Marijuana is illegal in a majority of Western nations, yet it is a very commonly used drug. Some countries have decriminalized it’s use, but continue to make it illegal to grow and sell in large quantities. Do you think it would be better for countries to legalize marijuana (and maybe some hard drugs) or should the laws remain as they are? Remember, keep the comments friendly and use good arguments for your view.
Should Drugs Be Legalized?
My answer is that marijuana should be – in doing so it will reduce the workload of police who can concentrate on other crimes, and it could also provide many jobs that currently don’t exist by creating an industry of commercial growers and producers. As for hard drugs, I think that under close medical supervision, some hard drugs could be legally given by a doctor to reduce drug crime.
just *****, not anything else.
I think Disc (37 and 46) is the only person talking reasonably here. It’s a blind assumption that crime would go down with legal *****. And the so-called innocence with users only holds true for kids in Junior high. There would be a lot more accidents and vandalism and again, business with addictive substances is only non-violent when it’s run by established businesses. I’m surprised there are so many people who think legalization is a good idea. (And I like the ppl who say: Legalize every drug everywhere. They’re funny)
For everyone who things drugs should be legalized, lemme ask you this.
Next time you get on a plane, how would you feel knowing that the pilot was doing drugs in his off time?
How about a police officer? Fire man? Doctor?
mitchsn #123;
if the pilot, cop, fireman, or doctor drinks in his off time, thats cool with me.
if they smoke a joint or two to go along with that bottle of wine or beer, not a problem.
As long as they are clean and sober while on the job, i have no problem with them smoking some green.
In response to 122. KKing:
You say we are making assumptions…yet you are making assumptions also…just to the opposite end of the spectrum. I know for a fact that weed does not make you violent. But everyone always seems to get off on that tangent…its not JUST weed we are talking about. So that point aside.
Everyone just think about it for a minute with a rational and logical mind. If you eliminated the illegality of all drugs…what would happen to all the drug related crimes and gangs…all the drug dealing for money that is supporting MORE of that violence?
It would all eventually be “weeded out” (har har) because no one would need to secretly buy from their local “crack dealer”. They could just go buy some legally and smoke/sniff/ingest themselves to death and while they did it they would support a local business the legal way. Yes, the dealers would still try to sell their supply for cheaper, but who needs a street dealer trying to be eBay when you know you can get legit clean stuff from the store?
In response to 123. mitchsn:
Do you really think the police force would hire a crack/heroine/LSD addict to protect and serve? No, just like you wouldn’t hire a pedophile to work in a preschool. Its common sense. And as far as smoking and drinking goes for all the other people…whatever they want to do to kill themselves on their free time is up to them. Its really not rocket science, you wouldn’t let someone strung out work somewhere while under the influence…but if they want to do it on their free time…sure.
Absolutely. Did you know something like 60% of U.S. prisoners are there for drug-related crimes?
I think that all drugs should be abounded. As smoking is not allowed in some countries, drugs, alcohol and sugar must be -in my opinion – excluded from earth. Why? For the shake of human kind of course…
pyrratus: not only that, most on just POSSESION! not using it, just having it, and Im sure half of those are on *****.
If you can’t legalize *****, the safest *****, just lower the goddamn penalty. How many times have you heard of someone killing someone while high on weed? How about on alcohol? All the damn time.
I agree with Jamie on the hard drugs, only when a doctor administers it, and they can’t leave the office until they aren’t high anymore, you’d see a lot less drug-related crimes, and open more jobs for producers and distributors, thus, a booming economy.
jfrater:What happened to your hotcake of comments, do a all-time greatest band your view, That’d cause a lot of arguments and thus, more comments.
Drugs that can be used for medical purposes(*****, opiates)? Yes.
Others? No.
The problem with drugs in the United States is the illegality of the substaces themselves. The prohibition of these substances only creates a Black Market which leads to much more problems than the drugs themselves for society. Bottom line is, people are going to use substances that react with the body to produce a general effect. Be it caffeine, alcohol, pot,or cocaine. The safest most sensible thing to do would be to legalize ALL drugs now and let the government control the production and distribution of them. With this approach, the people that choose to do drugs can get them safely and cheaply. And also no more black market which is a very lucrative business to be in. The money that the government spends on the prosecution of drug offenses can then be spent on efforts to keep people off drugs. This is the only simple and logical approach my country can take. Prohibition simply does not work.
