Drug Prohibition

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexdrug14nov14,0,3274903.story

The problem with drug prohibition is pretty simple really.  When there is a great demand for drugs, and drugs are made illegal, criminals turn to the black market, and or criminal organizations/drug smugglers to get their drugs.  The result? A massive international trade in illicit drugs leaving thousands dead, millions upon millions of tax dollars wasted on hunting down & jailing peaceful potheads, and prison overcrowding with no good solution in sight but outright legalization.

Just like a long time ago in the U.S., alcohol prohibition brought us Al Capone and increased organized crime levels, our drug war is bringing us the corruption, violence, and wasteful spending we see in our government today.  The solution is simple:  legalize.

Legalization of marijuana would free up police resources to hunt down real criminals like murderers and rapists, while simultaneously destroying the criminal narcotics trade, and saving countless human lives & tax dollars that could be better spent elsewhere.

Here's a great link from wikipedia with an enormous number of great facts that I STRONGLY recommend you take the time to read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_war

To quote from it:  "Environmental consequences of the drug war, resulting from US-backed aerial fumigation of drug-growing operations in third world countries, have been criticized as detrimental to some of the world's most fragile ecosystems; the same aerial fumigation practices are further credited with causing health problems in local populations."

The link discusses everything from environmental consequences, practical effects, history, foreign policy, etc.  I see every reason for people to support drug legalization whether you are a law enforcement officer, an environmentalist, or a civil liberties advocate.


Here are a few organizations that support reforming U.S. Marijuana laws in this direction:

http://www.norml.org/

http://www.drugpolicy.org/homepage.cfm

http://www.mpp.org/site/c.glKZLeMQIsG/b.1086497/k.BF78/Home.htm

http://www.leap.cc/

>>1
I agree with you on all counts.

The Drug War is intolerable in the land of the free.  End it.

>>2

I have to disagree here.  People shouldn't be allowed to use drugs.  It is such a waste of time... people shouldn't be allowed to destroy their mind for the sake of their own enjoyment... think of the progress in society that would be hampered by our nation's youngsters growing up smoking pot?

>>3 Incidentally: I'd have to smoke every inch of Thailand to become as mentally lax and retarded as you.

On one hand, I disagree with the use of hard drugs (Who cares about marijuana, etc), since they can have pretty severe consequences not only for the users but also their family/friends. But the War on Drugs has enjoyed about the same level success as other wars on abstract nouns launched by the US - in the end, legalizing drugs might be one of the few ways to conduct damage control.

>>5
U LIKE TO PUT COX IN UR ANUS

On one hand, I agree with the use of hard gay (Who cares about AIDS, etc), since they can have pretty severe consequences not only for the users but also their family/friends. But the War on the downlow has enjoyed about the same level success as other wars on abstract nouns launched by the US - in the end, legalizing hard gay might be one of the few ways to conduct damage control.

>>3
Whether or not you think it is a waste of time or not is redundant, since it isn't your money they are spending.  Mind your own business.

>>3
People shouldn't be able to watch ABC sitcoms then, either.

>>9
I have to agree.  Ban those too.

>>3
"people shouldn't be allowed to destroy their mind for the sake of their own enjoyment"

ban tattoos, people shouldn't be allowed to damage their skin for the sake of their own taste in art and expression

ban foods high in calories and fats, people shouldn't be allowed to destroy their bodies for the sake of their own preference in food

ban free speech, people shouldn't be allowed to speak out against the government for the sake of their own personal views and civil rights

beginning to see how dumb you sound?

"think of the progress in society that would be hampered by our nation's youngsters growing up smoking pot?"

yeah because god forbid we lose a single useful mind to choice and personal enjoyment. humans are slaves to their own society to produce things and ways to make our lives better so we can produce more, right? how dare someone enjoy something that may or may not hinder their ability to do something that doesn't harm anyone...

seriously, do you think we'd be atlantis mock 2 if suddenly all mind altering drugs were stripped from this planet? that one day all shrooms, pot, alcohol, tobacco and mainstream entertainment (TV can be a sort of addiction as well) vanished and we'd suddenly all wake up to our own brilliance and go forth to build a utopia for all man kind?

It's my body. i get to do whatever i want to it so long as it's not harming other people. if your hobbies or addictions bleed into the lives of others, then yes you need to reevaluate what you're doing. Otherwise, go ape shit, because no one can tell oyu what to do with your life. talents and skills are given to people to do with what they will, not what they're somehow obliged to contribute to the whole of humanity.

Yeah, it may be selfish and foolish, but who gives a fuck? it's my choice, not yours. just because you're good at math doesn't mean you should be forced to leave your job as an artist. just because you're good at biology doesn't mean you have to quit your career as a car salesman. your excuse for banning all drugs for the singular reason it hinders the potential of those who could contribute to humanity is flawed for a single reason: free will.

