If only there were some way for the government to control the market for drugs.

Marcus Aurelius: If only there were some way for the government to control the market for drugs.

No kidding.

LEGALIZE THE STUFF AND REGULATE IT!

Prohibition doesn't work and costs way too much. I'm amazed that this hasn't become obvious by now.

If the manufacture and distribution of toilet paper was illegal, guess what would be sold in alleys at night ;)

SpinStopper

guess what would be sold in alleys at night

Plus we'd have people getting shot just for squeezing the Charmin.

SpinStopper: If the manufacture and distribution of toilet paper was illegal, guess what would be sold in alleys at night ;)

Are you comparing the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine to the manufacture and distribution of Charmin?

Pocket Ninja: Are you comparing the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine to the manufacture and distribution of Charmin?

Abuse either one and your ass is likely to hurt.

Pocket Ninja: Are you comparing the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine to the manufacture and distribution of Charmin?

Not at all.

Charmin is a LOT more difficult to make ;)

SpinStopper: Not at all.

Charmin is a LOT more difficult to make ;)

OK then. Just wanted to be sure.

Hang on... the botanist is allergic.

This would have been ideal for a fark-certified, fully-retarded use of the ironic tag!

Marcus Aurelius: If only there were some way for the government to control the market for drugs.

Yes, by shooting drug dealers in the back of the head. Problem solved.

Another residual effect of the drawer on wugs.

that's right, legalization will fix everything! Those drug smugglers and dealers will be glad to pay taxes.

But she's only kind of allergic...?

Personally, I don't like guns on my forehead, but it doesn't cause any histamine-based allergic reaction. It just pisses me off.

/botanist should take a benadryl
//just allergies, right?

Strange tag?

WTF is strange about the crime resulting from prohibition?

randomjsa

Yes, by shooting drug dealers in the back of the head. Problem solved.

Your stupid ass had better be headed to the corner store to execute the guy behind the counter.

I hear some people get addicted to alcohol, and ruin their lives.

randomjsa: Marcus Aurelius: If only there were some way for the government to control the market for drugs.

Yes, by shooting drug dealers in the back of the head. Problem solved.

Opium wasn't stamped out in China until the Communists started publicly shooting opium dealers, their wives and their children in the back of the head. Opium kinda petered out after that. To be fair though a lot of things petered out once the Communists took over China.

Drug dealers are just people who sell drugs.

http://www.drugs.com/manufacturers.html

Are there really people who don't understand the difference between PCP and Claritin?

Arm the botanists!

Now there's a movie right there.

If only they could radio in to report the smugglers and the DEA/ATF show up promptly.

SpinStopper: Prohibition doesn't work and costs way too much. I'm amazed that this hasn't become obvious by now.

And yet its such an easy way to suck tax dollars out and control the population. I wonder why they haven't changed the laws?

Spongiform: If only they could radio in to report the smugglers and the DEA/ATF show up promptly.

Then the next time the word would be out to shoot the plant guys immediately.

RA: So the question whether jaguars are rebounding in the United States, or simply walking over from Mexico, cannot be answered.

Illegal jaguars??? Uh oh. Does Tom Tancredo know about this?

So a biologist can watch drug smugglers travel through the desert with her night-vision goggles but our law enforcement officers can't do anything about it?

/Biologists FTW!

doodler: that's right, legalization will fix everything! Those drug smugglers and dealers will be glad to pay taxes.

Who said anything about taxes?

Besides, how many people get shot dodging cigarette taxes?

Grow. Your. Own.

Unknown_Poltroon: And yet its such an easy way to suck tax dollars out and control the population. I wonder why they haven't changed the laws?

Why? Because there's far too much money to be made seizing drug dealer's assets and far too many elections being won by people who are "tough on drugs" and "support the war on drugs".

I'm amazed that America can't (or won't?) police its border with Mexico effectively. When a friggin botanist runs into heavily-armed criminals all the time and has to take steps to avoid them, they should not be able to evade the police/army/border guards. Why not just flood the border area with troops and turn it into a massive training ground? It will make good desert training for Iraq/Afghanistan and it will be a live-fire exercise. Or maybe... the corporations who bankroll the politicians like having cheap, hard-working, non-striking illegal workers. As for the drugs, who cares? More hapless addicts to feed the highly-profitable privatised prison industry (current prison population 2.5 million and counting).

I guess I'm confused. I thought part of the taxes I pay go to a military that is supposed to protect me from foreign invasion. If random scientists can find these bad guys without even trying, why aren't the Marines out there kicking their asses?

DarthBart: Unknown_Poltroon: And yet its such an easy way to suck tax dollars out and control the population. I wonder why they haven't changed the laws?

Why? Because there's far too much money to be made seizing drug dealer's assets and far too many elections being won by people who are "tough on drugs" and "support the war on drugs".

And far too many politicians that get kickbacks to keep it illegal. 10K in the pocket and continued re-election is powerful stuff.

