GRAPHIC: Mexico’s Acapulco Rocked by Cartel Beheadings and Shootings

GRAPHIC: Mexico’s Acapulco Rocked by Cartel Beheadings and Shootings

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22 Nov 2016

Cartel members tortured and beheaded nine men whose bodies were later dumped on the side of the road in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Separately, two off-duty Mexican marines were shot and killed with eight others in the resort town of Acapulco.

According to information released by the Guerrero State Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia del Estado) the bodies of the nine men were discovered on Sunday afternoon along a road leading to the town of Tixtla, about 100 kilometers north of the famous beach resort area of Acapulco.

The nine bodies exhibited obvious signs of torture with the severed remains placed partially inside burlap bags. The bodies also had a cartel banner nearby, though the message was not made public. According to state officials, the violence in the area is tied to rival drug trafficking gangs who have been fighting for control of lucrative drug distribution routes.

http://media.breitbart.com/media/201...-Violence-.jpg

Also over the weekend, two Mexican marines who were among 10 victims gunned down in or near Acapulco, a once calm beach resort area that has become a battleground for cartel factions. The two marines had been assigned to the local military station and were both 27 years old.

As Breitbart Texas has previously reported, Guerrero is the same Mexican state where 43 education students form the rural community of Ayotzinapa were kidnapped by police officers and then turned over to cartel members, who apparently murdered and incinerated them in an open air pit near the municipal dumpster in Cocula.

The official explanation of events that has been pushed by the Mexican government has been dis-proven by various experts, leading to multiple accusations of a cover-up. The case has drawn international attention as the parents and relatives of the missing 43 students continue to travel throughout Mexico and the U.S., pressuring the Mexican government for answers.

http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/...n-resort-area/

Such a shame. Please Trump Administration, end the war on drugs in the US so we can shut these cartels down all over the world.

Yeah, too bad. We are still sending YOUR people back.

Better get your game plan on.

Yep, get ready, because it will happen fast.

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Originally Posted by Judy

Such a shame. Please Trump Administration, end the war on drugs in the US so we can shut these cartels down all over the world.

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You're sadly mistaken if you honestly believe the legalization of drugs in the United States will shut the drug cartels down. Legalizing drugs in the United States would not undercut the cartels business because the price, federal and state tax included, would be cost prohibitive for many users. What legalizing the drugs will do is create more users, which will have a host of consequences, and make the drugs even more accessible to our children. That's not what our country needs. Heck, I was just reading an article the other day about the increases in traffic deaths in Colorado since marijuana became legal. That's only one of several of the negative consequences associated with such an idiot law. That may not seem very important to some people, but it is certainly important to those that lose a loved one.

I'm sorry, MW, but you don't know what you're talking about.

I think their are more problems in Colorado with legalizing pot. They saw big dollar signs in Taxes collected but there is the unintended consequences that the Tax Payers will foot the bill for that outweigh the benefit.

More homeless, ER, more police, more crime, more OD'ing, public nuisance, more car accidents, people going to work stoned, robbery of the pot stores and the cash, younger kids having access. The list is long.

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Originally Posted by Judy

I'm sorry, MW, but you don't know what you're talking about.

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Actually I do and a minimum amount of research would bare that out. You can't just fling these non-reality based opinions out there and not expect to be called on them. Just saying ........

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Originally Posted by MW

You're sadly mistaken if you honestly believe the legalization of drugs in the United States will shut the drug cartels down. Legalizing drugs in the United States would not undercut the cartels business because the price, federal and state tax included, would be cost prohibitive for many users. What legalizing the drugs will do is create more users, which will have a host of consequences, and make the drugs even more accessible to our children. That's not what our country needs. Heck, I was just reading an article the other day about the increases in traffic deaths in Colorado since marijuana became legal. That's only one of several of the negative consequences associated with such an idiot law. That may not seem very important to some people, but it is certainly important to those that lose a loved one.

