Quote:
Originally Posted by hendeeze
The alternative to legalization is putting more non-violent offenders in our jails. Not only further burdening our state budget, but also mixing recreational non violent offenders with hardened criminals. Forget tax benefits, what benefit does a non-violent user get when he is thrust in jail with murders /pedophiles/ rapists? Do you want to willingly surround someone who has socially been deemed as someone who made "poor" choices, with others who have made "undeniably wrong" choices and expect a positive outcome?
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Would you be tempted to break the law so eagerly after being raped in the ass for a few months? If laws were more stringent less people would gamble with their civil liberties. Compare statistics for home invasions per capita in texas with home invasion in illinois. Do you know what accounts for the difference? In illinois if a crook slips in your kitchen and lands on a sharp object you can be sued. In texas if a homeowner blows out a theives brains on the front porch he's a hero. See a difference in the amount of occurances vs. severity of repercussions?
Point being if drug related convictions posed more serious consequences all along people wouldn't be as tempted to do it. I've seen people get away with a slap on the wrist for simultaneous dui/open container/speeding/wreckless driving/ public endangerment/ possession off sub./ possesion of paraphanilia.