Charlie Shrem finally got out of prison after spending 2 years in prison for a victim less crime. He was operating an exchange that got caught in the web of the silk road, a market place where user could puchase drugs.
There was no victim, the only people prosecuting Charlie was the government. He was kidnapped and put to jail 2 years ago and finally just got released.
Criminalizing Drug
Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing something over and
over again and expecting a different result
It has been proven that criminalizing the consumption and sales of drugs has done nothing to help the countries that uphold such laws.
The United-States have been notorious for spending millions of dollars on their "war on drug". Over three decades later, it is clear that it is time to change direction.
Reducing violence on the street
It's hard to quantify drug related crime, but between 25% to 50% of crimes are related to drugs.
Just like Al capone took over the business of making alchool during the prohibition era, street gangs and dealers are doing the same today.
Prohibiton create artificial scarcity which makes the prices sky rockets. Gangs are ready to figh hard for the right to control very lucrative territory. They cannot go to court if they have a dispute, they have to use force and violence. Prohibiting drugs only make our street more violent.
Police Militarisation
The war on drugs has transform peace officer into military squad that raid people homes and conduct illegal search in hope to find drugs. There is tons of reports of abuse from police who use those reason to harras, steal properties and take away citizen liberties. For example, when the police become a highway robber.
Health problem don't need prison
The United-States has the highest rate of incarceration per habitant in the world. This makes it harder for real crimes to be taken to court. From simple possession to selling and producing, anyone remotly related to drug is a criminal in the current state of affair.
To avoid pre-trial detention which can last many months until a judge can see the case and under intimidation from the prosecution attorney, people caught in this web often plead guilty to offenses they haven't commited to avoid long jail time.
Purchasing and consuming drug is not a crime, it is a health problem.
Drug users don't need prison, they need health facility and support on a volountary base. Kidnapping people because they want to put somehting inside their body is against liberty and freedom.
Steem is a social platform where everyone can get his voice heard. Let's use it for freedom and liberty and stop victim less crimes.