Solve Kentucky's Heroin Epidemic w/ Portugal Model

Kentucky Needs The Portugal Model of Decriminalization

by Johnathan Masters

When I think about Kentucky's drug problems... now it's Heroin, but a few years ago, it was Crystal Meth, and before then, it was Oxycontin, and of course, there's the Moonshining, which is happening... since always. Every few years in Kentucky, there's a perennial ritual horrible epidemic that Frankfort needs to pass stronger laws on, which never works, it never helps anybody, it just lines the pockets of the drug dealers who take the risk to make lots of money, and the prosecutors, judges, police officers, public pretenders, rapist jailers, and legislators--the white collar mafia--who profits just as handsomely as the dealers do.

Many of Kentucky's laws are centered around the War on Drugs. Whereas every single instance of the war on drugs being implemented has been a complete failure, all alternatives have succeeded... and when all alternatives work, and all status quo options don't... it's time to change the laws, or the system that makes those laws. 

While I don't believe in the Portugal Model, at least not as much as the Colorado Model, the Portugal Model shows Kentucky precisely what she needs to do in order to save herself from these frequent cyclical periodic drug epidemics. Portugal had a drug epidemic many years ago, until the government finally decriminalized all drugs, and treated the situation as the public health issue it was, instead of criminalizing a bunch of addicts, who needed love and compassion, not violence, shame, and imprisonment.

Portugal's drug policy was implemented in 2000: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal 

http://www.cato.org/publications/white-paper/drug-decriminalization-portugal-lessons-creating-fair-successful-drug-policies 

“You'll get less time for murder in Kentucky than for marijuana.” ~Rand Paul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqjWTJT6GCk

We have plenty of states which have attempted some type of decriminalization or full blown legalization that we can learn from. In Colorado, we see that revenue is up, and crime is down, and cannabis use is actually down too. Legalization in Colorado—the Colorado Model—has been an amazing success. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERIZ2cM7iRw

Here's a list of States/Countries that provide an alternative model for the War on Drugs:

1-Portugal

2-Netherlands

3-Uruguay

4-Oregon

5-Alaska

6-Colorado

7-D.C.

8-Washington

9-North Korea

10-Guam