Fish 4 brains, If you had even a clue as to what really happens in the court system you would know that users, both casual and heavy are given the benefit of the doubt in 99% of the cases if they will enter treatment programs.

No one especially underprivileged go to prison for use without mitigating circumstances. Packing heat and selling will get you in prison in a heartbeat.

You'd be hard pressed to show one example of a user going to prison for first or even second offense.

Our prisons are not capable or willing to lock up casual users. The guy that finds a gullible reporter to print his story has much more in his background, than use. I have listened to attorneys plead their clients cases and you would think they were Mother Theresa's own little foundlings. Then the Prosecutor gets up and describes the arsenal he had and the record of assaults he had and the number of chances he has had to rehab himself and you sit there and think WTF!

I've had relatives hooked on meds and even hard drugs who were given the chance to rehab. They took it and are productive members, business owners and work with the users themselves. Doing drugs is not the end of the world for everyone. Society will give the second chance. All they have to do is take it.

There are some real judgemental folks here. I'd like to see some of their backgrounds. Usually they have something to cover up.