The Governor of Idaho is also named Otter.
In article <
1f1d9203-2384-4653...@v33g2000yqv.googlegroups.com>,
otter <
bighor...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On May 30, 5:20 pm,
i...@panix.com (Randy Hudson) wrote:
>> In article <
9efa1842-127e-4023-8335-ef4c53a6c...@f7g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>,
>> otter <
bighorn_b...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> If they make psuedoephedrine a prescription drug, it pretty much dries
>>> up the remaining source, as it did in Oregon. Take a look at the
>>> link. If you can find the Frontline video itself, it explains it in
>>> detail. No ephedrine or psuedoephedrine means no crystal meth.
>>
>> Nonsense. Meth comes across the longest undefended border in the world, by
>> the ton. The laws making first ephedrine, and then pseudoephedrine, harder
>> to obtain in the US just made it harder for garage labs to compete,
>> protecting the bigger manufacturing and smuggling operations ("organized
>> crime").
>
> The statement " No ephedrine or psuedoephedrine means no crystal meth"
> still holds.
I'll still disagree, though. Those precursors make it easy for non-experts
with simple labs to produce the end product, but labs can be designed to
make methamphetamine or amphetamine from other feedstocks, at a lower cost
for raw materials.
> I didn't say just limiting it in the US would solve the problem. But it
> IS a problem that can be solved on the supply side.
And I'll disagree with that, too. Marijuana needs to be grown outdoors, is
easily spotted by satellite photography, and is hugely bulky; yet there has
been no success in reducing the supply available in the US.
> It takes factories to create these 2 drugs, and it is possible to
> control production, as long as you prevent leaks. Mexico, Canada, and
> India have all worked with the US to combat the problem, however it is
> difficult to tell other countries what to do, when we refuse to take
> the simple step of making psuedoephedrine a prescription drug
> ourselves.
It takes labs with precision controls to make consistently safe and
effective drugs. But those selling methamphetamine have different
priorities than those selling pseudoephedrine.
> If you have an argument with this, you should at least take a look at
> the Frontline Show. They go into detail on the history of the
> problem, and what's been done in Mexico, Canada, India, etc. They
> also have some interesting graphs that clearly show the effects of
> limiting the supply side.
What is your goal? What are you willing to suffer, to achieve that goal?
It is possible to drive up the price of methamphetamine. At that point
you'll have succeeded in rewarding the most effective (probably the
best-organized and most violent) methamphetamine production and sales
organizations.
The cost to achieve that dubious "benefit" is that even the best-paid meth
addicts won't be able to support their habits with legal jobs, and will
shift toward crimes that victmize you and I; meth addics that commit crimes
now will have to commit more crimes, and more lucrative crimes. Again, the
main harm is done to the innocent victims of those crimes. Law enforcement
will be more active, and because they will be at greater risk and under more
pressure, they will make more mistakes, further harming innocent people.
Not to mention the people who just want to be able to get through the day
with a manageable level of sniffles, but can't because a safe, effective
drug to manage that cannot readily be obtained.
--
Randy Hudson