Should drugs be legal

[forillagorilla]

Alcohol and cigarettes should even be illegal. Good thing steroids are.

You think the government should tell you that you cant have a drink or smoke? If you aren't infringing on others rights?? What harm does it do to you if I smoke until I cook a lung?

Thank goodness steroids are illegal - I don't think we can even know how many lives have been saved. Why I bet if they were legal you would have little children just dropping dead because someone in their town took an overdose "hot shot" of testosterone..

[illuminati]

legalize but control like alcohol. We've spent trillions on the war on drugs, incarcerated hundreds of thousands with little or no improvement. I'm for decriminalizing and setting non violent drug offenders free... THEN... stiff sentences on crimes related to drugs and alcohol like driving impaired, burglary to support habit etc. 

Plus this from ND
They decriminalized them in Portugal with much success , would that translate here? Who knows?













I would tend to agree with the above.
Cigarrettes & Alchol are legal & taxed.
So why not the others.
Legal with Very Stiff Penalties for those that use/ abuse
& cause Accidents or injure others while under the influence of.

As stated enormous amounts of £ spent trying to stop it
& thousands of people inprisoned all for no effect.
Problem is getting Bigger.

[BigRo]

I would rather my magic mushrooms illegal than legal but pay tax on something that grows in the fields.

[forillagorilla]

There is an argument about the wider effects it has on society. Such as parents smoking around their kids, and the cost of healthcare, which the tax payer has to pay for. I think the effects of smoking is the number one drain on healthcare here in the UK, with obesity coming in second, so there is a reasonable argument to be had here, especially when you consider the effects that certain hard drugs can have on people, but like i say, it's pretty hypocritical to have alcohol legal then, considering the damage it does, and although there is a trade off, perhaps the benefits of legalising drugs would outweigh the negatives.

I do understand your point. I have mine own about how I shouldn't be forced to pay for others healthcare anyway. I am FORCED to pay for insurance on myself when I would much rather simply pay as I go...

I just think that the money we spend "fighting drug use" would easily offset any increase in healthcare costs..  For one - if you get cancer from smoking and cant pay for treatment - you get to die.. If you have liver issues from alcohol or kidneys from steroids and cant pay - you die.. I guess that sounds harsh to some

[SF1900]

There is an argument about the wider effects it has on society. Such as parents smoking around their kids, and the cost of healthcare, which the tax payer has to pay for. I think the effects of smoking is the number one drain on healthcare here in the UK, with obesity coming in second, so there is a reasonable argument to be had here, especially when you consider the effects that certain hard drugs can have on people, but like i say, it's pretty hypocritical to have alcohol legal then, considering the damage it does, and although there is a trade off, perhaps the benefits of legalising drugs would outweigh the negatives.

I just sent a letter to a congressman trying to ban smoking outside. Why should I have to breathe in someone elses smoke?  Let them smoke inside their own home. Granted, I think smoking should be banned all together.

[illuminati]

yeah i agree with you. I think the money saved by stopping this useless "war" on drugs, would offset it too. I don't think it will ever happen though, at least not in the USA, given how high up into government the corruption goes with this.

This...
What you said about the corruption & how high up it goes
Could very well explain a lot in the USA & many other Countries too.

[Van_Bilderass]

Should the government be the one to decide what we are free to do with our consiousness?
Which drugs we are free to use for the purpose of altering our consiousness? Putting people in jail merely for using the wrong substance? Sounds immoral to me.

[The Wizard of Truth]

Should the government be the one to decide what we are free to do with our consiousness?
Which drugs we are free to use for that purpose? Putting people in jail merely for using the wrong substance? Sounds immoral to me.

Yeah but man some drugs affect more than the user, I mean crystal meth makes people violent, heroin leads to stealing to fund habit etc

[forillagorilla]

I just sent a letter to a congressman trying to ban smoking outside. Why should I have to breathe in someone elses smoke?  Let them smoke inside their own home. Granted, I think smoking should be banned all together.

You absolutely have the right to breathe smoke free air and I agree it should be banned when it affects others. But why would you care if someone smoked in the privacy of their own home???

I find smoking to be repulsive. I find many things that others do to be repulsive - lol - but I don't think they should be banned because I don't like them.

[Van_Bilderass]

Yeah but man some drugs affect more than the user, I mean crystal meth makes people violent, heroin leads to stealing to fund habit etc

Yes but the governments already allow use of those drugs or their equivalents for certain large groups of people, even though there are many casualties (see Oxy for example in the US). But get caught being high without an Rx or the wrong substance and your future may be fucked. It's just not right. And the legality of drugs isn't often based on their safety. It's just the idea that being high is "bad", just like building a physique with drugs is somehow "cheating". Steroids aren't illegal because of their dangers either.

It just seems wrong for the government to be the one who decide what you can or cannot do with your brain.

[el numero uno]

This may sound stupid but I think that you can't have freedom without rules. A lot of people lack self-control, not a good idea to make drugs legal IMO.

[Van_Bilderass]

This may sound stupid but I think that you can't have freedom without rules. A lot of people lack self-control, not a good idea to make drugs legal IMO.

Do you mean we shouldn't make more drugs legal since for example alcohol is legal, dangerous and most certainly is a drug. And how about all the prescription meth and opiates, how should they be regulated? Who decides which drugs are fine to use?

At the very least, mere use shouldn't be criminal. Getting caught being high shouldn't be a crime in itself imo. Just having high testosterone levels here in Sweden is illegal, because it's "dangerous". Same thing, just wrong.

[forillagorilla]

This may sound stupid but I think that you can't have freedom without rules. A lot of people lack self-control, not a good idea to make drugs legal IMO.

