Bush never came across to me as a federalist. More like he took  his cues from the Jefferson/Jacksonian rulebook rather than from the Hamiltonian federalist papers!

 

As for the link and video, i hadn't yet clicked on either, but will soon do so and may yet comment on both? 

I've always been a supporter of legalizing marijuana--not because I smoke the crap, but because I want to see it taxed as much as cigarettes.  Hey, Obama wants a way to make some money for the government--here ya go!

 

Use of the weed would go down considerably once it costs something to get, and once the cool factor is gone.  The people I knew in college who smoked it did so because they felt they were getting back at The Man that way.  Honestly, I can handle the mellow stoners more than I can handle the obnoxious drunks.

 

Legalizing and taxing weed will bring in the dough. Liquor is heavily taxed and that it has never hindered me from ordering another round. DUI is DUI whether its booze or weed.

 

And how much money will be saved when weed dealers and stoners are no longer in jail with the murderers, rapists, bank robbers, executives and dealers of truly dangerous drugs like smack? 

 

Just say NO...to ridiculous, outdated socially conservative laws.

Legalize virtually any drug, require substantial warnings, require all imports be subject to strict FDA inspections and regulations. Dissallow advertisements and only allow sales at government regulated stores (like many states do with hard liquors). Allow employers to test any employee at any job and fire them if they're using - union member or not. Allow police to require a test of drivers almost any time if they're acting suspicously - and bill drivers for the test cost if the test is positive (along with fines etc). Impose draconian punishment for DUI's, providing to under age youth, or selling without a license. Control the prices and tax the heck out of it - with the funds given ONLY to pools to be used for drug education and rehab treatment (not dumped into state general funds as was done with tabacco).

 

The "war on drugs" cannot be won without giving up further substantial liberties. Its the one war I truely believe we need to surrender on and take a new approach to solve the problem.

 

Personally I am usually quite against drug use. Just imagine you grew up and were taught how opium did  to your nation and race. Heck I even heard of older people talking about even older people at their times being dope heads.

 

Good luck taxing un-taxable items. How are you going to tax things that you can grow in your basement?

 

I think the alternative is for the government to issue doping rights. People who have doping rights basically sign away their own political rights which bar them from voting and being candidates. It also prohibit them from acquiring and possessing firearms. The great parts of that major is:

 

1. open a new income source for the government.

2. prevent diversion of DEA and LE resources for meaningless drug bust and focus on real bad guys.

3. reduction of inmates by decriminalize non-violence drug possession.

4. prevent mentally-ill, chronic drug abusers to run for office.

 

BTW, people who hold dope rights should also be barred from bar.

   I rather liked all your ideas, but as for the above comment - let people grow it in their basement. Only punish them if they sell it to others.

I would think laws applying to moonshiners could equally apply to marijuana growers.  Don't give them jail time--fine the hell out of them.  I personally know some guys who have no problem serving 30 days in the clink, but the idea of being fined $5000 scares the hell out of them.  In jail you get three hots and a cot, as the saying goes, but that fine cuts into not only your weed and booze budget, but also your food and rent budget.

 

I don't agree with legalizing all drugs.  Cocaine, heroin, mean hard stuff like that shouldn't be legalized--the penalties should be made more harsh.  I tend to be a bit draconian with drug pushers--if convicted, they should be put to death.  Drug users deserve a chance to get clean.  The pushers are making money off of other people's sorrow.  (I see the hypocrisy in this--by that standard, I'm implying that bartenders should be killed--but I think it's different with alcohol.  A beer or two won't hurt you, and wine in small amounts is good for you.  Crack in small amounts will kill you just as quickly as it would in large ones.)