Marcus Aurelius: If only there were some way for the government to control the market for drugsflow of illegal traffic coming into the country

FTFY

Pistils are part and parcel of the profession.

Marcus Aurelius: SpinStopper

guess what would be sold in alleys at night

Plus we'd have people getting shot just for squeezing the Charmin.

LOL'd

Malinki: Grow. Your. Own.

Yeah, but then you'll have a flock of scientists traipsing about the place hassling your Jaguar.

/leave my XK alone!

I smoked marijuana once and never really cared for it. I didn't feel anything but I sure could have used a 40lb. bag of Oreo's.

doodler: that's right, legalization will fix everything! Those drug smugglers and dealers will be glad to pay taxes.

They won't have to worry about taxes because their customers will be able to go down to the corner store for their products. But go on thiking that somehow people will choose to buy from a dangerous person rather than buy from a store.

Lord Summerisle: Why not just flood the border area with troops and turn it into a massive training ground?

Are you serious? A 2,000 mile training ground? We'll need to let in more Mexicans if want to create an army that large. Either that or open a Hatcheries and Conditioning Centre and start cloning.

Tweeker: doodler: that's right, legalization will fix everything! Those drug smugglers and dealers will be glad to pay taxes.

Who said anything about taxes?

Besides, how many people get shot dodging cigarette taxes?

It's a big mafia thing (black market cigaretts). Think about how much the price on a carton of smokes is just taxes. Step (1) steal a truckload of cigs. Step (2) sell at or slightly below market price. Step (3) WINDFALL profit.

The only thing I find strange about this article is that there are jaguars in Arizona. I had no idea.

stirfrybry

But go on thiking that somehow people will choose to buy from a dangerous person rather than buy from a store.


While he does that, can you explain to me how the "legal" vendors paying taxes and providing quality control are going to be able to price themselves competitively against the black market vendors, or why poor junkies (which is to say, after enough time, most drug users) aren't going to go with the cheaper source, regardless of quality?

martid4: I smoked marijuana once and never really cared for it. I didn't feel anything but I sure could have used a 40lb. bag of Oreo's.

Doesn't do much the first time for a lot of people. Don't know why. Same thing happened to me. Second time, now THAT was fun :)

doodler: that's right, legalization will fix everything! Those drug smugglers and dealers will be glad to pay taxes.

Sarcasm aside, you ever think that the people selling drugs are the ones who want to keep them illegal?

Keeps the profits high....no pun intended. If Americans were allowed to use and produce their own, a lot of money (billions +) would stay in the country and make OUR economy vital.

Gangs, terrorist....they all use drug profits to fuel their efforts. Abolish prohibition, and it would solve so many problems.

SherKhan: Pistils are part and parcel of the profession.

Violence is not the anther.

noneoftheabove:
While he does that, can you explain to me how the "legal" vendors paying taxes and providing quality control are going to be able to price themselves competitively against the black market vendors, or why poor junkies (which is to say, after enough time, most drug users) aren't going to go with the cheaper source, regardless of quality?

There's a big market in locally-produced quality. I've seen commercial import grades going for $180-$200 per oz, and the same guy had $400 per oz local stuff. The latter went like gangbusters with people clamoring for more. Broken down, it's going for $60 per eighth and flying off the shelves.

treecologist: SherKhan: Pistils are part and parcel of the profession.

Violence is not the anther.

You're leafing me in stitches :)

noneoftheabove:

While he does that, can you explain to me how the "legal" vendors paying taxes and providing quality control are going to be able to price themselves competitively against the black market vendors, or why poor junkies (which is to say, after enough time, most drug users) aren't going to go with the cheaper source, regardless of quality?

Yep, and go to the safer source also. Nothing like shooting rat poison with a hint of whatever.

Malinki: treecologist: SherKhan: Pistils are part and parcel of the profession.

Violence is not the anther.

You're leafing me in stitches :)

We have a budding comedian here....

Malinki: treecologist: SherKhan: Pistils are part and parcel of the profession.

Violence is not the anther.

You're leafing me in stitches :)

I like your style! Or maybe it's just a filament of my imagination...

Malinki

That's weed, and those rules do not apply to cocaine, meth, or any of the other addictive substances. Weed isn't addictive. You get high because you want to, so you have the ability to look for quality. Addicts don't have that luxury.

If you guys said "legalize weed" I'd have kept my mouth shut - I don't get high, but I really don't see the point in keeping it illegal. But there's a BIG difference between a weed head and a strung out heroin junkie, and pretending like there's not is foolish.

But whatever you do, don't let this challenge your view of what should be done at the border. Please continue to hold tight to your beliefs that people who think the US needs to take border security seriously are just mean racist poopy-heads with a phobia of all things Mexican.

Seriously. Because if you don't, lettuce might cost like ten cents a head more.

generic user

Your post was unclear, so maybe I missed your point, but if you're suggesting that no one's going to go to the street dealer because the quality isn't as good, or it's potentially dangerous, then something tells me only one of us has any firsthand knowledge of street drugs.

They call them "junkies" for a reason.