If drugs were legal, what would we do to keep the great unwashed in line?

10 years after Portugal's 10 years of decriminal­ization of all drugs has done more good than their 30 years of criminaliz­ation.

HIV infections are down 17%

Drug deaths reduced by 50 %

Marijuana use is down to 10% of adults - the lowest rate in the European Union

Herion use is dramatical­ly lower

Addiction is in decline

Decreased youth drug use

Lower crime rates

Reduced court expenditur­es

Greater access to drug treatment

Safer and healthier communitie­s

Portugal simply made small amounts of drugs a civil offense instead of a criminal offense.

-A study by the RAND Corporatio­n found that every additional dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.46 in societal costs.

-$1 spent on treatment will achieve the same reduction of flow of cocaine as $7.3spent on enforcemen­t.

-$1 spent on treatment will achieve the same reduction of flow of cocaine as $10.8spent on border control.

-$1 spent on treatment will achieve the same reduction of flow of cocaine as $23 spent trying to persuade Colombian farmers to grow crops other than coca.

Interesting facts, as well: Alcohol is a factor in the following:

* 73% of all felonies * 73% of child beating cases * 41% of rape cases * 80% of wife battering cases * 72% of stabbings * 83% of homicides.

Neill Franklin is doing great things with the organization, LEAP, or Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. In almost every way, they are doing a much better job advocating for legalization than NORML.

Franklin has a great piece that was published on the Huffington Post recently.