I had so much fun with the 'Smoking' thread, let's do this again.

Arguments for? Against?

Have at 'er...

Rashakil Fol commented: Yeeeeeaaaaw! +8
Aia commented: Let's go! +6
joshSCH commented: Happy Independence Day! :) +15

Recommended Answers

All 116 Replies

I'm for legalization of marijuana but not other drugs. I have not read anything that indicates marijuana is any more harmful or adictive than alcohol and legalization for recreational use by persons over 21 does not seem to me to be unreasonable assuming the same limitations are placed on marijuana as are currently in place for alcohol.

As for all other drugs, I certainly am against legalization for anything other than valid medical use. I don't want to see a nation of drug addicts as is (was) the case in some nations who legalized them. But we should change our drug laws to be more like Sweden where addicts are hospitalized not tossed in prision. We should clear our prisons of people whose only reason for being in prison is for drug use. Instead we should be providing rehabilitation facilities to help them kick the habit.

I agree with Ancient Dragon that drug users should be hospitalized rather than imprisoned. I've never used any kind of illegal drug, but to me, marijuana seems less harmful that cigarettes. It's far less addicting, and few arguments are made to make it legal in public places compared to just making it legal in private places. It obviously has economical benefits and I think that if it were more government regulated people could be safer, they don't have to worry about dangerous things that have been added to them. They can get safe needles and everything.

commented: Happy Independence Day! :) +15

If, say, marijuana were legalized, to what level of regulation should its use/consumption be regulated?

Like tobacco, where scrutiny such as THC level in comparison to nicotine level?

Like alcohol, with scrutiny such as relative toxicity?

Filters? Menthol? "Good shit"?

--

Public use, private use only, semi-private?

Only private use. Not on the streets. Government regulated. Can't operate machinery while under its influence.

I think it should be regulated like alcohol because from what I understand the affects of marijuana are similar to alcohol. Don't know for certain because I never smoked it.

>>They can get safe needles and everything.
how does that relate to marijuana???

The thread is about legalization of drugs, not marijuana specifically. That comment referred to certain government sponsored programs (I think they're government sponsored) where they pass out needles that are clean and it prevents the spread of certain diseases.

Why should the government pass out needles for something legal?

I think you meant to say illegal. Anyway, you're right it would seem to encourage the act but it also helps prevent to spread disease and they believes that the pros outweigh the cons. The drug users would be likely to take drugs anyway, this way it's at least safer. I don't really think it's the government that passes out needles, but it might be.

Hmm.. I think marijuana should be legalized. It really isn't as harmful as other drugs.. and it can bring in some $$ for the U.S. government.. Also, it will help reduce crime and illegal drug traffickers. I don't see many disadvantages.. people smoke it anyway..

I'm typically against legalization of drugs; on the other hand, so long as I remain unaffected in every way, I could care less what people do to themselves. It's just that the unaffected clause never seems to work. But as for the "less harmful" argument, I'd compare it to saying that everyone should be allowed to carry knives everywhere because they're less deadly than guns (admittedly, it's a somewhat extreme comparison).

*couldn't care less

Well, look at people who smoke.. I don't know about where you live, but here, I rarely encounter people smoking.. They can't smoke in public restaurants nor in almost any public facility. The same would be true for marijuana. I seriously doubt any of us who choose not to indulge in such substances would be effected. But of course, we wont know for sure until it is actually legalized.

<<Dave and woman light up and walk away.>>
[Pat, pat.]

Yeah, as long as it doesn't continue to get more and more of a casual thing until it is being done in public places, I wouldn't mind. And I think with all the negative reputation drugs like marijuana get, people that would otherwise not smoke it only because it is illegal would probably still choose not to. The same with drinking. Even though it's legal people still choose not to do it.

and it can bring in some $$ for the U.S. government..

You mean it can take $$ from U.S. citizens.

If you ask me, if 'hard' drugs are going to be illegal, they should be legal to purchase, possess, transport, produce, and do anything with, with the exception of consumption. This would force the end of the worst aspect of drug use, the War On Drugs (and the criminals who profit from this so-called war).

