> BTW, anyone who believes that drugs are a "victimless crime" should live in
> Baltimore for a while, the murder capital of the US (or close to it). We
> have on average one murder per day, almost of all of it is drug related (bad
> deals, debt enforcement, turf encroachments, etc.)
If I grow weed in my basement and smoke occasionally (or even every day) at home it hurts no one. If caught not only will I go to prison but my SO will be left homeless since the state will sieze my home and sell it. Probably to a real estate speculator How is this not a victimless crime? How is justice served? How is society made better or safer? Where is there any harm reduction?
The category "drug cimess" may or may not include victimless crimes. It depends on circumstances. I know more than one person who got into trouble for exactly the scenario I spelled out above so don't tell me how uncommon it is. The reality is no one knows and most people who do grow even a bit sell to their friends.
Those deaths you mention are no more drug related than they are poverty related or prohibition related. I'm pretty sure you are not a big fan of terrible poverty but I'm not sure about prohibition.
John Thornton