With the way the U.S. economy is right now, legalizing ***** is the best thing to do. Legalizing ***** creates jobs for growers, distributors, and sellers. this creates buyers, which in turn stimulates the economy.
TMo:The extra money can be used for a lot of other good uses too, and that solution is probably the best.
Of course drugs should be legalized!! Only the ones that come from Mother Nature man!! Like pot and opium. Not that synthesized ***** like cocaine and crystal meth. Crack too. Crack is whack!
We have already seen what criminilizing alcohol, even amending the *****ing constitution to ban it, did for the country. it caused soaring crime rates, and didnt really stop people from using it. just get rid of the laws, make the drugs commodities like alcohol and tobacco, and save money in prison costs.
Every drug should be legal. I wouldn’t touch half of them with a 10 foot pole, but I wouldn’t touch them if they were legal either so why should I care? All these inhibition on our freedoms are starting to chap my ass.
Like most prohibited things, it comes down to production. Pot makes people not want to work, yet it is worlds better for you than alcohol. If it hinders production rates, it won’t be tolerated in this money driven corporate world.
Here in Canada, ***** has been decriminalized, and society has not collapsed. You still can’t legally buy pot anywhere but at least you won’t be charged with a criminal offense for simple possession.
We cannot eradicate heroin, for the simple reason that poppies are one of the most medically useful drugs known to man. Without morphine, codeine, etc…, many more people would die screaming. And if we allow poppies to be harvested for these amazing but addictive drugs, then we must be prepared for the inevitable production and abuse of heroin.
Crystal meth, however, is a ticket to hell. LSD and PCP have no medical use and can lead to serious mental disarray. And cocaine, while serving as a decent topical anaesthetic, makes good people feel bad and do bad things.
So while possession and use of all drugs should be decriminalized, only ***** should be legalized.
i wont bother reading the other 140 or so comments but im sure i will fit right in.
the only thing htat should be legalized is weed. the only harmful effects is that from smoke but youd be worse off smoking cigs. might as well make it legal. its everywhere anyway and there are alot worse drugs
Legalize *****, and at least highly regulate all the other drugs. I’m in high school myself, and nearly everone I hang out with does drugs, or has done drugs. Personally, I don’t. And that doesn’t change the fact that my grades are *****. I’m failing almost half of my classes, and I haven’t done weed in months. My grades were actually better while I did weed. Not as stressed, don’t rush as much, don’t make so many mistakes. And its not like keeping drugs illegal is going to stop people from using them. I can list ten people from which I can get drugs in about as many seconds. The only thing that’s gonna change if weed is legalized is who the money is going to. That could be druggies, like it is now, or the government, where it could go to numerous different causes.
I don’t think the manner in which the government has handled the drug market and fighting the drug war is correct, but I don’t really think they should be legal. I think they have too many debilitating characters to accept them into the economy, and legalizing them now would certainly be a mistake. I don’t like the answers drug people create in order to plead their case, I think it’s a lot of bull. I have seen a lot of addiction in my life, and I am lucky enough to stay away from it and escape it, but watching it happen is so painful. I would never want those kinds of tools given the chance to ruin a life. Drugs can and never will be a casual thing, you might think it, but that is the same brain that is being effected by them, the mind has already been changed. I can’t stand people who use drugs, and can never respect them for what they do.
Just for the record – it is a myth that ***** does less damage than cigarettes – in addition to having the same problems of tar, etc. ***** smoke is hot smoke – it burns your vocal tract and leads to clicks and early aging of the vocal chords – cigarettes do not do that. Some citations:
http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2002/*****-smoking-bad-for.html
http://behavioralhealth.typepad.com/markhams_behavioral_healt/2005/01/*****_as_ba.html
My reason for posting this is not in opposition to legalization, it is because I get annoyed when pot smokers are willing to go along with all the anti-smoking legislation and treat cigarette smokers like pariahs, but feel that they (pot smokers) are superior for “only” smoking pot. How about some support guys?! We are all choosing to smoke – whether it be tobacco or ***** – we support your legalization bids, why not support our right to not be demonized for smoking a cigarette?
