Does the War on Marijuana Make Sense?

June 30, 2017 T. Arthur Mason Uncategorized

The North Dakota media is making a big deal about “one of the largest seizures of marijuana in state history” being made Tuesday evening during a traffic stop near Berthold. Apparently 122 pounds of the stuff was confiscated– a street value of $600,000.

Please don’t take any of the comments I’m about to make as “anti-law enforcement”. That’s simply not the case. I get it that it’s the law and they were doing their job. You’ll get no argument from me on those points. But must we continue making criminals out of non-violent drug offenders?

In this specific case, three people are facing charges– the driver of the vehicle with the marijuana and two others in a separate vehicle that was allegedly a look-out vehicle. They will now be processed through the legal system. And who pays for that? Yep, taxpayers.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of it. Our prisons are full of non-violent drug offenders. All at the expense of who? Yep, taxpayers. It’s just senseless.

I’m not advocating for drug use. Not at all. On a personal level, I despise the stuff. But let’s be honest, the War on Marijuana is an epic failure. The government can’t stop it. Nor should it. If we’re going to punish people through the legal system, then let’s do it for actual crimes where there’s a victim. Not for some goofball driving down the road with a load of a plant in the back seat.

Shocking to me is that apparently I’m not alone in my feelings. The comments of one Facebook article on this particular case was overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing the stuff. And I agree. Stop wasting our money. If people have a problem, they need help not prison.

Sources:

1. http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2017/06/30/122-pounds-pot-seized-north-dakota-bust/443463001/

2. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154912792302326&id=59909762325

Facebook Comments
About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.