Would it be better if drugs were legalized?

[Vimana]

yep lets yet a bunch ten year olds drink. underage drinking is already a problem as it is. imagine if it was legal how many more high school kids would do it, and then there would be more drinking and driving. In europe it isnt as much of a problem but in the united states drinking age is necessary, possibly just out of a lot of our own stupidity.

Look at the first page and the point WAIF made. If you can get alcohol whenever its no big deal and people are more responsible. As I might have said, in Colombia the drinking age isn't enforced so anyone can buy alcohol. Pretty much everyone my age (who has money) there has a motorcycle. Yet you don't see tons of motorcycles in pieces all over the place.

Dirt biking is a psychological addiction for me that can result in my impairment or death - should it be banned for my own good?

Driving is a dependency for most in the modern world. Every 5 seconds there is a car crash. So should cars be banned for the good of people?

 

[TurboDestructor]

I don't think that drugs should be legalized (why the fuck would you make it easier) but I reckon that all this effort to try and stop people smuggling it and basically trying to cut off supply is the biggest waste of time in histroy. As long as people keep buying it, the dealers will keepc finding ways to supply it. So, looking at it from an economic point of view, those who want to stop drugs should focus mainly on the demand end of the drug business, convince people not to buy them. If that can be done, then the suppliers will have no reason to continue making and supplying drugs. It is very hard to convince people not to take drugs (there are a lot of fucking idiots on this planet), but on the whole I think it is a whole lot more beneficial and a better allocation of resources to target the consumer, rather than the producer. But why would you make it legal? that just means more people can and will take drugs. This is a cost to the individual, their family, the community and the health system. No, I don't think legalizing drugs is going to help.

 

[chuj666]

Only Marijuana and LSD

 

[razoredge]

I reckon that all this effort to try and stop people smuggling it and basically trying to cut off supply is the biggest waste of time in histroy. As long as people keep buying it, the dealers will keepc finding ways to supply it.

This is a "problem" that would be swiftly rectified with a few swift, harsh military actions within our urban areas. That and stop protecting the big money that is behind it all. Fear is the only deterrent and dead man cant deal drugs and immigrant populations sent back to the madness of their third world mentality are no longer a problem to ours. Bullets are still cheaper than deportation... that would be like two deterrents in one.

 

[Vimana]

I think legalizing it would be a much better choice. It doesn't cost much to legalize it. If its legal then its not a crime. So that means we no longer need to waste money on departments that try and crack down on drugs. Legalizing drugs would turn drug lords into businessmen. The only reason its illegal is because it is potentially harmful.

 

[razoredge]

The reason its illegal is because during the late 1800's and early 1900's when it was not we had people buying it over the counter and a country full of fucked up, sick people. Thats why its illegal and why it will remain illegal.

 

[Satanstoenail]

I'd be interested to see some sort of decriminalisation happen in my lifetime. The current zero tolerance policy clearly isn't working. Removal of the criminal aspect of drug culture should at least be attempted. It's a scary concept because of our social conditioning but I really don't think we'd see a huge increase in drug use. Society is a lot more educated about these things than it was 100 years ago. The world was full of fucked up, sick people then because medicine was in a very primitive state compared to today. People took heroin to heal themselves because they didn't know any better.

I really don't see how going into urban areas and shooting a bunch of dealers will solve anything.

 

[razoredge]

It would solve alot more than legalization and that is only as far as drugs go, there would be other benefits as well. Time to stop nuturing the urban bullshit

 

[Satanstoenail]

It would solve alot more than legalization and that is only as far as drugs go, there would be other benefits as well. Time to stop nuturing the urban bullshit

And how exactly would this move be coordinated? Just swoop in and start blowing away anyone who looks shifty? Get real. What you're suggesting is not only logistically impossible, it's also morally reprehensible.

Try wrapping your head around the concept of taking away the criminal aspect of drugs without making it a free for all descent into all-age junkie chaos. Rules and restrictions would of course have to be in place and followed. Proper research and studies could be done and safer drugs could be produced. Education would be stepped up. It probably sounds pie in the sky, but people will continue to take and sell drugs whether they're illegal or not, and this "kill them all or throw them in jail" attitude has never solved anything, it's just made things worse.

 

[Vimana]

When alcohol was prohibited there was more crime due to the competition that rose in crooked people distributing alcohol. When you make a substance illegal, you're just giving the criminals money and creating more crime. The Mob's power and influence grew during the time alcohol was illegal. And you didn't see the country dying of alcohol poison when it was legalized again.

 

[razoredge]

lets take one problem and make two or more problems out of it, yeah, I can see the benefit

wake me up before you go

 

[Satanstoenail]

lets take one problem and make two or more problems out of it, yeah, I can see the benefit

wake me up before you go

Huh?