Okay – that is the end of my rant
JayFray:As a cigarette smoker and 25 year pot smoker I say :Here, Here!!!
My Aunt and Uncle who live in beautiful mid-Michigan, gorgeous house on a lake that the built themselves, No cigarettes have ever been smoked in that house but they have no problem with sparking up green smoke. That is not a problem at all.
Oh and just a bit off subject other people that drive me crazy are former cigarette smokers that *preach* at smokers. Your rant brought out one of my on. Another tired morning just got off midnight shift a couple of hours ago. I seem to rant more when i am tired…….as you could tell by my posts yesterday morning on another list LOL
P.S. When I quit smoking cigs for 2 1/2 years I did neither of those things by the way……..I am a much better person than that!!!!! LOL
Here is a simple rule to follow:
A law should never be passed that might elicit the phrase “Dude! is legal now, WOOOOOOOO!”
I could imagine the first day weed is legal, the traffic report would go like this
“John, from channel 5′s helicopter, there seems to be no traffic at all! Joints are being passed from car to car and its like a huge party right now. Although people are scared of getting on the ramp to the overpass.”
Id be the one scared of the overpass im sure
jfrater; you did note did you not, that I did not claim weed to be innocuous? I know it to be harmful, like smoking cigarettes.
I would never counsel anyone to pick up a new bad habit.
scaramouche, I think we are on the same wavelength. Maybe I am just looking at things from a health perspective. I can’t understand why people willfully do things that are shown to harm their bodies. I mean there is extensive studies showing that weed and cigarettes damage your lungs. Period. Its the same thing as a lot of other harmful things. I personally like to keep my body as healthy as i can, because I don’t want to be constantly coughing up nasty piles of discolored mucus.
Whether or not it would deter crime or not, to me isn’t really the issue. People are saying “Well its always gonna happen. So let’s just throw our hands up and give in.” I don’t buy that argument. You could say that with a lot of crimes. “Well crimes gonna happen. Let’s just give up on all of them.” Who needs laws. Where do you draw the line?
***** isn’t any worse than alcohol (in fact, it has fewer health risks and doesn’t lead to fights and accidents as often), so I believe it should be treated the same. Hard drugs should still be illegal because they cause people to commit crimes in order to finance their addiction, lead to bad parenting, and often finance terrorists (Columbian drug cartels, for example.)
Also, to jfrater: ***** does cause respiratory problems when smoked, but there are other ways to use it; it can be vaporized, made into tea, or used as a food additive (THC is soluble in fats and lipids; *****-infused brownies, lasagna and cheese are popular) if you’re concerned about health risks.
As for LSD, psilocybin mushrooms and peyote, I also feel that these should be legal but regulated; they have been known to trigger religious experiences and to help treat alcoholism and autism, and they have no addiction potential (after coming down from a trip, the user does not immediately want to trip again.) However, driving while under the effects of these substances should be considered DUI.
It takes a lot of weed to do any serious harm to the lungs, trust me on that. I have never “coughed up nasty piles of discolored mucus”, as 150 said. I go to school high pretty often and sleep through the majority of my classes, yet I still have A’s in everything but math {cumulative subject ya know, you have to stay awake to learn anything} AP history lectures are actually pretty cool if you’re stoned as *****. I think my stance on the legalization of pot is clear, but I disagree with legalizing anything harder. Decriminalize hallucinogens, lessen the penalties for possession of hard ***** like crack, heroin, meth, etc., increase penalties for traffickers and big-time dealers of hard *****. Weed isn’t harmless, but it’s as close to harmless you can get when compared to most other things. Eat 20 potatoes and I’ll give the eulogy at your funeral.
