Thread by @TruueDiscipline

I used to be extremely opposed to drug laws/"the war on drugs" but I am coming around. Some reasons why:

I used to think that there were tons of drug users who are rotting away in prison, but only 4% of people in state prisons are drug possession offenders, and of course many of these are pleas down from more serious charges: city-journal.org/article/the-de…

Also, the people in prison for drugs are not rotting away, the median time served before initial release for drugs possession was about a year: bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pd…

As @AnechoicMedia_ has pointed out, people who go to prison for drugs are still pretty likely to reoffend for violent crimes:

It is also worth pointing out that drugs law are not racist and that different racial groups don't use drugs at the same rate: jasonbayz.wordpress.com/2015/11/24/who…

The drug laws that are considered racist now were heavily supported by blacks in the past: wnyc.org/story/312823-b…

Another big line is that "prohibition is ineffective" but it actually was effective as I describe in this thread:

https://twitter.com/TruueDiscipline/status/1561908375448739842

It's funny that drug advocates talk about prohibition, where alcohol was illegal but consumption decriminalized as a failure, but then cite Portugal as a success story when drugs are decriminalized but still illegal.

Another common argument is that drug fueled gangs are massively increasing the homicide rate. But only a small percentage of murders are gang related, and it's silly to assume that these people would be law abiding without gangs.

"The 2008 figure was 6%.[7] This is likely an underestimate, as the circumstances of many murders are unknown. Even assuming, generously, that the measure misses half of gang murders, 88% of murders still have nothing to do with gangs." jasonbayz.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/loc…

Drugs are a huge public health issue, in 2021 more people died from drugs than from guns and cars combined.

https://twitter.com/TruueDiscipline/status/1562245858627727361

Some say that whether or not people use drugs has nothing to do with whether or not it is legal. But it seems clear to me when a drug is legal more people will do it:

https://twitter.com/Data_David1/status/1663284690910838784

Legalizing marijuana in some states hasn't even gotten rid of the black market in CA 70 to 80 percent of weed is grown illegally: rgj.com/story/opinion/…

Also its funny when people simultaneously claim that legalizing will make drugs safer, and that evil corporations like Purdue pharma are responsible for the opioid epidemic. Will corporations make drugs more safe, or are they responsible for the crisis?

Cracking down on pill mills seems to do good things:

https://twitter.com/cremieuxrecueil/status/1664374769540530179

I don't think that people who can use drugs and still maintain productive lives should be punished, but I don't have a problem with putting drugs dealers and addicts in jail.

LMK if you have a different perspective on the data in this thread, I am interested in having my opinion challenged.