NORML’s Paul Armentano wrote a nice opinion piece in the Vallejo (CA) Times-Herald. They had written about the new record 1 in 99.1 Americans in prison figure. The first reply he got back in the comments section claims to be from a narcotics officer. It provides a great illustration of someone in the deepest throes of drug war addiction:

Let me give you a an Narcotics supervisors ideas. First, No money, aid, nothing from the U.S. to countries who allow drug manufacturing. No U.S. travel for it’s citizens to these countries (no tourists). Any country who wants our money and help MUST allow our military (narcotics officers) into it’s country to stop the manufacting of drugs if they cannot do it. This also means stopping the manufacture of drugs in Afganastand unstead of allowing it because it’s the countrys main product.

Next, in the U.S. stop wasting money on telling the kidds No to Drugs as you can see IT JUST DOES NOT WORK. Next, for any tho manufactures or sells drugs first offense 10years. Second offense Life……….3rd offense Life w/o parole. Now this is for a larger quanity. Lastly, for juveniles selling we set up a School/prison where they go for high school and have no one to sell drugs to.

Next, No drugs in prison and any Guard, Attorney, ets who is caught bringing it in gets 25 years…….No time off.

Think about this! Drugs are brought into this country with no problem yet we think small weapons of mass destruction cannot come in easily. How about spending the time, money and energy to sniff out drugs that we have on stopping the terrorists.

I could go on put there are a lot of businesses in America that do not want drugs to go away because it is American big business like oil.

Bob (Logan, IL)

First of all, no aid or tourism to any country that manufactures drugs? Since marijuana grows wild everywhere, does that mean we don’t get to travel anywhere? And then you want to use our military to invade countries that can’t wipe out a weed? Do we even have that much military?

Then you want from ten years to life with no parole for drug offenses. If you think 1 in 99.1 Americans in prison was something, if this gets enacted, it would be about one in ten. Harsher penalties do not equal less drug use. It’s not like someone about to smoke a joint thinks, well, it’s OK, I’ll only go to prison for a year. What, they raised it to ten years? Well, then, no more weed for me. One year would be OK, but ten years is ridiculous!

Finally, no drugs in prison? Excuse me while I get up off the floor from laughing. That’s already the rule and lawyers, guards, etc. who get caught bringing them in already face hard time. And the idea about the prison/school for druggie juveniles - hey, what a splendid idea! Prisons have worked so well to keep adults off of drugs that we should extend that model to our children in school.