Legalization of ALL Drugs

[NakaNaka]

Now this is a tricky debate. I can't say I am for the legalization of all drugs, but hell, there are some very convincing arguments on this side of the debate. The United States spends rediculous amounts of money right now funding everything from border control to the Columbians, and with obviously no success. Right now - I'm sure any of us could call a friend who knows someone and get drugs in a matter of hours. Even if you don't have friends who do any type of drugs at all (which is rare, plenty of people smoke weed) I'm sure you could find someone who knows someone.

The best way to get rid of drugs in this country is better education; and even then we will never get rid of all drugs. No one will. So the argument is that we legalize all drugs, let the government sell it and make money off of it, and then put the rediculous amounts of money we spend right now into education of kids on drugs (and other matters)/health care. There might be somewhat of a rush at first for drugs, but that won't last. The majority of people who drink in excess are under 21, as opposed to over 21. Usually people do something more when it's illegal, they feel they are rebelling against society or what not.

Also: Drugs being expensive/illegal leads to more crime on our cities streets. We don't really see gang wars over alcohol, do we?

There is also the point that by making it so expensive for these cartels to smuggle in drugs, we are supporting terrorism because terrorists make a lot of $$ from the smuggling of drugs and then use it for other illegal activities.

Post your logical thoughts/opinions. Let's not let this get out of hand.

 

[Tab]

Too many dead bodies, think of how many people don't do drugs because they are illegal. Now if they where..

 

[MrChicken]

I'm not against legalizing drugs, but at this point I cant say I am for it either. There are too many possibilities for me to weigh in on one side or the other.

Such as:
Good: decriminalize recreational drug users.
Bad: more impaired drivers on the roads.

Good: more tax revenue from legal drug sales.
Bad: more people needed govt assisted rehab.

Bad: many drug users will lie/cheat/steal and worse to get money for drugs.
Bad: more OD's

Good: increased sale of snack foods

 

[IamDavid]

All drugs can not be legalized. Thats just plain dumb.. Pot on the other hand should be. And in my lifetime it will be.

 

[burnedout]

Legalization of certain recreational drugs from a moderate, responsible perspective seems reasonable. If controlled, regulated and taxed by a coalition of entities, such as the case with alcohol and tobacco, then I see no problem with it. I'm 100% in favor of marijuana/hemp legalization.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Drug ODs are Darwinism in action.

 

[Siddhartha]

I have read that alcohol comsumption went down* during Prohibition.

*Chart showing alcohol comsumption from an OSU website

Before people jump on this, don't get me wrong I think it is a waste the country's resources and my tax money to put people in jail for using or selling drugs.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Decriminalization of all drug posession, total legalization of pot, 'war on drugs' money spent on education, rehab services, and free basic health care for everyone, problem solved with a nice bonus.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth
I have read that alcohol comsumption went down* during Prohibition.

*Chart showing alcohol comsumption from an OSU website

Before people jump on this, don't get me wrong I think it is a waste the country's resources and my tax money to put people in jail for using or selling drugs.

Here is another article concerning Prohibition.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth
I have read that alcohol comsumption went down* during Prohibition.

*Chart showing alcohol comsumption from an OSU website

Before people jump on this, don't get me wrong I think it is a waste the country's resources and my tax money to put people in jail for using or selling drugs.

Um, how can you chart underground activity? That is a chart of legal sales of alcohol. Charting this was impossible during prohibition, therefore these stats are pointless. Did you think the gangsters gave people their sales figures each quarter???

I'll go by what my grandparents (who were in their early 20s when prohibition started) and their friends told me when I was growing up: Nobody they knew was dry during prohibition after the first year. And alcohol was easily obtained... but far more dangerous to consume.

 

[jackschmittusa]

 

[bigdog1218]

think of how many people don't do drugs because they are illegal

Actually I don't think there would be much of a jump in people doing drugs. All my friends that don't do drugs don't do them because of the harmful effects, not because they might get caught. Its the same thing with underage drinking, you don't see 18 year olds sitting around going I'd drink if the drinking age was 18, no you either see the ones that want to drink, or the ones that don't because they think drinking is harmful.

Also, legalizing drugs will never work. If you put the buying and selling of drugs in the hands of the government, you're going to get over priced drugs cause the government has to make a profit. So if someone can buy a dime bag from his friend for 10 bucks, why buy it from the government for 20. Even if you legalize marijuana the importing, selling, and crime from it will not go away.

