[tosseraccount]

The majority of the population has used drugs illegaly. You're saying "we aren't in control of ourselves" ? Most folks can handle a joint or an oxy or an underage brewski.

Abuse should be treated as a medical problem, not a criminal problem. We need to take the cops and lawyers and the prison industry out of fixing it.

Implementing the drug laws in practice targets the poor and minorities.

[wildmusings]

People illegally selling hard drugs should go to jail. As for the rest of the War on Drugs' imprisonment policy, I'll agree that it's counterproductive and harmful.

[oxide]

I respectfully disagree. People who sell drugs are by and large non-violent offenders.

American prisons would have plenty more room to keep pedophiles in prison and off probation if the cells weren't packed wall to wall with non-violent drug offenders.

[wildmusings]

Like that FiveThirtyEight piece I linked to points out, releasing everyone that's in prison for primarily drug crimes will only reduce the prison population by 14%. The headline figures of 50% that you hear includes anyone that has any drug charge as part of their conviction, even if it's not the most serious charge.

[dragonwriter]

14% is a sizable share, and, in any case, a large portion of those with drug and other charges, rather than just did charges, have all the charges stemming from drug-related activities or transactions, or otherwise connected to drug prohibition (similarly many with no drug charges, but only other charges); ending the war on drugs wouldn't just eliminate the imprisonment tied solely to dig charges.

[oxide]

14% is a staggering, massive number. full stop.

Not much of an argument IMO

[mnbcvx]

But keep in mind that the black market around drugs, and the difficulty and expense of obtaining illegal drugs, creates violence.