I just want to say I personally dont touch the stuff; but I think drugs should be treated like alcohol: not legal until a certain age and regulated. I’m not saying that a ‘drug shop’ should be popping up on every corner or anything, but I am a believer in the philosophy that its your body and it should be up to YOU what you want to put in it. That being said, there should be still some sort of regulation for it because we dont want everyone walking around stoned all the time.
If you were to legalize ***** AND opiates, you would be giving terrorists and organized crime a huge hole in the pocketbook. Weed especially provides the seed money that gets so many drug dealers started up in business. And opium poppy from Afghanistan was one of the prime sources of revenue for the Taliban (and, according to many sources, Al Qaeda). Stands to reason: back in the wild wacky 80s, when we were helping the Afghans fight off the Soviets invasion (and training Osama in good ole American guerilla warfare know-how), we (meaning the CIA) also got the Afghan farmers to grow opium to supply their war effort; though Busgh Administration speechmaking has for years deplored opium agriculture in the Middle East, it is still covertly encouraged.
Truthfully, it is politicians and cops trying to make themselves look good who have done the most to criminalize and demonize drugs in this country. And drugs provides another manufactured fear to divert the American people’s attention from more serious issues like education, the environment, and poverty persisting in one of the world’s richest countries to a shameful degree — issues that would take hard work, billions of tax dollars, and government leaders with real souls and brains. In the 1920s, it was one Dr, Harry Anslinger who publicized the “horrors” of ***** use, and whose anti-reefer crusades were the inspiration for the laughable film “Reefer Madness” — all in the interests of furthering his own career. ***** was an easy target for his hypocrisy, because at the time was seen as a drug of choice only among African-Americans, musicia
Oops, sorry — hit SUBMIT too soon. Musicians and Bohemians. OK. Rant over. Thanks for reading.
Legalize ***** but nothing else.
***** is not that bad for you, doctors can’t conclusively say how bad it is, so why not just treat pot like cigarettes?
If it’s legal, don’t you think less people would be tempted to do it?
And besides, there are so many medical uses for *****.
What I put in my own body should be my business. The first step is to legalize ***** and take it from there.
Seems we’re all a bunch of pot-heads here! Don’t think I saw a no. I say yes to *****, and getting rid of Hard drugs.
It is ridiculous that ***** is illegal. But how would the CIA oversee the laundering of all that drug money for Wall Street if drugs were legal? Between 500 billion and 1 trillion dollars in laundered drug money goes through Wall Street companies every year. Just Say No was a smoke screen for what is really going on in this country. The privately owned prison system has grown by leaps and bounds and when you are running a business you want EVERY bed filled. Trust me they are glad to build another prison once it starts to overflow.
Those of you who are right wing and come up with moral reasons and rationales to back up your argument for keeping ***** illegal are missing the facts entirely. The good or badness of ***** is in the end a moot point. The fact is that drug money and oil money are what drives this country and none of the Powers That Be give a flying donkey’s ass for any living thing on this planet which isn’t in their blackberry address book.
Legal or not, it’s still going to be out there. Just think of the problems we have with drunk drivers out there now and then throw stoned people in the mix. Not that it doesn’t happen already though. Honestly, i don’t hate on anyone that smokes, I personally don’t do it. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no saint but I’m just really concerned about more people driving around under the influence. I say just be careful
***** should not be legalized. “Taxation and funding” reasons are not strong enough to legalize a drug. In the times when countries (and the world) is trying to put an end to another drug addiction which is too much widespread to be banned right now, the tobacco, you people want to legalize yet another addiction drug.
I know that some of you can’t feel satisfied by yourself and you need to take something else to feel good, but most of the normal people don’t need drugs or anything else. So stop promoting stupid addictions and let’s clears ourselves from them.
What good comes from legalising drugs? It will only enlarge the already big drug problem that we have today. If anything, the drug laws should be harsher than they are now.
