Marijuana Blog

A ban on bath salts and so-called “synthetic marijuana” products is on its way to the desk of President Obama. The bill, sponsored by Senator Chuck Shumer (D-NY) bans the sale of 31 chemical substances sold online, in convenience stores and in smoke shops nationwide.

But banning these products misses a much larger point, just like the bans on harder drugs does. A ban does take it out of the hands of visible businesses. These products will now “disappear” into the dark of the black market, where use will likely continue to rise.

"We have seen bath salts involved in some of the most heinous crimes in recent months," Schumer said in a statement. Multiple reports indicate violent tendencies, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts often accompany use if these man-made drugs.

But prohibition in ineffective, no matter what substance is involved. All efforts must be directed at education. People, especially teenagers, need to know how dangerous these substances are. But instead millions of dollars will flow into the DEA budget to combat this problem with guns and agents.

The continued failure of prohibition just doesn’t seem to faze many elected officials. Chuck Shumer will act like he’s fighting for the safety of kids and families, and President Obama will sign the bill for the cameras and talk about how he is fighting drug use, but’s it’s all a sham. Nothing is being fought. Drug dealers will just have more products to make money off of.

In the end the money will flow, and the better the profit margin, the more rivals will fight each other for a share of the market. This means guns, death and innocent lives destroyed.

Drug gangs don’t need more products to make money off of, kids need to hear why they should avoid these substances.

Source: http://www.newsday.com