Related Information to Make Drugs Legal?

Make Drugs Legal? - Page 2

Yet, we know that cigarettes cause cancer, and alcohol does as well (liver) so why are they legal? My argument is that if one is legal, so too, should the other. It is, to me, just a matter of the people who make the laws not accepting one form of "high" over another. To them, alcohol is acceptable because it has been legal in their youth, but marijuana is not because of the propaganda that surrounds it as an "evil" drug.

Legal Drugs Make

Not really, the illegal drug trade is treated like something 'new', but it has existed a long time and in various forms. Remember a drug can be food, drink, plant, herb, etc. Throughout history there was always some control over these things. If it were legalized (and I am not saying it should be) then it would just place the responsibility of who is 'in charge' to the government.

Make Drugs Legal? Health & Special Psychology

Legalization is a very strong word. To have a society where all drugs are legal would be catastrophic. Imagine trying to convince your children not to try heroin, even though it is legal? Not to smoke opium or freebase cocaine. Teenagers today would be chomping down ecstacy like lollies(unfortunately this is almost the case).
Look at the problems our society has with "legal" drugs. Cigs and alcohol cause many deaths, but what about things like anti-depressants(now relied upon by a large % of population to get through the day) or Rohypnol which is used as a date rape drug. The systems we use to police legal drugs is obviously in need of a major overhaul and wouldn't cope.
I suggest a trial of decriminalization. This would enable people to use their drug of choice without the fear of jail time. If found in possesion of small quantities of a drug the offender is fined with no criminal record of the offence. However, penalties for trafficking would be increased substantially(There is a big difference between puffing on a joint and dealing smoko to make a quick buck for eg.) This would enable police to concentrate on catching real offenders without having to process recreational users of a type of drug.

Page 2 Legal Drugs Make

The problem with decriminalization is in how it is done.

In Massachusetts, in the US, possession of marijuana is now a misdemeanor. This was changed many years ago because the criminal system couldn't handle the case load and decided it wasn't worth the effort. So, you won't go to jail for simple possesion or personal use of marijuana. However, if you are convicted even of this as a misdemeanor the registry of motor vehicles is notified and you automatically lose your right to drive a motor vehicle for six months. Doesn't matter that you weren't using it when you got caught with the marijuana, it is just a way to further exact a punishment without clogging up the courts further.

In the States, 6 months without a licence in most areas of the country means no transportation back and forth to work, or to the grocery store, etc. Most communities do not have a good public transit system. So, even though you won't go to jail in Massachusetts for possessing marijuana, you will probably lose your job because you have no way to get to work. This seems pretty stupid to me!

Legal Drugs Make

In Au, we have a similar system in place in 3 of our 8 states but is less harsh. Upon being found in possesion you are issued a fine(similar to a parking fine) or if you are growing in your back yard you have to pay an "expiation fee" of $150 per plant(up to 3 plants per head of household-more than this and it's considered commercial quantity). You have 21 days to pay this fine. If you fail to do so your car registration is cancelled and then if you still fail to pay the fine your licence is cancelled. Then the sherrif has the right to enter your house and remove any possesion to recover the debt.

Make Drugs Legal?

I tend to agree with tenaheff. I don't like the "War on Drugs" as it is the source of many attacks on liberty, including unjust laws, overly harsh sentencing, and rampant corruption.

I would tend to go with decriminalization similar to the Netherlands. Despite all the "gloom and doom" predictions by many conservatives, the Netherlands don't have the serious crime problems related to drugs that the US does, and apparently doesn't even have as many as more "enlightened" places such as Germany and England.

I agree that many drugs are bad. However, there has been some recent news on XTC (ecstacy) that indicates that it is nowhere near as bad as the US FDA has been making it sound, as the previous news about it was based on seriously flawed data.

The war on drugs has done what Prohibition did to alcohol. It has made it desirable for the drug growers and manufacturers to increase the potency of the drugs, so that they can make more money off of smaller amounts. The marijuana that is currently available is reported to be as much as 10X stronger than that available in the 1960's. The same is true of cocaine and heroine. Since they are so much stronger, it takes far less for people to get addicted.

If marijuana, heroine, and cocaine had been decriminalized in the 1960s or 70s, it would have been available for far less money and it wouldn't have been economical for growers to go to much trouble to develop it into a stronger variety or establish complex networks to deal it. It wouldn't have been economical for pushers to hang around elementary schools and give samples of drugs to little children to get them hooked, so that they become prime customers.

Criminalization of vice makes it stronger, not weaker. It means that people who want to participate will go to great lengths to get it, and pay lots of money. That is how Las Vegas became the gambling and entertainment capital that it is. People are willing to travel a long way and spend a lot of money to participate in this vice, if it isn't available nearby.

As for the liberty aspects. The war on drugs has created a climate where low-level criminals such as "mules" are put in prison for 15 to 20 years for carrying drugs, but their bosses, the manufacturers and distributors, are able to get reduced sentences because of their good lawyers. It is not uncommon to find a single mother in prison for 15 years for carrying a load of drugs one time, but her boss, if even captured, spends less than 3 years in prison, then is back on the streets distributing again, or running the business from inside the prison.

There are a lot of incidents of extreme abuse by various law enforcement agencies as well. Some small agencies have gotten into the graft business by pulling over cars with out-of-state license plates (tourists usually) for minor infractions, then asking if they can search the car. The owner, knowing that there is nothing illegal in the car, allows it. If the officer finds money (significant amounts like many tourists would be carrying), he will call in the drug dog. Then, when the dog alerts on something (possibly planted by the officer, or possibly a falsely trained dog), the money is confiscated, and the tourist goes through all sorts of problems. The law enforcement agency gets to keep the money, as it is confiscated on suspicion of being related to drug distribution. With this suspicion, there is no recourse for the civilian involved.

Likewise, thousands of cars, legally-owned guns, boats, and other property are confiscated every year. Millions of $ are confiscated and put into various law-enforcement coffers every year.

That is why I am for decriminalizing marijuana, cocaine, and heroine. Of course, businesses are still free to refuse to hire someone or fire them for drug use, parents are free to discipline their children, and society is free to ostracize the habitual drug user. But this is much better than getting any government involved.

After all, there is no problem so big that govenment involvement can't make it worse.

Make Drugs Legal - Page 2

Hey there why cant you lot look at the downside of drugs, smoking is legal for people over 18 which means u would be understanding, u know what u doing but when it comes for drugs then it shouldnt be legal as u dont know what u doing, u take them and u start acting weird i know some 1 who does take drygs and he messed up his life, he droped out of school, he couldnt concentrate in lessons drugs mess up ur brain they have a very large impacr on the brain cells and memmory cells they should never be legal

Make Drugs Legal Psychology Special & Health - Page 2

There certainly is a huge downside to taking drugs. I don't think that there is anyone here who disagrees.

Tobacco and alcohol both have restrictions on them that require users to be mature and responsible. There are laws with serious consequences for using both substances irresponsibly (i.e. driving under the influence, smoking in public places, etc.) I just think that it is entirely possible to use the same types of restrictions on drug use, and that government coercion is not appropriate, especially when it is obvious that not only does government involvement NOT work, it generally makes the problems worse.