[TallGuyShort]

I don't think I'd vote for heroin to be legal, but I think we have to ask ourselves some questions: (1) is prohibition even effective? Spending on enforcement has grown steadily but the percentage of the population addicted has remained steady. Not clear that enforcement has any effect. (2) is criminal punishment more effective than mandatory / free treatment? Most of the evidence I've seen suggests otherwise.

I generally go for the person liberty argument, but heroin is a tough sell even to me because of how ridiculously addictive it is. But I see a lot of harm coming due to certain things being illegal, and a lot of harm coming from many of the things we prescribe because the alternatives have an irrational stigma. I've had some very passionate (i.e. rude) messages sent to me on Facebook because I support legalizing marijuana, and apparently this makes me equivalent to a serial child murderer because people might drive under the influence. Nevermind how bad drunk driving statistics are or how easy marijuana is to obtain anyway, or how some of these same people are on opiate pain killers 24/7

[emodendroket]

The other question is whether they kind of treatment we're using is effective. There isn't much evidence that 12-step programs really make any difference whatsoever.

[mLuby]

As a jobs program, it's been highly effective.

[TallGuyShort]

You jest, but I wouldn't be surprised if leveraging and preserving the stigma has made it too difficult for even more people with non-violent drug arrests to find productive employment where prior usage otherwise wouldn't be an issue.