Why are some drugs illegal in the US and other nations? Because the majority of countries on the planet signed a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_Against_Illicit_Traffic_in_Narcotic_Drugs_and_Psychotropic_Substances"target_“blank”>treaty. The constitution requires Congress to ratify and incorporate treaties into domestic law.
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International treaties cannot over ride Constitutional basis. The power isn’t defined to the Federal government in our Constitution.
Those treaties were mostly pushed by us and our immoral drug war and prohibition. The ills of drugs are no joke and the desire to keep them out of society is understood. Yet the prohibition and outlawing of them has only served to compound the negative effects they have on users and by standers. The laws and drug war have hurt us all more than the drug use itself has. It also robs people of owning their own minds and bodies.
The only benefit to drug prohibition has been to the industrial prison complex and the agencies in charge of it.
I just haven’t seen anywhere they are given such authority to have made such laws or of what benefit they have had for people. I see drug prohibition as form of mind and consciousness control.
There was a civil war… A constitutional crisis, and a fuckload of supreme Court rulings and amendments since the Consitution was written.
There’s a way we got from there to here… and why.
200 years later the world is a very different place, and Constitutional issues are addressed differently.
The answer of ‘going back to the Constitution’ for most things is really a non-starter. It was a starting point to define who Americans were, and who they weren’t, and define our national identity. And then we all moved on. even the Founding Fathers… Into the business creating laws and politics.
So for every complex question, there is at least one simple and easy to understand wrong answer. The ‘we can just go back to the Consitiution’ is the simple and easy to understand wrong answer.
Practically it would be done by people. And there’s plenty of those… Pissed off… And force supreme Court cases over and over until they get the idea.
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When an Amendment is created then their is a change to Constitution and what it says. Of course the document is meant to be changed, but it is still always meant to be followed. We are a nation who’s laws are defined by the Constitution. It’s the starter and basis for everything or legally meant to be. The public opinion and desire cannot over ride that or we aren’t the USA anymore. It’s not something we can really ignore, just change.
Your post seems you don’t have any respect for it or consider it any matter, but it is what we have to keep us from the tyranny of the majority. We are a Constitutional republic of democratically leaders. Our reps are not meant or given the power to rule on just what the people want, but what the people want weighed in what is allowed by the Constitution. Luckily there is a part of it that allows it to be changed and added to when things change and something else is needed or needs to be changed in it. It’s a pretty useful tool that document as long as it is followed and respected.
I don’t have much respect for your uninformed and unsophisticated opinions is all.
That’s what you are picking up.
Is going back to the Consitiution a workable solution to the problems facing our country today?
No. Not even a little.
Plus… The Constitution has an open door policy on immigration. Step foot on American soil. Raise your right hand. Welcome to the club.
That’s American. I’m not sure what you are.
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It’s hilarious in a sad way when someone says the Constitution has no meaning and calls another UnAmerician.
Yes the Constitution is a workable solution for our problems. It could use some revisions and Amendments but to just ignore it’s process means we are no longer the USA but a new nation built on whims with no restraint.
I guess in your opinion it’s a relic that should be used to start a fire. Keep in mind the Constitution is what gives you the right to voice this opinion you are typing. If we pick and choose what matters in it and what to follow than all our rights are in danger. Even your right to speak your mind.
I know what the Consitiution is. I also just asked what you were.
It’s not a religious document or a magic bullet.
But… I’m excited to hear what changes you would suggest to make the Consitiution work for us today.
No one said it’s a magic document. It is however what defines the government and rule of law. Law and government is bound by it and cannot be allowed to ignore it’s restraints. Otherwise nothing has no basis or is protected.
I am a human being living in the USA. What are you?
Im the same.
Right… Yes. So rule of law and all of that. I get it. And when you read the Consitiution the first response is… What the fuck? Has anyone else seen this shit? No conscription, no Federal income tax…
And yes. Our crappy government doesn’t follow it if that’s your point.
Would our government stop being crappy if it did?
No. The fact they ignore the Constitution is a symptom, not a cause.
We can’t ‘restore the Consitiution to the US as it was intended’ and make it a year as a country.
It’s become a far more complex issue.
The founders worked tirelessly and argued and sometimes shot eachother… For years to come up with that. It’s 200 years old. From 200 years ago.
We could draft a document now. Give it a shot. What would you change to make it relevant to today?
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It is relevant today.
It just doesn’t allow knee jerk reactions that a lot of chicken little’s want and they pout about it and say it isn’t any good anymore.
Funny the more we have ignored it and bent it the worse we have gotten.
What amendment or article do you believe outlawing certain drugs is prohibited by?
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I dunno… acknowledging people with black skin as humans and citizens was a pretty good bend to the original.
As was allowing women the right to vote. I think that’s an improvement.
And as we’ve moved away from the constitution as it was originally drafted, through amendments and just ignoring it when no one important complains…
But that’s correlation and it doesn’t mean it caused it.
So… if we all “Restore The Constitution!!!” its not going to fix anything. Its symbolic only. Unless you have a specific plan?
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It’s not prohibited. Though there is no where that grants the Federal government the power to do so. Powers not defined by the Constitution given to the Federal government don’t belong to it and belong to the states to handle. That’s the basis of our Constitution and government. It’s not prohibited specifically but the Federal government is supposed to be prohibited from assuming any powers it isn’t granted by the document.
Your wrong!
The Constitution freed the slaves and gave women the right to vote without any question for those two things to be removed.
We used the Constitution to better things in those two areas. We didn’t ignore it. Your argument fails because those came about from recognizing the document, not ignoring it. If the Federal government should have a new power, like forbidding people from taking a substance, then you add that power to the document and follow the rules. Why do you think they used an amendment to ban alcohol? Because the federal government knew and respected the fact it wasn’t within their power to outlaw it with out the Constitution giving them the power to do so.
You should read it.
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The Executive power to enter treaties and claims that it promotes the General Welfare are all it takes. Additionally, the Federal government has the Constitutionally granted power to regulate interstate commerce. It is Constitutional. If you believe it isn’t and believe you somehow have standing to redress this particular grievance through the courts (and the monetary resources to pursue it), by all means, file a suit.
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I own a copy of it and have… You should do the same.
Indeed. Just read it again for about the 1000th time. Repeating the word ‘unconstitutional’ ad nauseum does not make it magically so.
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Only within the granted powers defined in it.
It is also very arguable whether drug prohibition has done anything to promote the general welfare of the people. It’s been nothing but destructive. People want to use drugs and trying to stop them from doing sop hasn’t done anything to stop them or had any positive consequences. It’s only made violent criminals rich, sent money to enemy threats, put people in jail, made the drugs more dangerous through lack of purity controls, and increase the associated crime and negative effects for both the user and the people around them. Not to mention brought about a rise in newer and less studied drugs that are more dangerous than the ones they try to mimic. The whole bath salt and spice fiasco was directly the result of prohibitions from allowing people to get the drugs they wanted and to circumvent drug tests. It’s been the biggest obstacle in drug harm reduction and people who want treatment to quit from getting a quality treatment.
No it doesn’t but the fact remains.
Read what it says about Federal powers and find where such power is granted.
