QUOTE (syn7hetic @ Oct 25 2010, 04:03 AM)I just had to make an account 2 rply 2 this
i think the point of legalizing drugs isnt so "drug man" can go crazy and fry his brain(though we all know this will happen but its not like it doesnt already)[i think they should still be locked up if they are a danger to themselves], i fell it allows those who are responsible enough to use them in moderation(like alcohol) to do so as they wish...
I know this is a late response, but hey the forum is a little on the dead side especially the thoughtful section so I decided to make a comment here. XD Another reason often stated to legalising drugs is that if illicit drugs were made legal they would have to undergo much stricter quality control. As a result, the consumer would have greater confidence in what was in the drug (this is a real issue with many illegal drugs especially pills); what concentration the active agent is (useful if you want regular cannabis or are after versions with higher THC amounts). With the drugs legalised it will also be easier to conduct studies on these drugs. This will result in the public being able to make a more informed opinion on the dangers
AND benefits to the named drugs. It is often claimed that cannabis is useful as a mild painkiller while ecstasy is claimed to help in therapy; these points are difficult to prove without further studies which is hard to conduct while the drugs are illegal.
And if the drugs do create health/social problems then the drugs can be taxed so their treatment/costs are effectively paid for. It's not so unreasonable and it is not like the government have no experience with this (just look at alcohol and tobacco). Other secondary advantages of legalising drugs include the damage it would inflict on the illegal drug industry. With safe/cheaper legal alternatives available to the public the illegal market would be eliminated or at the very least greatly diminished. This will not only result in less crime and deaths but it will mean these organised gangs lose a huge amount of their income; income that could be used for other crimes. And let's not forget, enforcing these currents drugs laws AND keeping the illegal drug trade under control costs a significant amount of money to the government and tax payer. With the drugs legalised these costs would largely be eliminated.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not completely for legalising drugs. I am sure the legalisation of heroin and cocaine will cause significant social and economic problems so I am a bit on the fence about the whole issue. But I do recognise there are significant benefits to legalising the drugs. I guess a good area to look at is how America coped with the prohibition of alcohol. I think many of the advantages and disadvantages that occurred after alcohol prohibition would apply with drug legalisation albeit on a less extreme scale.