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It is not necessary to legalize drugs to shut down the cartels. Decriminalization would do the job. For example, it is not necessary to legalize marijuana in order to cripple its black market. In all cases the most damaging to the cartels is to remove jail time for users and low level distributors. The reason that commercialization is happening for marijuana is because of the quack medical marijuana movement that the "Conservatives" seemed completely defenseless against. Even now the number of states allowing "medical" marijuana have increased along with states allowing commercialization.

Removing jail time cuts off users and low level distributors from the power and influence of organized crime. It also decreases the risk associated with its distribution which brings the price down and makes it less profitable. It also undermines the subculture that sells drug use as an exotic pleasure, instead of being an idle vice and a risk to one's health.

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Originally Posted by MW

Actually I do and a minimum amount of research would bare that out. You can't just fling these non-reality based opinions out there and not expect to be called on them. Just saying ........

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Everyone who knows anything about this knows that the price of drugs will go down under a legalized/regulated recreational drug program. But if you want to cling to the falsehoods that created this disaster to begin with, that's up to you, just don't expect it to go unchallenged. The negative results of what you think are in plain sight in every stretch of this country. The federal government's War on Drugs has failed and needs to be canceled and replaced with a legalized/regulated domestic only recreational drug trade.

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Originally Posted by Judy

Everyone who knows anything about this knows that the price of drugs will go down under a legalized/regulated recreational drug program. But if you want to cling to the falsehoods that created this disaster to begin with, that's up to you, just don't expect it to go unchallenged. The negative results of what you think are in plain sight in every stretch of this country. The federal government's War on Drugs has failed and needs to be canceled and replaced with a legalized/regulated domestic only recreational drug trade.

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Even if the price were to go down, that doesn't mean the drug cartels are going to go away or that the cartels still won't be able to undercut a legal market. Besides that, marijuana is not the only thing the cartels deal in. They are a diversified group. They also deal in heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and opium among other things. Should we just go ahead and legalize all of those drugs too? Your argument is completely ignorant of the social cost our country, children, and future generations of Americans would suffer. Please don't even attempt to argue that these drugs are harmless and don't destroy lives.

With Sen. Sessions assuming the role of AG, supporters of legalizing the drug trade should be concerned. Heck, I think the greedy governments profiting from the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, California, and Washington State should get concerned too.

Just because something isn't working doesn't mean you just throw up your hands and give in, especially when there is so much at stake.

The rules of economics apply to all recreational drugs. Based on historical fact, when something is legal, the black market goes away, due to lack of customers.

When something isn't working you stop doing it and do something else that will work The first anti-drug laws were passed in 1913. This is 103 years later of the War on Drugs. Sales have not decreased, they've risen with the population. Addiction was 2% of the population in 1913, it's still just 2%. So there has been no positive progress at all of any kind. What has progressed are the negatives, crime, gangs, violence, illegal immigration, incarcerations, and losing our money supply, $300 billion a year. The cost of enforcement at all levels arresting 1.5 million Americans are year for non-violent drug offenses, resulting in enormous incarceration costs and ruined lives, broken families, with no offsetting benefit, is a drain of resources without a purpose.

I've never used drugs, they never appealed to me, and years ago I thought some aspects of the laws were okay, but then I researched and observed and know for a fact it was wrong all along and the War on Drugs needs to be repealed and replaced with a legal but regulated system.

Most people who are opposed to ending the War on Drugs believe it somehow protects their kids. It doesn't. It actually puts them more at risk. It's time to end the War on Drugs and legalize, regulate, tax it and use some of the taxes only drug users pay to better educate on the risks and consequences of using drugs and provide free rehab on demand without stigma for anyone who wants or needs it. It also needs to be a domestic only enterprise, no exports or imports, and run A to Z by licensed US Citizens Only and US based companies owned and operated by US Citizens Only.

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The rules of economics apply to all recreational drugs. Based on historical fact, when something is legal, the black market goes away, due to lack of customers.

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The cartels have operations outside of drug manufacturing and distribution. Their other operations include kidnapping, extortion, prostitution, human smuggling, etc.. As I explained earlier, they are a diversified group. So simply legalizing drugs is not going to make them go away. Besides that, are you actually suggesting we should legalize all drugs that are currently illegal? Honestly, I don't think I've ever heard of anything so ridiculous. That's just silly and their is no argument that would defend such an action.

