugs has seen drug use fall. Did you know America has 5 percent of the world's population, but 25 percent of the prison inmates? At least a third are for drug offenses. Legalize drugs and every drug dealer, every drug gang and cartel go out of business the same day. Drug use would fall, not rise with no more forbidden allure and all the rest of the nonsense. Roger Mason, Belville - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom