Legalize ALL Drugs. Yes or No? (page 4)

Xander

Spanner, you never answered in the other thread...

What is your position ON the legality of alcohol and tobacco as it is now?

RubaDub

I see little merit in the health issues when legalization of drugs is considered.

I feel a far stronger argument has to do with effect on society of people having to commit far greater crimes to obtain the money to buy the illegal drugs (that obviously cost far more than if they were sold legally).

Well over half of the people in the US prison system are on drug related offenses: Murder, Robbery, Burglary and of course those involved directly or indirectly in the sale of the illegal products.

I would rather see an addict in a controlled environment get loaded than doing so on the street corner. I would do the same with prostitution: legalize it like they do in many countries in Europe or here in parts of Nevada. I would rather see a guy (or girl) walk into a building for sex than hanging out on the corner.

*****Rub a Dub

Seven

Just because you legalize drugs doesn't maen that EVERYONE is going to start using them.

Exactly. Once the majority of the population gets this through their heads then and only then will things change. Legalization of drugs should be a gradual thing say starting with marijuana, which is a joke anyhow, and see what transpires. With the legalization of other recreational drugs, laws should be enacted forbidding users from filing lawsuits against the manufacturers for their health problems like the ridiculous tobacco give-a-ways. If users want to bugger themselves up-it's their lives.

Robdar

So all these hard drugs that people become addicted to and dependent on and absolute wrecks because of ...

... would suddenly become safe and nice just because the legal status changed

Simon, you make a good point and I agree with you. I have said it before and I will say it again, if we legalize the hard drugs, we should put the addicts in their own little city out some place away from the rest of us, give them all the drugs they can do and make sure that they understand that there will be no medical treatment when they O.D. It wouldn't take them long to kill themselves off. How do I know this? To quote Neil Young, "i've seen the needle and the damage done".

Needle & The Damage Done
(Print the Lyrics)

I caught you knockin' at my cellar door
I love you, baby, can I have some more
Ooh, ooh, the damage done.

I hit the city and I lost my band
I watched the needle take another man
Gone, gone, the damage done.

I sing the song because I love the man
I know that some of you don't understand
Milk-blood to keep from running out.

I've seen the needle and the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
But every junkie's like a settin' sun

For all of you wanting to legalize the hard drugs, how many of you have lost a friend to an overdose? It ain't pretty. And neither was my friend's life by the time he died. Hard drugs slowly steal your soul leaving only pale skin and big, suken, hollow eyes with no life in them.

Robyn

Edited by - robdar on 29 January 2003 15:25:32

truthseeker1

When we say ALL drugs, what do you mean? All popular recreation drugs? How about other dangerous chemicals? Date rape drugs, should those be legal? Chlorophorm (Sp)? Now you need a license to handle it, should it be legal to use for everyone?

I know all the arguments from Crazy, and I believe him. The war on drugs doesn't work, I'm not too sure about how far to go. I try to be sceptical to easy solutions to big problems. Lets post some ideas on what would happen long term/short term if ALL drugs were legal.

1. If they were highly regulated and taxed, there would still be smuggling/crime to get around this.

2. What other kinds of drugs would be out there if everthing was legal?

3. Do we make all perscription drugs legal w/out perscription? Do we make Heroine and such, perscription only?

4. A lot of people are addicted to perscription pain pills, which are legal, but they do it illegaly w/out perscription. What do we do about that?

Robdar

I guess I am not through with my rant.

You should have seen my friend's glassy eyes. Glassy eyes with dark circles under them. He was so skinny and wasted. But, he had started out so bright and brilliant. By the time it was over, he had lost his business, his house, his car. He was living in his parent's basement. But before he died he sunk as low as he could go.

At the age of 35 he stole his parents credit cards to buy more drugs. They had him arrested because it was their last resort. All of their pity and trying to understand him hadn't worked. He, of course, didn't do much time. He got out and started abusing again. He abused until he died. But he didnt die until he had betrayed just about everybody that had ever tried to help him. Me included. His death was a long time coming. And no matter what any of us did to try to help him, he still died. I wish he had died sooner than later. I hated seeing him waste away. I hate that he became the person that he did. I hate him for what he put me through.

Victor, I hope that you have finally found peace. Because I haven't.

Edited by - robdar on 29 January 2003 15:45:33

truthseeker1

Another point I'd like to bring up is this:

Things are usually done in the US because of Money, not morality. When it boils down, it is probably more profitable to the Govt. and Economy to keep drugs illegal.

plmkrzy

Our prisons are packed jammed with WAY too many people doing time for posession of drugs. Some of them may very well be doing a rediculas number of years behind bars because of the 3 strikes joke. While first offender rapests and child molesters are walking out a whole lot sooner. When there are more criminals on the streets then there are behind bars, it's a good indication that something isn't working very well.

I agree there should be more places for addicts to turn to and they might as well pay for it and could pay for it by legalizing drugs. I don't believe most addicts "want" to be addicts. Why would anybody "Want" to smell and be greasy all the time?

Navigator

Yes

The war on drugs has been lost. The damage to property done by criminals trying to get money for their next fix is many times the cost of the drugs. Drugs could be issued by prescription to addicts and would be much much cheaper than those coming from illegal sources. More should be spent on drug education and treatment. We could well afford it if the loss rate from illegal drugs were reduced.

Crazy151drinker

Sara,

Legalizing drugs won't make them less expensive, it won't make them less addictive. Junkies will still be junkies. The only difference is that they'll be committing crimes to feed their legal habit.

This is where I have to dissagree. Legalizing drugs WILL make them less expensive. In Holland the price of pot is around 5-10% (if not less) of the cost here in the states. And you'd be hard pressed to find someone in Holland commiting crime to pay for $5 worth of weed.

Granted, it will still be the same addictive substance, but what difference does that make?? THEY ARE STILL USING RIGHT NOW AND ITS ILLEGAL.

Do you ever hear of Alcoholics breaking into cars and homes to support their booze habbit?? NO! Why? Because beer is CHEAP. I know alot of smokers and I have yet to hear one them say, "Shit I cant support my habbit, im going to have start stealing stuff....."

Im not saying drugs are Moral-they're not (in least in our society) and im not saying they're good. All im saying is that people are going to use them either way. Our 'preventative measures' ie illegality and punishment have done nothing to stop the usage and it ruins MORE lives. I am saddened about the crack babies,and the people who have been slain for drugs, just as I am saddened for the people who lose love ones to Drunk Driving and to Cigarettes. Just remember that the illegality of drugs does not prevent people from using them.

So once again: If consumption will not increase, why are drugs illegal???

Legalize ALL Drugs. Yes or No?

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