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When something isn't working you stop doing it and do something else that will work

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Not necessarily. You can make some tweaks, but that doesn't mean you have to abandon the plan all together. Furthermore, just legalizing all mind altering drugs for general population use may help to alleviate some problems, but he brings on a whole lot of other problems. So please don't fool yourself into believing your suggestion is a win-win proposition.

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Most people who are opposed to ending the War on Drugs believe it somehow protects their kids. It doesn't. It actually puts them more at risk.

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That is only conjecture and it doesn't work for me. Legalizing drugs that are currently illegal will, without doubt, make them more accessible to our children. Moreover, it will also create more users.

I already know it's a win-win proposition because the existing War on Drugs is a LOSER-LOSER-LOSER deal all the way around for the United States and the American People. Most Americans realize that now and as more information is out about it, more and more will see that as well. The War on Drugs is like Prohibition of alcohol and adultery and sodomy laws and speed limits. Fail, Fail, Fail, Fail. Whenever you try to criminalize human behavior to change it, you're going to fail.

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Originally Posted by Judy

I already know it's a win-win proposition because the existing War on Drugs is a LOSER-LOSER-LOSER deal all the way around for the United States and the American People. Most Americans realize that now and as more information is out about it, more and more will see that as well. The War on Drugs is like Prohibition of alcohol and adultery and sodomy laws and speed limits. Fail, Fail, Fail, Fail. Whenever you try to criminalize human behavior to change it, you're going to fail.

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Perhaps the polls (if you can trust them) do show that a majority of folks support legalizing marijuana, but there is little to no support from non-users for legalizing the so-called harder drugs. So, even if you do get your wish on the legalization of marijuana, the war on drugs will continue because marijuana is only part of it.

Hmm, so you support eliminating speed limits too? Such a move would be a disaster and the loss of innocent human life would be huge. The longer our conversation goes on, the more I see a pattern that shows a lack of respect for human life. I realize individual rights are important, however, laws are necessary to protect the innocent. Speeding and the consumption of mind altering drugs not only affect the user, they also pose a substantial risk to the innocent. I may be wrong, but based on what you said about speed limits, I'm also going to assume you don't support the legal requirements for seat belts and child seats for toddlers. If I'm wrong, I'll go ahead and apologize in advance.

We'll see what happens. When the issue gets to the forefront, I think people will realize that the War on Drugs has ruined far more lives than it saved and the movement to legalize and regulate is by people who actually cherish human life complete with its freedom and dignity enough to say no to these laws that are arresting and incarcerating 1.5 million Americans a year for non-violent drug offenses.

I don't oppose speed limits, my point was that speed limits don't keep people from speeding.

The whole problem legal or illegal is addiction. Some people are more prone to being addicted then others. Having an addictive nature can make marijuana a gateway to harder drugs.

I remember in the 80's a lot of engineers in the hi-tech industry were getting stoned in the parking lots at work, then that led to everyone doing cocaine. They claimed it helped them create, while actually they became less motivated. I saw elected officials, lawyers, etc. pass drugs around like candy and I saw a lot of these high power people lose everything. It got so bad that companies started requiring drug test. I like everyone resented the drug test. But, I have to say it worked.

I am so afraid that state governments are just looking at all the taxes they can collect.

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Originally Posted by MontereySherry

The whole problem legal or illegal is addiction. Some people are more prone to being addicted then others. Having an addictive nature can make marijuana a gateway to harder drugs.

I remember in the 80's a lot of engineers in the hi-tech industry were getting stoned in the parking lots at work, then that led to everyone doing cocaine. They claimed it helped them create, while actually they became less motivated. I saw elected officials, lawyers, etc. pass drugs around like candy and I saw a lot of these high power people lose everything. It got so bad that companies started requiring drug test. I like everyone resented the drug test. But, I have to say it worked.

I am so afraid that state governments are just looking at all the taxes they can collect.

