Decriminalization-plank

==Drug Legalization==
The criminalization of certain drugs has been a costly, wasteful, and unnecessary distraction. Some recreational drugs, if regulated by the FDA, and sold under restricted conditions, would lead to less crime, less abuse, and would contribute an additional source of tax revenue.
* I am open to drug legalization discussions.
* I want to end the war on drugs by giving better challenges to our young people.
* I want to stop wasting (scarce) law enforcement resources on the failed war on drugs. 
* I love the stance put forth by Howard Wooddridge with LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
==Eliminate frivolous criminalization of victimless crimes. ==
* Allow people to put a handbill on a telephone poll without the fear of a $300 fine.
:* Poster: "I lost my cat. Reward" Comes with a city fine of $300.
==Empty prisons of victimless criminals.==
* Don't put pot smokers in jail as it costs $35,000 a year for prison. Pot smokers are 1.4% of the prison population. Add in the other nonviolent drug offenders saves $200 million a year in Pennsylvania.
: If it's not hurting anybody then who cares? We don't need a law for it.
== Pot==
* I don't smoke anything. Never did. Won't. I like clean air for my lungs. And I hope my children never do either. I'll work hard to make sure our kids and your children don't do drugs. But, I'm sure many of my friends and some of my kid's friends are okay with smoking weed and some may be doing drugs, of many different flavors. These people vote, work, care about neighborhoods, and I aim to reach out to all. I believe that you have a right to live your life, your way.
* I don't think that pot smokers should be kept in prison at $30,000 a year.
* Some people use drugs and pot for medical reasons. This should be permitted. 
* Responsible marijuana users belong in our communities, not in our prisons.
* I'll try to put a stop to the practice of locking up pot smokers who haven't hurt anyone so we can shift the focus to the real dangers that we are facing today. 
* I'll work to keep violent criminals locked up.
== War On Drugs ==
We ended the war in Vietnam when we realized it was a no win, morally wrong war. We ended alcohol prohibition, the war on alcohol, when we realized it was a no win, morally wrong war. The war on drugs is a no win, morally wrong war.
Could you see yourself walking up to a policeman saying, "Excuse me, I'm addicted to heroin. Would you help?" They're gonna lock you up!
* I want to take away the criminal stigma. We've made addiction a criminal problem. We've clogged our courts, our prisons, our criminal justice system. Nonviolent drug offenders definitely have a problem, but they are not criminals. They can best be helped outside of the criminal justice system, by eliminating that criminal stigma. We need more church, more community organizations coming to the fore.
==Alcohol==
* Underage drinking happens all the time, now, in district 3, and elsewhere.
* Perhaps we should lower the drinking age to a level that reflects the realities of our society. 
* Perhaps we should allow the sale of beer to 19 year olds. When I was a college student in Ohio, the sale of 3/2 beer was then legal. 
==Links==
* Decriminalization
* Gambling
category: Platform_Planks_from_Mark_Rauterkus category: Justice