There is a strong sense of feeling that all individuals that do drugs and are bad people. This is not true and sometimes these people that do drugs are the most compassionate. Their only fault is that they were dealt a bad hand at either being raised around drug dealers or being over prescribed by a certified doctor. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), drug addiction is considered a mental illness since drugs change the brain’s functionality. With that said, should we really be putting offenders [that are users] away in prison for a mental illness? I would not say anyone is a victim when it comes to using drugs unless it’s a child that was never taught right from wrong. However, placing these individuals into prison without helping them cure this illness will only cause a revolving door cycle in and out of the legal system. If these individuals get the assistance, they need to not only get over their addictions, but understand how to prevent it and why it’s important, this will lead to a better community and of course saving institutions a sustainable amount of money. Another idea to think about is the current status of legality of marijuana in the country. Many states have already legalized this substances but in others it is penalized to the fullest. One has to wonder if this drug is being allowed to be used recreationally now (and medically), how much longer will these other states recognize it and use it for the betterment of their communities.
Nonetheless, I do see offenders [that are sellers] that intentionally put these products out to the community, with the full knowledge and conscience of the harm that comes with it. These are the offenders that I would agree that law enforcement should arrest. This is where law enforcement should place their most attention when making drug arrests. Let it be clear that this is not just towards street dealers, but to medical professionals that negligently overdose their patients.
N. (2019, January 24). Is Drug Addiction a Mental Illness? Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont
County. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://drugfreeclermont.org/is-drug-addiction-amental-illness/
Garber, J., Kohane, I. S., & Bedzow, I. (2019, April 1). Overprescribed: High cost isn’t America’s only drug problem. STAT. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://www.statnews.com/2019/04/02/overprescribed-americas-other-drug-problem/
Solutions, D. G. (2021, October 13). MAP OF MARIJUANA LEGALITY BY STATE. DISA. Retrieved October 21, 2021, https://disa.com/map-of-marijuana-legality-by-state
