LGBT Civil Rights and Activism

No, I have not managed the herculean task of reading, cross-referencing and analysing all relevant data. I seriously doubt that you have held yourself up to your standard, either. You act as if the data supported you, but I haven't seen a single figure yet.

Yes, it may be possible to contain drug usage -and, mind you, I am talking about marijuana when I say drug- through harsher penalties, more policing and greater incarceration. I see two main problems with this.

1) Current penalties are already harsh, harsher than in most other civilized countries, and the U.S. incarceration rate is not only historically high, but the highest of any country in the world. Currently around 2.5 million americans are incarcerated (and Black men are disproportionately more likely to be incarcerated than others).

2) WHY? Yes, you probably can reduce marijuana usage with draconian penalties. I see about as much point in doing so as in, say, outlawing basketball.

So why again?