If Meth were like Crack...

[MithrilKnight]

The primary user of Meth first tries it is a young white male, between 14 and 19-years-old.
The primary user of Crack first tries it is a young black male, between 14 and 19-years-old.

While Crack has a stronger "high" and stronger addictive qualities, adding to its quick spread in city communities, let's just assume they're close enough.

The biggest difference is policing and sentencing.

5-grams of Crack gets you mandatory 5-years minimum sentence.

90-grams of Meth, I recently read here, gets you 5-months.

Imagine if it were also 5-years?
Imagine if all those young white males, from 2000 to 2012 that were caught with a few grams of meth, let along a friggin' lab, were still in prison or just possibly getting out?

Try and imagine the disastrous effect it would have on their communities and "white culture" as a whole?

Imagine if, instead of social campaigns to stop Meth use the government used policing campaigns - thus increasing the incarceration rate?

I think, and hope, you might recognize it would be horrendous. Perhaps you might understand how and why Crack cocaine and the sentencing of it's possession, would have such a huge impact on "Black America" still today.

Slavery (destruction of culture, language, history) -> Jim Crow (destruction of economic development, disenfranchisement of voting rights) -> Crack (destruction of community)

Slavery was from Birth of the Nation until 1865, Jim Crow was 1865 until 1965, Cocaine and Crack from 1970 until 2000 (when use dissipated).

These are not discrete effects upon Black American society, but cumulative.

If Meth were as bad as Crack, "White America" may not have the first two as strong a drag upon them, but it'd be suffering mightily under the weight of Meth...

[skeemer]

The whole way crack abuse and crimes were handled during the last 40 years is a stain on our country. It is part of the larger problem of drug enforcement of users as a criminal issue rather than a health and cultural issue. Shameful.

[soulflower]

The primary user of Crack first tries it is a young black male, between 14 and 19-years-old.

You sure about that?

Most Crack users seem to be older. People usually get addicted to other drugs before trying Crack. Trying Crack for your first illegal drug is like jumping into the deep end of the pool the first time you go swimming.

[skeemer]

You sure about that?

Most Crack users seem to be older. People usually get addicted to other drugs before trying Crack. Trying Crack for your first illegal drug is like jumping into the deep end of the pool the first time you go swimming.

Most drug users start with alcohol and/or nicotine.

[ivanbalt]

Crack laws were made when Meth was only a fraction of the problem it is today.

I would suggest crack vs cocaine laws if you are trying to blame something on white people.

[ajc54terp]

Try watching the documentry on Len Bias' death, it had alot to do with the changes in the laws, and one of the lawmakers was quoted as saying that he was given bad info on making the decisions on how long for how much. It also talks about how the population in federal prisons multiplied after those laws were put into place.

[bmorepunk]

This thread title is awesome.

[musicmd]

Crack laws were made when Meth was only a fraction of the problem it is today.

I would suggest crack vs cocaine laws if you are trying to blame something on white people.

Crack is cocaine.

[ivanbalt]

Crack is cocaine.

I think they may have been overturned recently, but Reagan era laws had stiffer penalties for crack possession as opposed to powder cocaine possession.

[CajunRaven]

You sure about that?

Most Crack users seem to be older. People usually get addicted to other drugs before trying Crack. Trying Crack for your first illegal drug is like jumping into the deep end of the pool the first time you go swimming.

I gotta agree here. You don't start at Crack, you're kinda near the end of the line when you try it.

[musicmd]

I think they may have been overturned recently, but Reagan era laws had stiffer penalties for crack possession as opposed to powder cocaine possession.

Correct you are.

[MithrilKnight]

You sure about that?

Most Crack users seem to be older. People usually get addicted to other drugs before trying Crack. Trying Crack for your first illegal drug is like jumping into the deep end of the pool the first time you go swimming.

I found that stat on some federal drug site. I'll see if I can find it again...

[MithrilKnight]

I think they may have been overturned recently, but Reagan era laws had stiffer penalties for crack possession as opposed to powder cocaine possession.

It was. That's the point I was getting at.
If Meth had the same sentencing as Crack at it's worst...

I mean, as that story I linked showed - you can be caught MANUFACTURING meth, something like possession with intent to distribute on 80 grams - and still only get 5-months!

And I'm not pointing any fingers at anyone or group, just saying that every time the "Black Community" started to get it's feet, it'd get hit.

