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I just thought this article (or blog?) may spark a little bit of conversation on the issue, or at least add a little perspective to it.

Zakaria: Incarceration nation
By Fareed Zakaria



What do you all think?

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Until He Returns (Rev. 2:17),
Travis

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. ~George Orwell

I think it's an outrage, to put it midly.

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Some say Jesus was not a pacifist...

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."
Matthew 26:52 (NIV)

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.
Galatians 5:14

I think we can break it down even further, and make it more specific to the subject.
The war on drugs has contributed to the number of people behind bars. In 1994, a lobby called Families Against Mandatory Minimums claimed that 62% of the federal prison population were drug offenders. I don't know that it's true, but I don't think anyone would object to the assumption that the war on drugs has put people behind bars and caught them up in the criminal justice system.

Now, of the arrests made in the war on drugs, roughly half of those arrests are for pot related offenses. Mainly young people for possession. This is also true of the allocations in the Drug War Strategy budget, Obama has increased the budget this year by nearly 75%, and certainly this increase will be used to deal with states that have laxed their pot laws.

So basically, a reschedule of pot would free up 40-50% of the drug war budget, which could then be reallocated to battle the abuse of meth, prescription drugs, and alcohol, which are all more of an upset to public health and safety than pot use.

The Bureau of Prison Statistics released a special report in 2005, which noted that 12.5% of the federal prison population are pot related offenders. This is also true on average for the state prisons. The FBI reports annually that there are 7-8 hundred thousand people arrested on pot rlated offenses, mainly young people for possession. This averages out to an arrest every 38 seconds.

So a Federal reschedule of pot would also potentially free up 10-12% of our state and federal prison beds, which could then releive early release pressures of violent offenders due to overcrowding.

A Reschedule also doesn't necessarily mean legal pot. It depends on where we put it. A Schedule II calssification lets Doctors write real prescriptions and lets real pharmacies fill those prescriptions, just like any other medicine. A Schedule III, IV, or V calssifies it as an herbal supplement, and would be made available over the counter without a prescription, and/or available in liquor/tobacco licensed stores.

But the article also does raise the question, why do we throw so many people in jail? Do we have a "Jail fixes all" policy in our governments? Actually, it does raise a number of questions.

"Bluesman" I think you missed the concept I was getting at.. The reason I am so passionate about my stance against this because I have devoted my life now against Terrorism ..And you probably thinking this is not terrorist threat think again the Mexican Cartels are coming across our borders now and setting up Pot Farms in our forest and it you happen upon one of these farms in the woods you will not come out alive..And if they legalize this it will set off turf wars with the drug Lord's....

If that were true, home-brewers would be having turf wars with bootleggers.

But they're not.

-Dan.

OMG! I see this one the same way Dan does. Is it sign of the end of the age?????

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Not all those who wander are lost.

Well, ya know, a broken clock is right twice a day.

-Dan.

I think it is an outrage that demand for this garbage is so out of control. I am not sure what we do about that, but I am convinced that simply satisfying the demand will result in those very profits that the government has already said are illegal. It goes back to the possible problem of addiction that could be connected with this substance. Addiction would certainly explain why people would ignore criminal sanctions and insist on obtaining and using this substance. That defies logic and doesn't make a lot of sense.

Something that requires rehab (like marijuana) is arguably an addictive substance. It shouldn't be legal to sell an addictive substance to recreational users.

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Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine

Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!

One man's garbage is another man' s treasure.


Do you think there should be medical use exceptions to the law? If so, what kind of model do you see as far as getting patients their medicine?


One thing I was thinking that is not limited to medical users is, a number of states have what they call "drug tax stamps", where the county attorney can file state tax levys against an individual caught possessing pot. The charge is called "no tax stamp". You can literally buy these little stamps from the state to put on your container of pot, to avoid these charges. The stamps expire, and are exemptfrom 5th amendment contradictions because the whole system is anonymous. One can obtain the stamps by mail simply by including a self addressed stamped envelope along with your payment.

