Should we legalize certain street drugs?

Question

Please don't yell or cuss at me. I just want to know if you think marijuana should be legalized and why or why not.

Answer 1

To understand the dangers of and damage caused by drug prohibition, all one need do is compare it to alcohol prohibition. First, alcohol prohibition was done “legally” by ratifying a constitutional amendment, however misguided and ill-fated that amendment was. And that amendment was soon repealed when we found out how damaging it was to our nation. Drug prohibition has been instituted illegally. The Constitution prohibits the national government from getting involved in such things as medicine and an individual’s choice about what to do with his or her own body.

Second, look at the result of alcohol prohibition. Making alcohol illegal did nothing to “protect” people from the dangers of alcohol consumption. All it did was to create a HUGE criminal element which is still alive and powerful today. Drug prohibition has done the same thing. Billions of dollars are spent every year on “illegal” drugs, and all of that money goes to criminals. Eliminating drug prohibition would transfer all of that money to legitimate businesses. When is the last time you saw two liquor store owners having turf wars, drive-by shootings, and so forth? They don’t. Only criminals do these things, and making drugs “legal” would bankrupt the criminals and remove the financial incentive for turf wars and the like.

Third, our nation spends nearly $70 BILLION dollars a year “fighting” the drug war! That’s just the cost of “enforcement.” The untold costs of feeding and housing and medical care for those “captured” in the name of the drug war are phenomenal! Half of the people in federal prisons are there on drug charges. Drug laws do nothing to stop drug use or to protect people from their own choices. They simply turn otherwise law abiding citizens into criminals.

I believe that drug use is potential physically damaging, and I don’t use street drugs or alcohol. Still, I believe that people have a right to do whatever they want with their own bodies, and nobody has a right to hold a gun to their head and force them to change their mind. People pierce body parts, sky-dive, scuba-dive, climb mountains, race cars, box, and many other things that are potentially physically dangerous. It is their choice, not ours. Eliminate all drug laws; let people be free to decide how to live their lives!

Answer 2

There are some good arguments out there for legalizing marijuana. For example, more people get into trouble, start trouble, and cause horrific accidents, under the influence of alcohol than they do under the influence of marijuana. Plus, alcohol is addictive to some people and I don't believe it's ever been proven that marijuana is addictive.

As a nation, I don't think we'll ever legalize marijuana simply because it has been a street drug for so long, and that carries with it a negative stigma. I think stem cell research (which was not legalized the other day) has a better chance of becoming legal than marijuana.

Do I think we should legalize marijuana? No, I think we have enough problems and legalizing marijuana would only create more.

Answer 3

I think the legalization of Marijuana wouldn't harm anyone. No one has ever died from Marijuana itself. A lot of people say it causes impairment but so does alcohol. As for lung cancer...if you smoke it in a vaporizer, no harm's done. Bongs and bubblers reduce the amount of tar going into your lungs. It doesn't have all the pesticides and such in tobacco, or the carbon monoxide and such. The upside, if we legalize it, and make it 21 and over, then it's not being sold on the streets...and it's not getting laced. That cuts drug dealing and death rates. The downside...pesticides and a lot of other bullshit will probably be added into it, causing more harm then good. The cops aren't big on harassing you for it out here...so keeping it illegal really isn't harming me.

Answer 4

We should legalize all drugs if tobacco is legal. Tobacco has killed more people than any of the other drugs combined from their usage. We don't see tobacco barons getting gunned down by US DEA agents, though I would love to see that.

Ideally we should probably legalize Marijuana, Cocaine, and some of the other less dangerous drugs and then illegalize tobacco. Make sure tobacco usage doesn't carry a penalty but selling it does. We need to get people off of the stuff or else it will kill them. It seems like every few years one of the adults I know gets diagnosed with lung cancer. My grandfather died of smoking.

Why the hell people think smoking dope is bad and smoking tobacco is good is beyond me. I know which one kills you faster.

Answer 5

I would legalize those drugs that can be grown marijuana and mushrooms but limit them to a certain quantity, and then tax the seeds, this way you prevent the morons that try to sue for contracting cancer or other health problems. You should also be 21 to purchase like alcohol.

Answer 6

Sure! We should legalize all the street drugs, but at the same time stop government funding (my tax dollars) from paying for rehabs, methadone programs and the like. That way those who can't use in moderation and still be a viable member of society can buy drugs in the street, live in the street and die in the street.

Answer 7

First, I will say I am somewhat biased as I work as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor.

First, everyone, or most everyone, agrees that tobacco causes cancer. Did you know that marijuana has TWENTY times the cancer causing agents than tobacco has?

Do you want to make meth legal? It's contents are all poisons that were you to take alone are enough to kill you.

Crack is as deadly as ever. It destroys lives and the families of those who use.

Legalizing drugs will not make them any less dangerous. I chose to not use drugs not because they are illegal. I choose to not use them because they alter your brain and make me into a different person.

Answer 8

I believe that marijuana should be legalized especially for medicinal purposes. It's amazing the chemical compounds found in cannibis and what has already been done with research and used for cancer and HIV patients, as well as glacumoa patients.

As far as recreational use, why not, but I think there should be laws such like the ones with alchol to govern our use.

Answer 9

I vote yes to legalize marijuana. I have never heard of anyone crashing a car, forgetting what they did, or losing their job over smoking weed. Now, alcohol on the other hand..that stuff is deadly.

Answer 10

Well..
There is no yes or no answer at this point..a debate..
If marijuana is to be legalised..
what are the limits then?should cocaine be legalised too?
What about heroin?
On the other hand what about the cases of drunk driving,alchohal is way too dangerious then marijuana in situations...but again what is the limit to legalizing of drugs?