Gain freedom and even some black Congressmen get elected, then Jim Crow hits. splat.

A century or so later Black communities escape Jim Crow and even get small businesses and economic growth in cities, crack cocaine hits. splat.

A half-century or so later the first Black President gets elected...

I hope it's the dawn of a new and positive step.

[luv_big]

You sure about that?

Most Crack users seem to be older. People usually get addicted to other drugs before trying Crack. Trying Crack for your first illegal drug is like jumping into the deep end of the pool the first time you go swimming.

Yea that's what I thought also.

I do know from experience that whites use drugs and alcohol at a younger age than blacks. In my daughter's school she tells me of there are whites who get high and she is 12.

[luv_big]

The primary user of Meth first tries it is a young white male, between 14 and 19-years-old.
The primary user of Crack first tries it is a young black male, between 14 and 19-years-old.

While Crack has a stronger "high" and stronger addictive qualities, adding to its quick spread in city communities, let's just assume they're close enough.

The biggest difference is policing and sentencing.

5-grams of Crack gets you mandatory 5-years minimum sentence.

90-grams of Meth, I recently read here, gets you 5-months.

Imagine if it were also 5-years?
Imagine if all those young white males, from 2000 to 2012 that were caught with a few grams of meth, let along a friggin' lab, were still in prison or just possibly getting out?

Try and imagine the disastrous effect it would have on their communities and "white culture" as a whole?

Imagine if, instead of social campaigns to stop Meth use the government used policing campaigns - thus increasing the incarceration rate?

I think, and hope, you might recognize it would be horrendous. Perhaps you might understand how and why Crack cocaine and the sentencing of it's possession, would have such a huge impact on "Black America" still today.

Slavery (destruction of culture, language, history) -> Jim Crow (destruction of economic development, disenfranchisement of voting rights) -> Crack (destruction of community)

Slavery was from Birth of the Nation until 1865, Jim Crow was 1865 until 1965, Cocaine and Crack from 1970 until 2000 (when use dissipated).

These are not discrete effects upon Black American society, but cumulative.

If Meth were as bad as Crack, "White America" may not have the first two as strong a drag upon them, but it'd be suffering mightily under the weight of Meth...

Then they would stop quoting stats about the racial make up of people in prison.

[ivanbalt]

It was. That's the point I was getting at.
If Meth had the same sentencing as Crack at it's worst...

I mean, as that story I linked showed - you can be caught MANUFACTURING meth, something like possession with intent to distribute on 80 grams - and still only get 5-months!

And I'm not pointing any fingers at anyone or group, just saying that every time the "Black Community" started to get it's feet, it'd get hit.

Gain freedom and even some black Congressmen get elected, then Jim Crow hits. splat.

A century or so later Black communities escape Jim Crow and even get small businesses and economic growth in cities, crack cocaine hits. splat.

A half-century or so later the first Black President gets elected...

I hope it's the dawn of a new and positive step.

I'll let you in on the secret to success or at least avoiding failure. It works for anyone regardless of race. Don't sell crack.

[ivanbalt]

Yea that's what I thought also.

I do know from experience that whites use drugs and alcohol at a younger age than blacks. In my daughter's school she tells me of there are whites who get high and she is 12.

Your "experience". Classic!

[llubon]

Meth could be one factor in the high incidence of suicide in white America.

[Wizard777]

You sure about that?

Most Crack users seem to be older. People usually get addicted to other drugs before trying Crack. Trying Crack for your first illegal drug is like jumping into the deep end of the pool the first time you go swimming.

The Gateway Theory is complete BS. There are people who the first and only drug they have ever used is heroin. It's the same with other drugs. The Gateway Theory would be more properly stated as the Big Lie Theory. The teens try Marijuana and discover that most of what they've been told about it is a lie. Then they start experimenting with other drugs to see what else they've been lied to about. To use your analogy, since there is no life guard at the pool you can jump into the deep end your first time out.

[ivanbalt]

The Gateway Theory is complete BS. There are people who the first and only drug they have ever used is heroin. It's the same with other drugs. The Gateway Theory would be more properly stated as the Big Lie Theory. The teens try Marijuana and discover that most of what they've been told about it is a lie. Then they start experimenting with other drugs to see what else they've been lied to about. To use your analogy, since there is no life guard at the pool you can jump into the deep end your first time out.

Actually, it isn't BS. I've known a number of heroin addicts over the years and no surprise, they didn't start with heroin.