Subject: Re: GOP Primaries : Policy Debates Permanently Axed_QM
As a follow-up to drug policies, either approach has secondary requirements. Simplistically, and I make no representation that is remotely complete:

a) criminalize drugs; then you have to beef-up the police, and build more prisons

b) de-criminalize drugs; then you have to expand social services including housing for the indigent, drug treatment and counseling

It's not really just drugs. Whatever you do, you're going to have to spend more money on ancillary things related to whichever approach you take. Again, simplistically, both approaches -done properly- will provide housing, food, and healthcare. One is in a prison, the other isn't. And in either case, if you don't spend the money on the ancillary things, you'll have other problems (e.g. tents on sidewalks, prison over-crowding, etc).