The best thing about Dr. Ron Paul is that you can follow his career and at every step of the way the message he supports is consistent. He first ran for President as the Libertarian candidate in 1988 running on the same issues, saying the same things, he was just thirty years ahead of his time. As part of the ongoing examination of the key issues on which Dr Paul is running it's time to look at some of his more radical interpretations of what liberty is.1988: Drug addiction is an illness, not a crime.
Doctors are a protected industry.
2008: Freedom of choice
2012: Do you need the government to stop you from taking heroin?
If it were legalized today would you take it?
Prisons are flooded with drugs, if we cannot keep drugs out of prisons how can you keep drugs out of society? 70% of prisoners at HMP La Moye are drug addicts or runners, maintained at a cost of £45,000 per year.
I undertook a survey at the last election which showed that 53% of people in Jersey were in favour of de-criminalising cannabis. When Jerry Dorey did a report for shadow scrutiny the matter was not even discussed in the States, why is it that they will not allow the debate to take place? What is it that they are afraid of?
Cannabis grown in Jersey greenhouses could bring some much needed financial assistance to the Jersey farmers, a cash crop which would attract visitors to our island and go a long way towards rebuilding our economy and standard of living. Is that not worth losing a few jobs from the police and the prison service?
Would the safety of drug users not be enhanced from the controlled supply and quality of narcotics rather than people taking risks by purchasing whatever from a street corner?
Personally I would not be interested in taking it myself, I do not think that it is beneficial, but I do not think that alcohol is either. If governments are not allowed to interrupt our freedom of thought, then why can they prevent us from an action which does not cause harm to another person's body or property.