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Of course it's the money. I never for a minute thought it was anything else. Expanding state revenue is always a high priority for the majority of politicians. unfortunately too many of them allow the dollars signs they conjure up in their mind to take priority and tend to ignore the negative consequences associated with their choices.

Hard-pressed state governors are increasingly turning to the venerable quick fix, the sin tax, to solve their budge problems. Smokers, drinkers and gamblers, the usual cast of politically dispossessed, are always finding themselves in the bull's eye for new taxes.

The United States leads the world in high-tech advancements and always has.

The War on Drugs was in full force in the 1980's.

So far no scientific correlation between drug testing, safety or productivity has been found.

California courts have significantly reduced the ability of employers to require drug tests. Once hired, they can only test if there is reasonable suspicion that you are impaired on the job. Otherwise they are violating the privacy rights of employees in violation of the Constitution of the State of California.

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Smokers, drinkers and gamblers, the usual cast of politically dispossessed, are always finding themselves in the bull's eye for new taxes.

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It's the blame game to pass the cost of something on to someone else. Hillary Clinton wanted SCHIP but not bad enough for the public to pay for it, so she proposed and got the grand idiot GW Bush to go along with it to tax smokers to pay for it so non-smokers wouldn't have to.

Same with drinkers and the DUI crap. Most accidents including fatalities are caused by sober people, yet if you cause an accident or are even involved in one that isn't your fault, you're sent packing to prison for years and the sober ass holes walk away free as a bird.

Good!!!

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Originally Posted by MontereySherry

You are not saying anything I don't know, but that does not change what I saw or experienced.

As to drug testing, you

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Originally Posted by Judy

The United States leads the world in high-tech advancements and always has.

The War on Drugs was in full force in the 1980's.

So far no scientific correlation between drug testing, safety or productivity has been found.

California courts have significantly reduced the ability of employers to require drug tests. Once hired, they can only test if there is reasonable suspicion that you are impaired on the job. Otherwise they are violating the privacy rights of employees in violation of the Constitution of the State of California.

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Judy, regardless of the War on Drugs, I lived in the Silicon Valley and worked in the hi-tech industry. I wittnessed first hand what was happening. I remember quite well when the company I worked for started requiring drug test. The reason we were told in print was that drugs were being sold on campus. If you had worked for the company longer than a year, you were exempt from taking a drug test. If you had worked for them less than a year or if you were a contractor, you had to take a drug test. From that point on new hires were required to take drug test.

I had friends that got caught up in the drug scene and lost their jobs, home and family. Good people that had it all. I have seen young people start out smoking pot to go on to harder drugs. I am not saying everyone does, but enough to concern me at what will happen now that it is legal.

I know the common trend I have noticed in heavy users of marijuana is the lack of motivation and drive. You just watch after enough people are addicted they then will find health issues from smoking pot and will raise taxes to do medical research, just like they have done on cigarettes.

We've all worked with pot smokers and coke users. We know all about it. We know that lives were ruined because of drug testing that cost them their jobs and got them black-listed. That's why they lost everything. If they were fired over drug testing, it wasn't due to lack of performance or productivity. Otherwise, they would just been fired for lack of performance or productivity. But they weren't fired for that because there wasn't a lack of performance or productivity, they were fired over a drug test. Same with alcohol. I know lots of people who are or were coke users. They take coke not to chill out or relax but to speed them up, they work harder and longer. It' why so many highly successful people use the drug, it speeds up the brain, and your metabolism, and reverses the feeling of being tired so they can keep going. Productivity is actually increased, not decreased. They talk a lot and talk fast, have little patience.

Marijuana relaxes you, removes stress, slows you down, chills you out. And some high performing employees need that from somewhere. But cocaine does the complete opposite. It speeds you up up and away.

2% of the population will become addicted to drugs. That's how many there were in 1913 when the first laws against recreational drugs came into being and the addiction rate in the US is still 2%. There's a certain percentage of our population that has the genetic make-up that causes them to become addicted whereas the other 98% doesn't. The War on Drugs hasn't changed a thing in 103 years except ruin millions and millions of lives and families because of drug testing and incarcerations.

It's time to call a spade a spade and end this travesty against our own people out of unwarranted "fears".