Not stupid - I just disagree.. I see your point but where does it stop? I live what many would consider a hyper- disciplined... Maybe even too strict life. I would say that men lack self control and discipline about many things that I KNOW are bad for them. Do we want the government to step in and ban poisonous soft drinks?? A Coke is far worse for the body than a beer. Should cola be banned?

[el numero uno]

Do you mean we shouldn't make more drugs legal since for example alcohol is legal, dangerous and most certainly is a drug.

- I agree alcohol is a drug, thou not as bad as other drugs out there. I hate drunk drivers.

And how about all the prescription meth and opiates, how should they be regulated?

- If someone really needs a prescription drug then I guess it's fine. They are heavily regulated as far as I know.

Who decides which drugs are fine to use?

-  I'm not sure about that one. I guess doctors, psychologists and the such.

[el numero uno]

Not stupid - I just disagree.. I see your point but where does it stop? I live what many would consider a hyper- disciplined... Maybe even too strict life. I would say that men lack self control and discipline about many things that I KNOW are bad for them. Do we want the government to step in and ban poisonous soft drinks?? A Coke is far worse for the body than a beer. Should cola be banned?

I see your point but the use of harsh drugs is usually associated with violence and criminal acts. I've know good people who ended up stealing in order to afford their addiction. But to be fair, I also know people who use drugs once in a blue moon without any significant consequence.

Fatties don't go out and steal you stuff to buy a hamburguer.

[Van_Bilderass]

- If someone really needs a prescription drug then I guess it's fine. They are heavily regulated as far as I know.

-  I'm not sure about that one. I guess doctors, psychologists and the such.

A "need" depends on who you ask. There is constant debate over who needs all these opiates, benzos and speed for example. And if you really, really want to get legally high you will find a doc or shrink who thinks you "need" your drug of choise. It's not black and white obviously.

My regular doc didn't want to refer me to a shrink for my anxiety problems because, "they will just dope you up and you'll be in deep shit". But a psychiatrist should know what they are doing and what I "need" since it's their specialty, right? Maybe, maybe not.

Even without the illicit drugs there's so many drugs in society it's ridiculous, every other person is high on something. But who should get to decide which drugs are fine? Doctors created tons of heroin addicts in the US according to many news reports (due to scripting so much Oxy).

[Costanza]

Would love to bang a couple of lines of top quality Columbian caster sugar right about now.

[WalterWhite]

It used to all be legal and even sold in the Sears catalogue. Prostitution should also be legal.

[Rascal full]

criminalising users has been proven to have no effect on use

the legal status does not come in to the decision

you could control quality and monitor usage if legal

you would instantly kill a large percentage of criminality

What we are currently doing isn't working so I agree we should try this. I think powerful groups that control the laws don't want it legalised because they would lose so much money.

[Irongrip400]

criminalising users has been proven to have no effect on use

the legal status does not come in to the decision

you could control quality and monitor usage if legal

you would instantly kill a large percentage of criminality

The large percentage of criminality of course would be killed, as the drug laws wouldn't be broken. I think that people should for the most part be able to make their own decisions regarding their own bodies, but drugs like heroine and cocaine are just too addictive. The user no longer has free will to stop at any time. I'm not saying it's the case with all users, but most become addicts for life. That's a bad thing, especially when you bring children into the mix, and what it does to the next generation to be raised by retard drug zombies. I have zero issue with weed, and not much with coke, but it is fatal (I know alcohol is too) and probably not good for any Tom Dick or Harry to be abusing. Just my two cents.

[WalterWhite]

The large percentage of criminality of course would be killed, as the drug laws wouldn't be broken. I think that people should for the most part be able to make their own decisions regarding their own bodies, but drugs like heroine and cocaine are just too addictive. The user no longer has free will to stop at any time. I'm not saying it's the case with all users, but most become addicts for life. That's a bad thing, especially when you bring children into the mix, and what it does to the next generation to be raised by retard drug zombies. I have zero issue with weed, and not much with coke, but it is fatal (I know alcohol is too) and probably not good for any Tom Dick or Harry to be abusing. Just my two cents.

Agree but if people want to use these drugs are already available through the cartels distribution networks (of course not as easy as going to a convenient store). Prohibition didn't work and neither have the drug laws. Look at what the restrictions on oxy prescriptions has done..more heroine addicts/deaths than ever. 

No easy answer here.

[BigCyp]

Legalise all drugs, and divert the funding to address rehabilitation for the minority that can't handle their shit.

But as has been pointed out already - That would leave a LOT of government and police officers out of a job.

It's a sad situation where you will potentially give jail time to thousands of 'non-dangerous' adults and teenagers each year, rather than admit that your 'job' and 'war' on drugs is just a make believe job.

[ritch]

Agree but if people want to use these drugs are already available through the cartels distribution networks (of course not as easy as going to a convenient store). Prohibition didn't work and neither have the drug laws. Look at what the restrictions on oxy prescriptions has done..more heroine addicts/deaths than ever. 

No easy answer here.

that is a great point and something I thought about as well. But that's because the docs are being fooled or not following the rules. The system as a whole would have to be watched closer, especially for stuff like oxy's...

[_bruce_]

People have to be responsible.
Some drugs, like meth, would still be a threat.

[booty]

Legalise all drugs, and divert the funding to address rehabilitation for the minority that can't handle their shit.

But as has been pointed out already - That would leave a LOT of government and police officers out of a job.

It's a sad situation where you will potentially give jail time to thousands of 'non-dangerous' adults and teenagers each year, rather than admit that your 'job' and 'war' on drugs is just a make believe job.

This!