Let's talk about drugs

[Aegon]

Let's talk about drugs (in the U.S., specifically.) 

Pot should be legalized, that's a given. The other drugs though...it'd be hypocritical not to legalize them. Any negative attribute you could easily attribute to alcohol and/or tobacco as well. Let's list some of the arguments I've heard from people who want hard drugs to stay illegal:

-They are highly addictive (also applies to alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine)
-They can impair your ability to drive (also applies to alcohol)
-They can make you a danger to yourself (also applies to alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine)
-They can make you a danger to others (also applies to alcohol)


Now, all that being said, I believe that hard drugs shouldn't be legalized; just because some horrible substances are legal doesn't mean we should make more of them legal. I think we should only decriminalize them; I wouldn't really want to see stores selling meth.

But yeah, pot should definitely be legalized. Honestly, the only good argument against legalizing pot is that when the government taxes the hell out of it it'll be way more expensive than my current dealer.

[Cato]

I agree with decriminalizing drug use and favor rehabilitation over incarceration, but have a problem with how the argument is presented. Your bulleted items aren't necessarily untrue, but lack the perspective of degree. Befriend a heroin addict and see if alcohol, tobacco and caffeine still register equivalent effects. The line of reasoning is unconvincing.

[Jesster]

I don't even go as far as smoking pot, but I agree that they should all be legalized... with restrictions.

Base it around the idea of the drugs that are already legal. Don't go to work under the influence, don't drive, and set an age limit (although 21 is too high of a limit). There should also be drug-free areas.

Of course I also see the issue with drugs like meth being sold at your nearest convenience store. What kind of additional restrictions should be placed on drugs like that, if any? I really have no idea. It definitely conflicts with the idea about making all drugs legal, which is why I wouldn't just jump the gun on this.

[The Grand Nudger]

Meth -is- sold at your nearest convenience store, that's why there's a meth problem. It's cheaper than crack was and you don't need to go to a south american country to source it.

[chimp3]

I don't even go as far as smoking pot, but I agree that they should all be legalized... with restrictions.

Base it around the idea of the drugs that are already legal. Don't go to work under the influence, don't drive, and set an age limit (although 21 is too high of a limit). There should also be drug-free areas.

Of course I also see the issue with drugs like meth being sold at your nearest convenience store. What kind of additional restrictions should be placed on drugs like that, if any? I really have no idea. It definitely conflicts with the idea about making all drugs legal, which is why I wouldn't just jump the gun on this.

Employers would still set their own standards. Bus drivers and  nurses are already forbidden to work while drunk on legal alcohol. Alcohol is legal.

Not restricting this debate to recreational substances. Buy antibiotics without a script?.

[Chad32]

I think most of the worst stories regarding drugs tend to happen because they're made with stuff they shouldn't be made with. If they were legalized and regulated properly, they wouldn't be as much of a problem. And we know that completely banning something doesn't exactly help the situation. So legalize, tax, and regulate all substances. When someone becomes addicted, treat it as a medical condition, and get them help.

[Jackalope]

Pot is a no-brainer. Favoring treatment over incarceration is also a no brainer.

I can say comparing alcohol to heroin or cocaine is an inapt comparison. I'm an ex cocaine abuser and I have known plenty of cocaine and opiate abusers and lots of alcoholics and I'm not sure that I believe that the social impact is similar on a per-user basis. Yeah I know personal experience isn't exactly compelling, nor should it be, but I would not wish to see certain drugs treated the similarly to alcohol. I'm all for treating it as a public health issue rather than one for law enforcement.

[Jesster]

Pot is a no-brainer.   Favoring treatment over incarceration is also a no brainer.

I can say comparing alcohol to heroin or cocaine is an inapt comparison.  I'm an ex cocaine abuser and I have known plenty of cocaine and opiate abusers and lots of alcoholics and I'm not sure that I believe that the social impact is similar on a per-user basis.   Yeah I know personal experience isn't exactly compelling, nor should it be, but I would not wish to see certain drugs treated the similarly to alcohol.    I'm all for treating it as a public health issue rather than one for law enforcement.

Actually, I respect the personal experience in this case. I have absolutely none, so I'm just trying to judge it from a distance.

[Jackalope]

By the way, legal pot is not more expensive than you r local dealer.

WA state taxes the fuck out of weed, and I can go buy an eighth for under $20 if I'm not too picky, and there is outstanding weed in the $30-35 range.

Across the border in Oregon, oddly enough legal prices are almost identical despite a much friendlier tax structure.

[Joods]

Let's talk about drugs (in the U.S., specifically.) 

Pot should be legalized, that's a given. The other drugs though...it'd be hypocritical not to legalize them. Any negative attribute you could easily attribute to alcohol and/or tobacco as well. Let's list some of the arguments I've heard from people who want hard drugs to stay illegal:

-They are highly addictive (also applies to alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine)
-They can impair your ability to drive (also applies to alcohol)
-They can make you a danger to yourself (also applies to alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine)
-They can make you a danger to others (also applies to alcohol)


Now, all that being said, I believe that hard drugs shouldn't be legalized; just because some horrible substances are legal doesn't mean we should make more of them legal. I think we should only decriminalize them; I wouldn't really want to see stores selling meth.

But yeah, pot should definitely be legalized. Honestly, the only good argument against legalizing pot is that when the government taxes the hell out of it it'll be way more expensive than my current dealer.

To be fair, pot shouldn't be classified as a drug. Period. It is a plant. To take that further, growers of industrial grade hemp will tell you that it has many different uses. One of which was utilized by the United States government during WWII. The US Navy had rope made of hemp for their ships that were tied at the docks. My guess is, once they no longer had a need for it, they decided to make hemp illegal. Is that a stretch? Not really, because anything is possible.

If I'm not mistaken, Canada has legalized hemp farmers and those farmers make many different things such as paper and fabrics. Tobacco farmers here in the US would probably stop growing tobacco if they were allowed to become hemp farmers for industrial uses. Think of all the jobs this could create as well.

I agree with decriminalizing drug use and favor rehabilitation over incarceration, but have a problem with how the argument is presented. Your bulleted items aren't necessarily untrue, but lack the perspective of degree. Befriend a heroin addict and see if alcohol, tobacco and caffeine still register equivalent effects. The line of reasoning is unconvincing.

I know a recovering heroin addict. I can tell you the effects are not the same.