I think a good move for county attorneys in the states that have drug tax stamps is to waive the criminal penalties and file the tax levies. I think for Texas, the ammount is $3.50 per gram of pot. There is also tax levies for pot plants.

This move will not only vacate prison beds, and lessen the weekend drunk-tank crowd that fills the county jail systems once a week, and eliminate all the unnecessary stresses associated with criminal law; It would also generate a revenue for the state. One could buy the tax stamp, and if caught by the law, the pot wouldsimply be confiscated- he already paid the tax.

And you bring up a good point. I've heard it said that pot is a "devil weed". "Garbage" is a term used often. And I wonder if this line of thinking has a hint of dualism.

(footnote #2of my defense of Pat Roberstson)
[2] Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem
Dualism
'The Biblical account rules out “dualism”. This is the idea that both God and the material universe have eternally existed side by side. Thus, there are two ultimate forces in the universe, God and matter.
The problem with dualism is that it indicates an eternal conflict between God and the evil aspects of the material universe. Will God ultimately triumph over evil in the universe? We cannot be sure, because both God and evil have apparently always existed side by side. This philosophy would deny both God's ultimate lordship over creation and also that creation came about because of God's will, that it is to be used solely for his purposes, and that it is to glorify him. This viewpoint would also deny that all of the universe was created inherently good (Gen.1:31) and would encourage people to view material reality as somewhat evil in itself, in contrast with a genuine biblical account of a creation that God made to be good an that he rules over for his purposes.
One recent example of dualism in modern culture is the series of "Star Wars" movies, which postulate the existence of a universal "force" that has both a good and an evil side. There is no concept of one holy and transcendent God who rules over all and will certainly triumph over all. When non-Christians today begin to be aware of a spiritual aspect to the universe, they often become dualists, merely acknowledging that there are good and evil aspects to the supernatural or spiritual world. Most "New Age" religion is dualistic. Of course, Satan is delighted to have people think that there is an evil force in the universe that is perhaps equal to God himself.'

We notice in our history that the murders and violence associated with the bootlegger's alcohol trade during prohibition subsided after it's repeal. The same could be true of pot, depending on how we do it.

If we allowed homeowners to cultivate their own personal pot crop, and possess a reasonable ammount in their homes, homeowners would win the war on the cartels. Roughly 50% of the narco-traffic confiscated is pot, and it's generally headed for the midwest and east coast. Their trafficking operations could not sustain the economic blow.
People would produce their own, as regulated by the County in which they reside, and would have no need to purchase anything the violent could offer. Right now there is a demand that only the cartels can fill.

The street price of illegal drugs is supported by the fact that they are illegal. The price of marihuana, if it were completely legal would be a matter of supply and demand. The cost and difficulty of of growing marihuana is very, very low. The illegal cartels ar in it for the money. Their interest in that trade would dry up. The comparison with alcohol in the 1930s is useful.

BTW, marihuana was legal during prohibition.


This, by itself, doesn't complete the case for legalization. There are some drugs that I would want to contnue to criminalize, even though that helps support the illegal traffickers. But I don't think pot is one of them.

Turning the question back to Pat Robertson, however, I really, really question whether his opinions on this subject helped the mission of the 700 club. Would you send sombody on a mission trip to Mexico if you knew that he was going to spend part of his time down there advocating the legalization of pot?

And what about a seeker who happens to find these forums? Will reading this thread help that person discover who Christ really is? Who knows? If the seeker is turned off by Christians who seem hell bent on ruining everyone's fun, then maybe this thread will be a breath of fresh air, and not just blowing smoke.

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Not all those who wander are lost.

....remember this point the next time some politician spouts off about being "tough on crime".

There is much hostility that arises when discussing this issue. It is real easy to divide people when discussing this subject. There are passionate feelings on both sides of the issue.

I believe there is a mission field in pot culture. And it's not so much pot culture as it is postmodernism. I could see a person entering the mission field right here in America, say maybe the Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco, or the North Coast of California.

On the other note, I know some missionaries in Mexico. They don't drive home anymore, they fly, because it's too dangerous. They also feel that the violence is market driven, and that if we changed our drug war policies, they would feel safer driving home.