Is the "cannabis eradication" program worthwhile?

[GladiatoRowdy]

Originally posted by LongTimeFan Obviously nothings perfect, but a few things I noticed:

That is why I put it out there. I am just one man and we are going to need ideas from thousands to make this thing work right. You SHOULD try to poke holes in it so that we can try to think about all contingencies.

Originally posted by LongTimeFan When you "tag" items, you'd have to tag whole cases of beer, bags of weed, etc. If I'm a minor, i'm not gonna be stupid enough to carry weed around in the same bag it was bought in. Beer may be a different story.

Actually, my tracking system goes much further than that. We have the technology to do a number of things including chemical signatures, RFID tags, and even the current UPC (bar codes) system. I personally like the idea of tagging a person's ID on the container they buy. That way, they are personally responsible for assuring that it does not fall into the hands of a minor.

Teens would definitely try to pull fast ones with switching containers, which is one reason to have a redudant system like chemical signatures. But if the be all end all worst crime you can commit with regard to drugs is providing to a minor, we can have a true crackdown on drug availability to minors.

Originally posted by LongTimeFan Then you'll always have the, "It was stolen" arguments.

No dice on the "stolen" argument. If we educate every potential drug purchaser about not only the drug, but the law, they will be made fully aware that allowing your stash to be stolen is YOUR responsibility, particularly if you did not report the theft before the police find you because they have a container tagged with your ID. First offense, probation because you may have just been careless one time and loss of license (to purchase) for say 90 days. Second offense, 5 years in jail, no questions, mandatory minimum. Third offense, 10 years in jail. If those were the sanctions, adults would actively assure that they do not let any fall into the hands of children.

Originally posted by LongTimeFan Overall, I think the idea will cost billions to just try and implement. IF you think about it, every retail store will have to have special machines that essentially tag these items. Then you'd have to have a way to swipe one's license so you can tag it to the right person, and not all states have bar codes.

If I were doing this, you would have a separate drug purchaser license. All dispensaries would have to implement the proper technology, but ask any retailer if they would take that tradeoff for a guaranteed 20% margin (with close to 50% going to taxes) and they will say yes. Taxes on the substances themselves will more than pay for the implementation along with costs of education and treatment for addicts and would then probably contribute some to the general fund, too.

Originally posted by LongTimeFan But I do agree that something needs to be done, what and how exactly is the hard part

Exactly. That is why I talk about this. We need to find a better way and the only way to do that is to think this problem through.

The one thing I have been convinced of is that prohibition does not work.