(06-25-2021, 12:09 PM)JaguarKick Wrote: Here's the thing: When we jail people for drug offenses, we aren't addressing any issues.  That family still loses a mother or father and still has their life ruined.

I have a great many addicts in my family.  My cousin and uncle have both done time and lose their kids due to heroin and meth, and they just do more heroin and meth.  My older sister spent over a decade addicted to meth, but got clean because she worked her [BLEEP] off and didn't want to lose her kid.

The point is, you can't legally mandate that people don't mess up their lives.  You go on and on about victimless crimes, but drugs are illegal and people...still do them.  At the very least, weed should 100% be legal as it's substantially less dangerous than alcohol.  It's ludicrous that people are serving jail time for it.

Jail time for first time offenses is not what they need. They need to get clean, get some job training or the necessary support for whatever it is they were lacking that put them in that position in the first place. Second offenses, maybe more support and likely some jail time. Third offense, you're going to jail period. 

People definitely can't always see where their choices lead them. Logic says we says should be able to but not everyone is raised in an environment where logic exists. Or even common sense. 

Our individual choices have a far greater impact than what we can think, see or hear. I used to think what I did affected no one but myself. Time, experience and age has shown me that is just not true.

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