How would ending the War on Drugs happen?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Since the Nixon years there has been a thing going on with illegal drugs. People being caught with them and locked up. Mexican drug cartel members are being killed.

It's obvious with nearly 50 years the War on Drugs is a lost cause and no one in Washington is willing to admit that. It's obvious for nearly all of the 50 years that the war on drugs has done more bad than good.

But how exactly could this all end? The marijuana legalization (both medical and recreational) reactions seem to make it a popular position among the people. This will end at least part of the war, but how can we finally admit that Drugs have won and the US is fighting a losing battle?

[publicunofficial]

Ron Paul 2016

[Maxwell]

The War on Drugs ending will take a long time, but I think pot will come very quickly. As we see: anti-drug forces are getting rather desperate, putting out 20 man studies and pointing to one or two people dying as an "AH HA!" moment. More states will legalize, more congressman will be forced to change their position on the issue because of that.

The War on Drugs, however, will probably still be fought on many other things and that's a downright shame because these prison sentences take peoples lives and futures away.

[Kevin]

Legalization of pot and decriminalization of drug addicts will only end one small part of it.

The much larger War on Drugs will continue though as I can't imagine coke, heroin or meth becoming legal anytime soon. So long as criminals profit from the drug trade as a whole the fight against illicit drugs will go on.

[badgate]

First we must annex Canada.

[Meursault]

It's not going to. The War on Drugs is much too valuable; it's the only thing keeping prison towns like Joliet, Illinois solvent. When pot is legalized, the Federal government will "re-direct its resources into combatting the menace of illegal drugs" and redouble its efforts. And our liberals will embrace this, as The Price We Must Pay For Freedom.

[AggregateDemand]

Since the Nixon years there has been a thing going on with illegal drugs. People being caught with them and locked up. Mexican drug cartel members are being killed.

It's obvious with nearly 50 years the War on Drugs is a lost cause and no one in Washington is willing to admit that. It's obvious for nearly all of the 50 years that the war on drugs has done more bad than good.

But how exactly could this all end? The marijuana legalization (both medical and recreational) reactions seem to make it a popular position among the people. This will end at least part of the war, but how can we finally admit that Drugs have won and the US is fighting a losing battle?

Drugs haven't won. Use/abuse rates are low. The government has lost the war against its own citizens. Slowly but surely the population has realized that the government is playing games with us to satisfy their obsession with social engineering.

It won't take long for the drug war against the cartels to be over. They've already seen the writing on the wall, and they are moving towards owning legitimate business operations, like mines, oil fields, pharmaceuticals, casinos, resorts, etc.

They are still dangerous, but soon they will earn more money from legitimate peaceful business than from peddling drugs.

[MaxQue]

Since the Nixon years there has been a thing going on with illegal drugs. People being caught with them and locked up. Mexican drug cartel members are being killed.

It's obvious with nearly 50 years the War on Drugs is a lost cause and no one in Washington is willing to admit that. It's obvious for nearly all of the 50 years that the war on drugs has done more bad than good.

But how exactly could this all end? The marijuana legalization (both medical and recreational) reactions seem to make it a popular position among the people. This will end at least part of the war, but how can we finally admit that Drugs have won and the US is fighting a losing battle?

Drugs haven't won. Use/abuse rates are low. The government has lost the war against its own citizens. Slowly but surely the population has realized that the government is playing games with us to satisfy their obsession with social engineering.

It won't take long for the drug war against the cartels to be over. They've already seen the writing on the wall, and they are moving towards owning legitimate business operations, like mines, oil fields, pharmaceuticals, casinos, resorts, etc.

They are still dangerous, but soon they will earn more money from legitimate peaceful business than from peddling drugs.

Don't you know supply and demand? As long people will want drugs, it will be interesting for them to sell drugs.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Are people being slightly hyperbolic in their description of the Drug War? That's a genuine question, as I see dramatic screeds written throughout the internet.

I guess (hope) it will end with the legalisation of cannabis, ecstasy and psychedelics (hopefully enough to curtail the sale of "legal highs"); the providing of heroin in safe rooms across the country and the medical treatment of meth/crack users.
   
Dunno what to do about cocaine though.

[Oakvale]

Unfortunately legalising drugs that can potentially have negative medical side effects (as opposed to harmless weed) is going to be difficult because far too many people think that things that are bad for you (when not dosage controlled, anyway) should be illegal.

Are people being slightly hyperbolic in their description of the Drug War? That's a genuine question, as I see dramatic screeds written throughout the internet.