Excerpt:

Symptoms of Cocaine addiction


The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Cocaine addictionincludes the 34 symptoms listed below:

• Uncontrollable craving for cocaine
• Obsessive thoughts about cocaine
• Secrecy about cocaine habit
• Excessive amount of money spend on cocaine
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Nausea
• Headache
• Paranoia
• Dilated pupils
• Hallucinations
• Confusion
• Rapid speech
• Excessive energy
• Anxiety
• Runny nose
• Tremors
• Heart problems
• Mood swings
• Collapsed nasal septum
• Unusual selling of private property
• Social isolation
• Poor work performance
• or school performance
• Neglect of family responsibilities
• Neglect of personal hygiene
• Damage to mucous membranes
• Vomiting
• Insomnia
• Cold sweats
• Bleeding from mucous membranes
• Restlessness
• Damage to lungs
• Auditory hallucinations

http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/c/coca...n/symptoms.htm

The thing you are missing about these addiction problems are the ones that depend on criminalization to manifest:

• Uncontrollable craving for cocaine
• Obsessive thoughts about cocaine
• Secrecy about cocaine habit
• Excessive amount of money spend on cocaine
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Nausea
• Headache
• Paranoia
• Dilated pupils
• Hallucinations
• Confusion
• Rapid speech
• Excessive energy
• Anxiety
• Runny nose
• Tremors
• Heart problems
• Mood swings
• Collapsed nasal septum
• Unusual selling of private property
• Social isolation
• Poor work performance or school performance
• Neglect of family responsibilities
• Neglect of personal hygiene
• Damage to mucous membranes
• Vomiting
• Insomnia
• Cold sweats
• Bleeding from mucous membranes
• Restlessness
• Damage to lungs
• Auditory hallucinations

As for the rest, none of them can be treated if the user is afraid of law enforcement. Once trapped in a condition that the user comes to understand, they have no way out except jail time.

And again you neglect that under criminalization you are more likely to encounter distribution because criminalization increases the profits in distributing by organized crime.

And again, the Prohibition of Alcohol is most instructive here. Good laws focus on criminalizing distribution, not simple possession or use. Alcohol was legal before prohibition, but legalization of cocaine is not necessary to decriminalize its simple possession or use. It is only necessary to criminalize its manufacture and distribution for recreational use.

It is already possible to process and distribute cocaine for medical use under a government license. Coca Cola continues to extract cocaine to keep the active ingredients out of the flavoring of its soda pop.

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Originally Posted by MW

Excerpt:

Symptoms of Cocaine addiction


The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Cocaine addictionincludes the 34 symptoms listed below:

• Uncontrollable craving for cocaine
• Obsessive thoughts about cocaine
• Secrecy about cocaine habit
• Excessive amount of money spend on cocaine
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Nausea
• Headache
• Paranoia
• Dilated pupils
• Hallucinations
• Confusion
• Rapid speech
• Excessive energy
• Anxiety
• Runny nose
• Tremors
• Heart problems
• Mood swings
• Collapsed nasal septum
• Unusual selling of private property
• Social isolation
• Poor work performance
• or school performance
• Neglect of family responsibilities
• Neglect of personal hygiene
• Damage to mucous membranes
• Vomiting
• Insomnia
• Cold sweats
• Bleeding from mucous membranes
• Restlessness
• Damage to lungs
• Auditory hallucinations

http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/c/coca...n/symptoms.htm

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Poor performance is NOT true for most coke users. Look around, get out of the house, wake the hell up.

Judy wrote:

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Poor performance is NOT true for most coke users. Look around, get out of the house, wake the hell up.

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Why would you say that to me? As difficult as this may be for you to believe, you don't know everything. If you have a beef with the article, please contact the writer and his researchers to argue your disagreement. Please don't fling your anger at me for providing a linked article that does not agree with you.

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Originally Posted by MW

Judy wrote:



Why would you say that to me? As difficult as this may be for you to believe, you don't know everything. If you have a beef with the article, please contact the writer and his researchers to argue your disagreement. Please don't fling your anger at me for providing a linked article that does not agree with you.