 

[NakaNaka]

BigDog - It's very cheap to make drugs. The reason they are overpriced is because it is so $$ to get them into the country.

 

[konichiwa]

Portugal has decriminalized the possession of all drugs. Hasn't seemed to do them much harm so far.

 

[Dudd]

Legalize them all. Drug use isn't going to go up much, if at all. Do you know anyone who really, really wants to try crack, but the legality issues concerning it makes them shy away? Perhaps it will for pot, but honestly, I don't think it would that much of a problem. A couple of times a month at a party isn't going to bring civilizations crashing down. Stop wasting money on telling people what they want to do to their own bodies, and let the non-idiots get their money back instead of having it get spent on keeping a crackwhore housed in prison.

 

[bigdog1218]

Naka- I agree, but what I don't think many people understand is that the government wouldn't just legalize marijuana and let people go nuts, they are going to want to totally control the sale of it, and buying marijuana off the street would probably still be illegal. They would also tax the hell out of it like cigarettes to try to scare people from using it, cigarettes obviously don't cost $5 a pack to make, but after all those taxes people start buying cigarettes from other places. The same thing would happen with marijuana.

 

[burnedout]

Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Naka- I agree, but what I don't think many people understand is that the government wouldn't just legalize marijuana and let people go nuts, they are going to want to totally control the sale of it, and buying marijuana off the street would probably still be illegal. They would also tax the hell out of it like cigarettes to try to scare people from using it, cigarettes obviously don't cost $5 a pack to make, but after all those taxes people start buying cigarettes from other places. The same thing would happen with marijuana.

Not entirely true. On average, 38 percent of convenience store sales are cigarettes in spite of excise taxes. About 12 percent is for alcohol. Individual states have various tax rates on tobacco too. Some state legislative tax debates have centered on the question of "how much is too much". They obviously are aware of the fact that tax revenue is out there even though the product is considered "harmful". And they know there is competition. One of my many cousins owns a convenience store near an interstate back home in Kentucky. If you'll note by the tax table I linked, KY has the lowest cigarette tax in the nation. Needless to say, he ain't hurtin'

The reason all smokers don't go out and purchase canned tobacco with papers, mail order cigs or under-the-table cigs is simply a matter of convenience. Once the cost of maintaining a specific vice becomes more of an individual burden than a luxury, then the equation begins to change. In other words, if it is priced right, "they will come". And they still do, in spite of the taxation.

In my opinion, public reefer sales would do OK, just not as great as the NORML crowd believes. Still, legalization would be another source of tax revenue as well as development of an untapped industry that could generate wealth.

 

[Moonbeam]

Bad for politics. A tremendous revenue stream of contrubutions come from parties who financially benefit in some fashion on the illegality of drugs.

 

[TheWart]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Bad for politics. A tremendous revenue stream of contrubutions come from parties who financially benefit in some fashion on the illegality of drugs.

And you do not think they could make more money from taxing the revenue?

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Originally posted by: TheWart

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Bad for politics. A tremendous revenue stream of contrubutions come from parties who financially benefit in some fashion on the illegality of drugs.

And you do not think they could make more money from taxing the revenue?

Politicians don't get tax revenue donated to their 'campaign funds.'

 

[Moonbeam]

Thank you, Gonad.

 

[glugglug]

All drugs should be legalized. This would actually reduce teen drug abuse as it would take some of the mystery/thrill out of drug use. "Smuggling" would no longer be an issue.

Besides, just because the FDA approves a drug doesn't mean it's safe. A recent study showed over 50% of the drugs approved recently (I think the time frame was 10 years IIRC) were then banned from sale less than 2 years later because the testing process no longer finds the side effects of stuff that is legal, in other words, the FDA is no longer fit to handle the job of determining which drugs are OK. If everything was just available, people would become a lot more knowledgable about what's what.

 

[Rogue9]

I believe the War on Drugs causes many more problems than the use of drugs.

 

[sciencewhiz]

Originally posted by: MrChicken

Good: decriminalize recreational drug users.
Bad: more impaired drivers on the roads.

Being an impaired driver would still be illegal.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: sciencewhiz

Originally posted by: MrChicken

Good: decriminalize recreational drug users.
Bad: more impaired drivers on the roads.

Being an impaired driver would still be illegal.

The problem would then become the methods used to determine the level of "impairment". IF someone could devise a test to measure if someone was under the influence of Weed it would make the legalization process easier.

I hope someone finds a test soon

CkG