 

[razoredge]

so drugs are a problem ? OK lets get the corporations and government and business into the picture = more problems. Lets take one of the only sources of income out of the inner city and see what they revert to next ? Its not that hard to see the entire nightmare of a picture behind legalization... is it ? I would hope one wouldnt need to make a list of all that would become a quagmire.

"wake me up before you go" is simply an expression for the wasting of time spent hashing around such a fruitless endeavor

 

[Satanstoenail]

so drugs are a problem ? OK lets get the corporations and government and business into the picture = more problems.

More problems than jails full of drug users, dealers and people locked away for drug related crimes? More problems than filthy dirty backyard labs making filthy dirty drugs that kill unsuspecting people? More problems than millions of people consuming drugs that have had no properly controlled research trials done on them? This "one problem" you speak of is actually a myriad of problems that you've conveniently filed under "The Drug Problem", sub-headed "Too Hard Basket". I really don't see how "hashing around" a different approach is a bad idea or a waste of time at all. Show me how the current situation is working.

Lets take one of the only sources of income out of the inner city and see what they revert to next ? Its not that hard to see the entire nightmare of a picture behind legalization... is it ? I would hope one wouldnt need to make a list of all that would become a quagmire.

Sensationalist speculation based on half-arsed knowledge. You should try your hand at journalism. When did drugs become one of the only sources of income in the inner city? And what anarchistic predictions do you have regarding 'what they'll revert to next'?

 

[Blowtus]

For someone happy to use extreme militant force against drug users, could not that same extreme force be used to combat whatever those left 'without income' revert to next, assuming it is actually so terrible for society, unlike drug use...

 

[razoredge]

high crime drug infested urban America. Welfare, stealing, drugs, whorin. SO I suppose if you take away the drug money they still have a few resources. Then if there are no longer people dieing from filthy dirty drugs and "gang drug wars" the population will grow, which is a good thing, our urban areas have been underpopulated and shrinking, dying right out they are. Also all those low lifes wont be in jail, angels that they are otherwise twere it not for drugs, so that would also help boost the population of the urban areas. Wow we really got a win/win going here.

Now legal drugs, yippy, drug companies rejoice, you can now make even more profits by aiding civilians in becoming addicts, the pride of the human race. People can get rich investing in these drug companies with the great new legal business of helping people to become addicts. AWESOME DUDE! Even better yet our government will be able to collect sales and income taxs out of the deal. Then think of the money involved for advertising firms, holy fuck man, this idea just rocks. This will be such a noble day in history, worthy of a annual celebration, the day that big corporate business and government became pushers. We'll call it National Drug Pushers Day. Now thats progress my friends.

 

[Satanstoenail]

Your completely black & white alarmist viewpoints regarding this issue are so ridiculous that I can barely be bothered responding tbh. You haven't shown me one example of how the current drugs policy is working, or how it could be bettered. You make fanciful exaggerated predictions that belong in a scare campaign from the 50s ("imagine once the evil corporations get hold of this and start feeding drugs to the masses via advertising!!), ("all criminals will be thrown back into society and JUST THINK of what they'll revert to!!). You suggest such solutions as rushing the military into urban areas to start shooting people who may be involved in the drug trade, without even a second thought about the utter devastation and anarchy that would be caused. You suggest that the current situation is actually a good form of population control (!?). I'm not for a moment saying there is an easy solution package, and I'm certainly not suggesting total unrestricted legality. I'm suggesting some form of decriminalisation and new laws and restrictions. Have a think about that for a second before your next tirade of fear campaignery, PLEASE.

 

[Vimana]

People are finding new ways to get high, and every time one of those ways becomes illegal it just gives criminals more opportunity to gain money and power.

 

[razoredge]

your overall grasp of the entire drug issue and crime reminds me of a funnel... thats full of holes and splattering all over the place. Sorry, not an insult just a obvious observation. Like wanting to chop off the top of a tree for no apparent reason, rather than getting to the root of the problem

 

[Einherjar86]

Your completely black & white alarmist viewpoints regarding this issue are so ridiculous that I can barely be bothered responding tbh. You haven't shown me one example of how the current drugs policy is working, or how it could be bettered. You make fanciful exaggerated predictions that belong in a scare campaign from the 50s ("imagine once the evil corporations get hold of this and start feeding drugs to the masses via advertising!!), ("all criminals will be thrown back into society and JUST THINK of what they'll revert to!!). You suggest such solutions as rushing the military into urban areas to start shooting people who may be involved in the drug trade, without even a second thought about the utter devastation and anarchy that would be caused. You suggest that the current situation is actually a good form of population control (!?). I'm not for a moment saying there is an easy solution package, and I'm certainly not suggesting total unrestricted legality. I'm suggesting some form of decriminalisation and new laws and restrictions. Have a think about that for a second before your next tirade of fear campaignery, PLEASE.

This is a good post. Increasing control of druge use to the extent of calling in the military to enforce the law is a recipe for disaster. This issue needs to be dealt with in a more diplomatic manner.