Assault, rape,murder are fundamentally different than drugs. Those three are something that is perpetrated AGAINST SOMEBODY ELSE (GENERALLY) AGAINST THEIR WILL. Drugs are something that an individual chooses for him'her/self. Yes, the dealer sells it, but no one, except in rare cases, forces the individual to take them. Its a personal choice. Apples and oranges. And it is true that in Spain, Portugal, and I beleve Columbia, legalizing, or at least de criminalizing them has led to a lower crime rate, less addiction, and less alcohol problem. The billions? of dollars spent on prosecuting and imprisioning people. I may not be the sarpest blade in the drawer but for sake of arguement lets assume that I, and several others here, are correct, that legalizing/decriminalizing them would both lower crime and save money that could well be spent on education, healthcare, etc, it seems a win/win.
NO?
I cant really address MS13 other than to say they should be eliminated with extreme predjudice. If however, you take away (one of) their sources of revenue it will hurt them. The biggest problem Ive heard of with gangs is in Northern California where they go into the national forests and wreck them with miles ot hose, plastic, and garbage.