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I wasn't saying that to you. I was responding to the stupid article that included "poor performance" in it when anyone who knows anyone who uses cocaine, knows that isn't true. Cocaine has bad effects on people, but "poor performance" is NOT one of them for most users which is why you see it used most by very successful people.

When these articles distort the truth, they lose all credibility. It's why when I post on legalization, I stress better education for the "real risks and consequences of using drugs" before they're allowed to purchase. When you lie to drug users, you lose all credibility and whatever accurate information you want to deliver to them is ignored.

Of course I don't know everything, but I know a great deal about the things I post about. I don't prattle about things I don't know anything about.

Judy wrote (excerpt):

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I wasn't saying that to you. I was responding to the stupid article that included "poor performance" in it

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Okay, thanks for clarifying that.

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Originally Posted by MW

Judy wrote (excerpt):



Okay, thanks for clarifying that.

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You're very welcome!

:)

Like coffee, coca, and its extract cocaine are performance "enhancing" drugs. Which is to say they are stimulants. Chocolate is also a stimulant related to the coffee.

Of course cocaine is not typically consumed as a performance enhancing drug, it is consumed for the intoxicating effect. Coca leaf is traditionally chewed as a stimulant.

The down side of performance enhancing drugs is that body is being poisoned to achieve the desired effect and the body is stressed constantly being exposed to the drugs and struggling to purge the body of them. There is also the psychological dependence that wears on the personality, witness those poor souls who cannot seem to start the day without that "cup of Joe".

Cocaine also suffers as a performance enhancing drug by the encroachment of physical addiction because the body's normal chemistry suffers atrophy from suppression or lack or use. Methadrine (speed) also suffers from the same risk, but continues to be made available to military pilots to keep awake in single seat combat aircraft.

Yes, so "poor performance" is simply not a consequence of cocaine use. There are other numerous disadvantages to health and of course the risk of addiction for that 2% from using cocaine, primarily from the good euphoric feeling one gets from it. That's why high-functioning, high-performance and very successful people are the primary users of cocaine. They're also the the ones who can afford it. The poor folks use the "crack-cocaine" which is more dangerous and less desirable, highly addictive, but cheaper version.

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Originally Posted by Judy

Yes, so "poor performance" is simply not a consequence of cocaine use. There are other numerous disadvantages to health and of course the risk of addiction for that 2% from using cocaine, primarily from the good euphoric feeling one gets from it. That's why high-functioning, high-performance and very successful people are the primary users of cocaine. They're also the the ones who can afford it. The poor folks use the "crack-cocaine" which is more dangerous and less desirable, highly addictive, but cheaper version.

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We should also note that it is also possible to overdose on cocaine. MW neglected to list "death" as one of the possible complications from using cocaine. It is a dangerous drug.

And as far as the human body is concerned, there is no difference between the cocaine that is snorted as a powder and the cocaine that is smoked as crack. The only reason that crack became such a plague in impoverished communities is because it didn't need a fussy environment for its consumption.

Typically, powdered cocaine is consumed by snorting up lines laid out on a surface somewhere. Crack can be smoked anywhere on the fly, in the back of a car, standing in an alleyway, in a bathroom stall. It is also easier to package and distribute in smaller doses, making it cheaper.

The difference between getting it into the bloodstream by exposing the powder to the nasal septum and exposing its vapor to the lungs is subtle but not as important in its risks.

The difference between the way the two are prosecuted is strictly political, some would say racist. That's one of the things that should change right away in shutting down the Drug War.

Yes, cocaine is definitely dangerous. And people need the true facts on that so they know in advance. That's why I think legalization with regulation, education, taxation and rehabilitation all paid for by drug users is the best way to deal with this activity and business. For example, when you legalize and shut down the cartels at least from operating in the US, establish the regulations for the businesses, which would all be domestic only, no imports no exports, run A to Z by licensed US CITIZENS ONLY, and set up your stores, you can require they have a card that's issued after they watch a film in an education room, read the pamphlets, and then they get a card. When they make the purchase, each purchase has an information document attached to it, just like when you buy pharmaceuticals, with all the details and risks about that particular drug or drugs they purchased.

