You 're driving home after a long day at work, you look in your review mirror and hear the sirens: a cop is pulling you over. Now you 're sweating because you have 24 grams of weed in the cup holder. The cop begins to search your vehicle; finds the marijuana, and let 's you go. This scenario, is an example of what would happen if drugs were decriminalized in America. Contrary to this, would decriminalizing drugs in America have a negative effect on the nation, or an adverse one? Drug arrests in the United States reached over 1.5 million, in 2014 and 83% of those arrests were for possession alone. This is why many Americans are not opposed to the idea of decriminalizing drugs. With that being said, many Americans also feel as though the process
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Secondly, with more addicts being able to find help, the number of overdose related deaths would also decrease. Lastly, decriminalization would cease all unnecessary drug related arrests. Law enforcement would be able to focus on going after drug suppliers, rather than users. As a result of the 1994 crime bills, many people were arrested for non-violent drug related crimes. The nation can learn from that experience, every time someone was caught with possession, we added to the incarceration rates, which overcrowded our jails, costing our government millions of dollars. The decriminalization of drugs would decrease rates in all these categories, which will be discussed further in this …show more content…
The addiction rate would have dropped and overdose deaths decreasing, that is less for law enforcement to worry about. Drug arrests over the past 10 years have been 80% possession and 20% sale. The people previously imprisoned for possession would be released from prison and that 80% arrest rate is going to decrease. Todays society is a prime example of why we should not incarcerate, simply for possession of drugs. We are 21 years away from when the crime bill of 1994 was passed, and Americans have lost all that time because of carrying drugs on them at the wrong time and in the wrong place. Releasing all of those prisoners and having law enforcement focus on other tasks would also save and free up a lot of the governments money. The crackdown on drug dealers and other important issues will now be a much bigger concern to the government. With all of the money being saved they could also put that money towards rehabilitation centers, as well as other government funded projects to help rebuild communities greatly impacted by drugs. Many people may argue the fact that the decriminalization of drugs will lead to children obtaining hard drugs easily. The drugs will always be obtainable because there will always be a demand for them, but with less addicts and less users they would be a lesser influence on children
Secondly, with more addicts being able to find help, the number of overdose related deaths would also decrease. Lastly, decriminalization would cease all unnecessary drug related arrests. Law enforcement would be able to focus on going after drug suppliers, rather than users. As a result of the 1994 crime bills, many people were arrested for non-violent drug related crimes. The nation can learn from that experience, every time someone was caught with possession, we added to the incarceration rates, which overcrowded our jails, costing our government millions of dollars. The decriminalization of drugs would decrease rates in all these categories, which will be discussed further in this …show more content…
The addiction rate would have dropped and overdose deaths decreasing, that is less for law enforcement to worry about. Drug arrests over the past 10 years have been 80% possession and 20% sale. The people previously imprisoned for possession would be released from prison and that 80% arrest rate is going to decrease. Todays society is a prime example of why we should not incarcerate, simply for possession of drugs. We are 21 years away from when the crime bill of 1994 was passed, and Americans have lost all that time because of carrying drugs on them at the wrong time and in the wrong place. Releasing all of those prisoners and having law enforcement focus on other tasks would also save and free up a lot of the governments money. The crackdown on drug dealers and other important issues will now be a much bigger concern to the government. With all of the money being saved they could also put that money towards rehabilitation centers, as well as other government funded projects to help rebuild communities greatly impacted by drugs. Many people may argue the fact that the decriminalization of drugs will lead to children obtaining hard drugs easily. The drugs will always be obtainable because there will always be a demand for them, but with less addicts and less users they would be a lesser influence on children