>>they should be legal to purchase, possess, transport, produce, and do anything with, with the exception of consumption

If someone does all those things then you can get your boots that they are either drug pushers (prisonable offense) or consuming the drugs too. Drug pushers should be casterated for their crimes.

I think legalisg all drugs and having a state run monopoly on them would cut organised crime by a huge %

I think legalisg all drugs and having a state run monopoly on them would cut organised crime by a huge %

yes, but at what cost? do you want your schoolbus driver spaced out on crack, or how about airline pilots ? Or government officials like the Queen and PM ? From what I've seen on TV the House of Lords (I think it is) already looks like a zoo -- and it would be a lot worse if they were all on crack or other drugs. And the flunk-out drop-out rates in schools would skyrocket.

yeah i didnt say i agreed with it, i was just putting ideas out there :)

>>they should be legal to purchase, possess, transport, produce, and do anything with, with the exception of consumption

If someone does all those things then you can get your boots that they are either drug pushers (prisonable offense) or consuming the drugs too. Drug pushers should be casterated for their crimes.

No, it would make drugs acquirable freely. Prices would collapse to nothing, and 'drug pushing' would not be profitable; who would want to 'push' them when people could just buy them cheaply at a nearby store?

And if you don't want schoolbus drivers spaced out on crack, consider enforcing preexisting DUI laws...

I think legalisg all drugs and having a state run monopoly on them would cut organised crime by a huge %

Your suggestion could be rephrased as: "if we legalize drugs, their use won't be a crime anymore, so crime will go down."

Your suggestion could be rephrased as: "if we legalize drugs, their use won't be a crime anymore, so crime will go down."

Only by morons :-)

The point was that organized crime (with its bad side-effects) would decline.

yes, but at what cost? do you want your schoolbus driver spaced out on crack, or how about airline pilots ? Or government officials like the Queen and PM ? From what I've seen on TV the House of Lords (I think it is) already looks like a zoo -- and it would be a lot worse if they were all on crack or other drugs. And the flunk-out drop-out rates in schools would skyrocket.

Unfounded fear.
We have today some legal substance that would clearly impair the judgement of the individuals, and still pilots get planes to their destinations, taxi drivers find addresses, doctors make the right calls, kids get educatated, and so on.
You and I don't take drugs not because the goverment prohibit it, nor because is expensive or hard to find.

> You and I don't take drugs not because the goverment prohibit it,
> nor because is expensive or hard to find.
But considering the fact that once these things get legalized, it won't be long before everyone starts taking it. Remember, the people around you influence you; evil is known to stick fast and hard.

> You and I don't take drugs not because the goverment prohibit it,
> nor because is expensive or hard to find.
But considering the fact that once these things get legalized, it won't be long before everyone starts taking it. Remember, the people around you influence you; evil is known to stick fast and hard.

Alright. I have considered and my thoughts are:
People do not use drugs not because restriction, prohibition, regulation or any block that you want to put in their way of getting the fix.
People do not use drugs for personal choice. Flip the coin, and you'll see iqual results. People use drugs for personal choice.
Whether drugs are legal or not, that would not change. Therefore the equation is the same. You can argue that it will make it easier and so on. However, increased consumption will not be a proportional reflection of legalization.

If 'n' people take drugs, there are 'n' people who contemplate on taking them, on the thin line between 'should I' and 'should I not'. Personal choice of not to take drugs comes third.

Everyone has worries, pain and sufferings in his life. Some choose to and some choose not to use drugs. Legalization would only make it easier for me to take a 'drugged decision'.

> You and I don't take drugs not because the goverment prohibit it,
> nor because is expensive or hard to find.
But considering the fact that once these things get legalized, it won't be long before everyone starts taking it. Remember, the people around you influence you; evil is known to stick fast and hard.

I guess everybody will have to conform to ~s.o.s~'s standards of how people should live.

commented: Happy Independence Day! :) +15

Oh, I forgot to add 'IMO' for people who like to make pointless issues out of something for no reason. Oh wait, maybe a disclaimer should put them off for some time.

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