Each sale is measured against the regulations that control the quantity sold at any one time. Each item would be produced according to producer's regulations that control the quality of the drug to make them as safe as possible. Growers would also be regulated for the same reasons. But like selling knives or guns, this is no guarantee of safety or that using them won't cause you harm. But at least the public before they purchase will at least have read the pamphlets and watched a film, a real film with real information, not scare tactics or morality crap, but actual truthful information about the real risks and consequences to health of using the various drugs and I think this will make a big difference for first-time users and limited users. If you exaggerate or lie, you'll lose all credibility, so it must be honest, straight-forward and truthful. Then have plenty of information available about rehab, telephone numbers, locations of facilities, 911 assistance if needed to get to a rehab facility, as well as information for people about signs that you need rehab, indicators of when you're in too deep, have gone too far, and need help right away, and be sure to let them know that it's free, paid for with part of the FairTaxes they pay for the drugs when they buy them, no stigma, no appointment, available on demand 24/7, privacy fully protected, just walk in and ask for help.

I think if we do these things, we'll actually see a decline in drug use in years to come. I think fewer young people will use them, I think moderate to heavy users will use less, and more will get the help they need to help combat addiction. We'll also see a virtual elimination of the illegal market, an end to foreign drug cartels and illegal immigration that's driven by the cartels, we'll see far less crime, incarcerations, ruined lives and broken families.

And to me, that's the best we can do to deal with this issue in a proper manner.

Then, we stop worrying about it and let the new system do its thing.

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Originally Posted by pkskyali

We should also note that it is also possible to overdose on cocaine. MW neglected to list "death" as one of the possible complications from using cocaine. It is a dangerous drug.

And as far as the human body is concerned, there is no difference between the cocaine that is snorted as a powder and the cocaine that is smoked as crack. The only reason that crack became such a plague in impoverished communities is because it didn't need a fussy environment for its consumption.

Typically, powdered cocaine is consumed by snorting up lines laid out on a surface somewhere. Crack can be smoked anywhere on the fly, in the back of a car, standing in an alleyway, in a bathroom stall. It is also easier to package and distribute in smaller doses, making it cheaper.

The difference between getting it into the bloodstream by exposing the powder to the nasal septum and exposing its vapor to the lungs is subtle but not as important in its risks.

The difference between the way the two are prosecuted is strictly political, some would say racist. That's one of the things that should change right away in shutting down the Drug War.

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One danger with cocaine was it's addictive nature. To many it went from a recreation drug to a have to have drug. Cocaine users did not just snort lines. It was very common in public for a person to pass around a small vial (usually had a small spoon in it) with cocaine in it. Very easy to use on the fly and in bathroom stalls.

I believe besides the fear of addiction, people started seeing some of the side effects from cocaine use. The destruction of their sinus cavities and heart attacks. I believe the common fear of all these drugs were what the dealers were using to cut the drugs. I know it was all over the news.

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Originally Posted by MontereySherry

... Cocaine users did not just snort lines. It was very common in public for a person to pass around a small vial (usually had a small spoon in it) with cocaine in it. Very easy to use on the fly and in bathroom stalls.

...

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These small vials and spoons were usually expensive adornments not really comparable to the simplicity of a crack pipe which could be nothing more that a glass or metal tube with a little steel wool of some kind in the end. The more elaborate the paraphernalia, the more incriminating evidence you have on you in case of arrest, another liability in the use of powder over crystal.

One of the things that generate drug use subcultures is the associated paraphernalia. Pipe tobacco is rife with this kind of preoccupation. But marijuana is even worse. Have a look at the magazine High Times, dedicated to the marijuana subculture, replete with endless advertisements for all kinds of smoking apparatus and associated gear. The emerging vaping subculture got its start in vaping marijuana. Growing your own marijuana is another part of the cannabis subculture completely corrupted by gizmos and apparatus. Even now the agricultural outcome of commercial legalization is completely obscured by the obsessive preoccupation with indoor grow operations that are really no longer necessary.