I guess (hope) it will end with the legalisation of cannabis, ecstasy and psychedelics (hopefully enough to curtail the sale of "legal highs"); the providing of heroin in safe rooms across the country and the medical treatment of meth/crack users.
   
Dunno what to do about cocaine though.

Really, coke's the one you single out?

[AggregateDemand]

Don't you know supply and demand? As long people will want drugs, it will be interesting for them to sell drugs.

That's not how supply and demand work. People have limited capital. They utilize capital to maximize returns vs. risk. The cartels sold drugs because they lacked capital for legitimate business endeavors, and legitimate businesses were prohibited from participating in their industry.

Both of those circumstances are changing rapidly. Furthermore, the illegal drug industry has the same immiserizing effects that plague agriculture.

[Badger]

Don't you know supply and demand? As long people will want drugs, it will be interesting for them to sell drugs.

That's not how supply and demand work. People have limited capital. They utilize capital to maximize returns vs. risk. The cartels sold drugs because they lacked capital for legitimate business endeavors, and legitimate businesses were prohibited from participating in their industry.

Both of those circumstances are changing rapidly. Furthermore, the illegal drug industry has the same immiserizing effects that plague agriculture.

"Drug cartels didn't enter legitimate businesses because they lacked capital." I assure you all that by the time drug dealing organizations developed to the 'cartel' level, they had MORE than enough capital to aggressively enter any legitimate industry they chose (and in fact already owned substantial swaths of private businesses _ that point).

Even by Arrogant Demand's standards, this is one of the stupidest things he's ever posted.

[Kevin]

Don't you know supply and demand? As long people will want drugs, it will be interesting for them to sell drugs.

That's not how supply and demand work. People have limited capital. They utilize capital to maximize returns vs. risk. The cartels sold drugs because they lacked capital for legitimate business endeavors, and legitimate businesses were prohibited from participating in their industry.

Both of those circumstances are changing rapidly. Furthermore, the illegal drug industry has the same immiserizing effects that plague agriculture.

"Drug cartels didn't enter legitimate businesses because they lacked capital." I assure you all that by the time drug dealing organizations developed to the 'cartel' level, they had MORE than enough capital to aggressively enter any legitimate industry they chose (and in fact already owned substantial swaths of private businesses _ that point).

Even by Arrogant Demand's standards, this is one of the stupidest things he's ever posted.

[MaxQue]

Don't you know supply and demand? As long people will want drugs, it will be interesting for them to sell drugs.

That's not how supply and demand work. People have limited capital. They utilize capital to maximize returns vs. risk. The cartels sold drugs because they lacked capital for legitimate business endeavors, and legitimate businesses were prohibited from participating in their industry.

Both of those circumstances are changing rapidly. Furthermore, the illegal drug industry has the same immiserizing effects that plague agriculture.

"Drug cartels didn't enter legitimate businesses because they lacked capital." I assure you all that by the time drug dealing organizations developed to the 'cartel' level, they had MORE than enough capital to aggressively enter any legitimate industry they chose (and in fact already owned substantial swaths of private businesses _ that point).

Even by Arrogant Demand's standards, this is one of the stupidest things he's ever posted.

I would like to add than legitimate businesses are having the double role of money laundering and make money. I iwsh to know to which economy faculty AD went, since it's quite bad.

[PiMp DaDdy FitzGerald]

Don't you know supply and demand? As long people will want drugs, it will be interesting for them to sell drugs.

That's not how supply and demand work. People have limited capital. They utilize capital to maximize returns vs. risk. The cartels sold drugs because they lacked capital for legitimate business endeavors, and legitimate businesses were prohibited from participating in their industry.

Both of those circumstances are changing rapidly. Furthermore, the illegal drug industry has the same immiserizing effects that plague agriculture.

"Drug cartels didn't enter legitimate businesses because they lacked capital." I assure you all that by the time drug dealing organizations developed to the 'cartel' level, they had MORE than enough capital to aggressively enter any legitimate industry they chose (and in fact already owned substantial swaths of private businesses _ that point).

Even by Arrogant Demand's standards, this is one of the stupidest things he's ever posted.

I would like to add than legitimate businesses are having the double role of money laundering and make money. I iwsh to know to which economy faculty AD went, since it's quite bad.

Another danger is that because drugs are so profitable, companies may get Dutch Disease and shut down other functions to solely rely on drugs for profit. It has destroyed economies, such as the Netherland's and Guinea Bissau's before, so we aren't immune to it. Imagine addiction with all of Exxon's rescources behind producing drugs.