>>11
*claps*

Seconded.

People under 18 shouldn't be allowed to take drugs as they are not at an age where they can make mature decisions.

>>13
Of course.  All I'm saying is that if you are a legal adult, you should be allowed to use drugs as long as you aren't directly harming other people.

>>14
What if your addiction for drugs causes you mental illness and makes you steal to buy more drugs.

>>15
There are a few ways you could look at this. 

If drugs were legalized, the prices of drugs wouldn't be so ridiculously high, because they would be mass-produced by legitimate businesses rather than sold at exhorbitantly high prices for enormous profit on the black market where drug dealers have far less competition than they would in a real legitimate marketplace.  Allowing business to handle drugs and sell them in a responsible, legal fashion (i.e. no selling to people who aren't legal adults), would lower the price of many of the drugs so much that the drug kingpins would not be able to compete, would be put out of business, crime & violence would go down, and the drugs would be made affordable due to market forces, meaning far fewer people would then be put in a situation where they would need to steal to fund their addiction anyway.

In the situation where a person has become mentally ill due to drug addiction, of course there would be drug treatment/rehab programs availible much like we have for drugs that are legal right now, likely both public as well as private.

Legalize, Marijuana, Ecstasy, LSD, Shrooms and other soft drugs fully.

>>17
Seconded.

>>16
It would also help keep them away from people who are underage.  Who is going to be more discriminatory in who they sell to, legitimate businessmen, or drug dealers and thugs on the street? Legalization also means an increase in the ability to control -where- the drugs are sold, as well as under what circumstances. 

>>17
Just make sure you have a friend with you when you go on shrooms, bad trip insurance

Legalization of drugs is bad for this reason:

 Religious groups (Islam esp.) would take advantage of it, and encourage addiction.  They would call it something else under their religion, and hard-line religions would force people to become addicted.  It would mean the destruction of all rational, scientific thought in the world.

I think drugs should be legal, but that people should be taught how fucked up they can be.

>>21

and you have proof of this how?

>>23
not that i accept or agree with this argument but look at the root of the word assassin.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=assassin&searchmode=none

What is truth?

>>23
In Afghanistan, the warlords placate the lower classes with heroin.

in islam afaik intoxicating drugs are not allowed, this can of course be thwarted etc. but i think that in the countries where a legalization of drugs would be agressively used by religious sects, there are no laws against drugs.

>>25
In Afghanistan, over 50% of the GDP is supported directly by Poppy cultivation.

Unfortunately, drug legalization in the U.S. doesn't fix this.  The government would like to tell you that if we stopped using drugs altogether, financing for terrorism would end.  This simply isn't the case.  The U.S. consumes less than 5% of the world's heroin and accounts for about 1-1.5 billion dollars annually outbound from heroin purchase.  Afghanistan probably sees less than a third of this money (most of our actual heroin is bought from Columbia).  So basically, heroin addicts are giving 500 million a year to Afghani terrorists.  Significant? Sure.  But Afghanistan is getting over 10 billion from its Poppy production.  That ain't all our fault.

Soruce: www.publicpolicy.umd.edu/faculty/reuter/WEC00080_00204_Reuter.pdf

>>27
"The government would like to tell you that if we stopped using drugs altogether, financing for terrorism would end."

Alternately, we could legalize drugs so that AMERICAN farmers could grow them, which would then likely do more to harm the income of said 'terrorists'.  It would also simultaneously be a great boon to the american economy, create jobs, etc etc.

>>11

happiness =/= utility.

unban everything, make it dirt cheep so every poor person can get it. its our lives so why can we do what we want the system caused all the wars so fuck t all fuck this world and fuck everything that you stand for.

>>3

Agreed People shouldn't be allowd to make there own choices

>>13

The younger your exposed to somthing the more maturity you will have with it when you grow up

What's in it for the government?

>>28 Good point.

>>33
Economical boom, possible taxes and no war on drugs.

Start small, guys.  Marijuana is the place to really push for legalization, because it's by far the most clear-cut case as far as economics goes.  Economics is the key, people.  People can be convinced legalizing marijuana will generate net revenue; it's much harder, however, to make that case of methamphetamines.

Some drugs WOULD cost more to society as legal substances.  Case in point: cigarettes.  They cost us way more in health care than they generate in taxes.  Meth, Heroin, and maybe even cocaine would be the same.

>>37
Except if welfare is abolished. Also drug legalization would probably trigger pharmaceutic companies to develop safer recreational, stimulating and all other manner of drugs.

That's why i love the netherlands!!

Drugs wouldn't cost society so much in health care costs if society wasn't paying the bills.  Individuals should foot their own health care bills, not the government.  If people want to use drugs, they should be allowed to.  The war on drugs, like the alcohol prohibition of the last century is just too expensive.  I'd rather give out tax cuts than pay for that drug war shit.