There won’t be a ‘drug problem’ if it’s legalised. It would also make it a lot easier to control the drug trade. Imagine if the government started a program in which junkies registered for free, uncut heroin, in prescribed doses every couple of days. No-one would be buying anymore, so it would stop being imported into the country. No-one who wasn’t already on heroin would be able to get any. Ostensibly, problem solved…
drugs that should be legalized: *****, mushrooms, mdma (ecstasy), peyote
drugs that should not be legalized: meth, heroin, cocaine, ketamine, ghb
Here here Muad’Dib and albert0!
what is the point in making drugs legal its as though they are that great, i mean im not afraid to say that if used them but most people have had an experience of using them and its normal but to be continually using them is mental
keep them illegal is the best thing to do
@Muad’Dib
Hah! I’m not going to use them, and I’m very satisfied with myself thank you very much. ***** is the same sort of business as Alcohol and Cigarettes.
marujuana, maybe. heavier drugs? no way.
this isn`t really even something to debate, it`s illegal for reasons.
should we legalice crime, raping and murder? by legalicing “upping” drugs, that would be the reality.
***** is a “downer,” and wouldn`t have that effect, so maybe. but i`m still against it.
A lot of people have this crazy idea that if you legalize a drug, then non-users are going to rush out and try it. People tend to be against drugs and not use them for a reason.
I strongly believe that many, if not most drugs should be legalized/decriminalized. Well *****, that’s a no brainer. I read somewhere that during Queen Victoria’s reign, anyone with a certain amount of land had to, by law, plant and grow *****.
LSD should definitely be legal. As should ecstasy and cocaine. I don’t think it’s fair that a hard working single mum, for example, can decide to let loose with friends and buy a tiny bit of coke, only to run the risk of being put in jail. Where’s the logic there? She’s not hurting anyone, the prisons are at maximum capacity, and cocaine/ecstasy/LSD are certainly not drugs that make people aggressive or pose a threat to society.
It all comes down to a very simple line of reasoning. Humans should have the right to choose what they put in their body.
***** causes lung cancer at four times the rate of cigarettes. Funny how people want to legalize ***** but are all up in arms about people smoking cigarettes.
Retarded.
Smoke weed all day everyday… I don’t give a F*ck!
Drugs, well 2 are already legalized why not the rest.
yes.
@I am not John: that was utterly retarded, you are saying its ok for single mothers to do drugs?! are you out of your mind? jeez… =_= if i found out that my mother was doing partydrugs, i`d proclaim her dead to me.
parents on drugs always screw up their kids life, always!
of course people wouldn`t suddenly rush to it, but children would have easier access to the stuff, and that for sure, would have been taken advantage of.
I am in favor or legalizing ***** completely & sell it like alcohol with similar tax provisions. I am also in favor of decriminalizing mere possession of all other drugs. Instead of arresting a person caught with the drug, confiscate it and issue a citation like a traffic ticket. I hate having people locked up that would be capable of making their own way on the outside of prision.
YashaMaru: You seem to be a bit confused about what i said. At no point did i advocate the use of drugs for single mothers. I gave an example of what happens, based on a situation i have seen. What i’m saying is, it’s not fair that someone, anyone, can be put in jail for owning little bit of cocaine.
Also, “if i found out that my mother was doing party drugs, i`d proclaim her dead to me”. I hope for your sake that your mother doesn’t see that comment. You can’t have much love for her if that’s true. Or at least, you have more love for your views against drugs than you do for the person that brought you into this world.
@I am not John: you may not have told single mothers to do drugs, which i never claimed you did, but you said it was completely ok for them to do so.
why shouldn`t they be arrested? if a mother uses drugs, the kids deserves to have their mother locked away and to be put in a healthier enviroment.
i have more love for my mother than you would think, but yes, she would be dead to me. if all drugaddicts in this world were to be shot, i wouldn`t even raise an eyebrow.
yes, i am cynical, i know. but thats just the way i am.
and people can`t let morals stand in the way of progress.
and “brought you into this world” has nothing to do with anything, mothers don`t give birth for their childrens sake, nor has any child ever asked to be born, so i don`t owe her anything. =_=
YashMaru; You owe her your life. You are narrow minded. Same views on alcohol? You would love your mother less if she was less than perfect? I pity your mother and your kids.
YashaMaru: You must share with me how you have been able to survive in the world for so long!
It’s not very often you meet someone with the inability to see past the end of their own nose… fascinating!