‘Stupid’ NJ lawmakers prefer decriminalization over legalization

I'll state for the upteenth time... I don't smoke weed. I don't like the way it makes me feel and I don't smoke it.

Now, the reason I am for the legalization of it is based on basic principles of liberty and freedom. I don't like seeing peoples' lives being ruined with criminal records or incarceration and the confiscation and destruction of property in this stupid war on drugs.

It's not only been a total failure, but a disaster in its effects on society as a whole. Increased crime, wasted money on policing, prosecuting and incarceration, are just a few of it's negative consequences. Not to mention it's given massive power and money to underground crime syndicates, much like prohibition funded and fueled the mafia during prohibition.

Some lawmakers in New Jersey, nervous about the effects of legalization, are recommending simply decriminalizing weed instead. Some of the senators even using inflammatory racial rhetoric to drive home their point. Shame on all of them.

Firstly for not having the common sense to see that we have to end this destructive, pointless war on drugs and soon. Secondly for some of them stooping to their usual tricks of using the race card to get their way. If we live in a free society and adults want to do something for themselves and to themselves, then the government has no right to stand in their way.

It didn't work with alcohol in the 1920's and it's been far worse for the prohibition of drugs in the last 60 years. It's a health issue, not a legal issue. The phony, stupid argument about it being more available to kids if it's legalized is ass backwards. Not with the black market the easiest place to find weed and other drugs is at school. With legalization the black market eventually dries up. Not so with decriminalization.

And for the people worried that decriminalizing all drugs would result in mass overdoses and deaths, look to Portugal. They've decriminalized all drugs since 2001. The stats are encouraging, according to the Washington Post, while no one is encouraging the use of drugs.

Drugs are here and by prohibiting their use, we've only made the situation worse. It's time to stop playing the politics of fear or race or just total ignorance and deal with this issue in a mature and intelligent way. But here in New Jersey finding mature and intelligent legislators is much harder to find than weed at your kid's high school.

More from New Jersey 101.5:

Dennis & Judi are on the air weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tweet them @DennisandJudi or @NJ1015.