If all drugs were made legal and regulated, would crime rates drop dramtically?

Answer 1

Criminalization of the drug use has been one of the most pathetic public policy failures of all time. There is no way that I can even begin to describe in sufficient detail what havoc and waste these laws have caused over the last fifty years. More people addicted and more people imprisoned and the policy a complete failure.

First, there is an overall hypocrisy when you consider the laws and how they are enforced.

Alcohol is a drug. As such it is the most destructive substance we have in our society, and it is perfectly legal. People with common sense know that the influence of marijuana in almost all cases does not impair the individual in the same way as alcohol.

Immediately we begin to have a sense of disconnect, as we bust people for pot, and sentence them to prison, while the individual who operates an automobile will often avoid jail, and with it the taint of "drug user".

Meanwhile, pharmeceutical companies ply the medical profession with millions of dollars in "promotional considerations", so Doctors are motivated to routinely supply patients a smogosbord of extremely potent and as yet not completely understood psychotropic medications.

This is acceptable because they have the blessing of major corporations with access to ;lawmakers and influence over the legislation relative to drug laws that put the balance of the entire debate well in their favor.

Legalization of drugs is an overlysimplified concept. It seems to suggest that we should be having cocaine sales at Wallmart. What effect this would have on the crime statistics is by no means predictable in specific terms. What is really required is a comprehensive assesment of our behavior and honest evaluation of what more effective remedies are viable to produce the desired result,

Drug addicts are insufficiently treated by the prison system, and they are most definitely impacted by the incarceration on ways that may advance the criminal proclivities while failing completely to treat the root causes of the addiction.

Crime is only one of many deleterious effects of dependence on substances, be they prescribed or illicit. The loss of work hours and family dysfunction, depression, and long term weakening of health in all aspects are just as much a price we pay as a society for a drug policy that has been the playing field of zealous politicians trying to appear "tough" on crime, and corporations who have created a "Prozac" nation.

The debate must turn in a more open, honest and enlightened direction, and you may bet your bottom dollar the "crime statistics" will be only one the social ills that will inevitably be effected in a vastly positive way.

MIchael P. Whelan

Las Vegas, Nevada 12/18/2006

Answer 2

There could possibly be a drop in crime rates. There are people who steal and kill in order to get money to buy alcohol, prescription pills, and to gamble. I don't think we are going make alcohol and casinos illegal in order to reduce crime. Is crime higher or lower in Amsterdam? There are so many lives ruined by alcohol and tobacco, they are legal because the alcohol and tobacco businesses have strong lobbyists. There are more car accidents related to alcohol and prescription drugs than all of the illegal drugs combined. How many lives are ruined because an alcoholic parent can not hold a job? How many people die due to lung and liver cancer? There was a time in this country where drugs were legal. You could order vials of morphine from the Sears catalog. The prohibition did not last long and the Mafia started in order to supply liquor to thirsty Americans. Think about what countries produce the best drugs. Politicians don't want those countries to be able to be self-sufficient.

Answer 3

I seriously doubt it. Criminals are criminals because of a lack of respect for the law. If you respect the laws, then you wouldn't do illegal drugs in the first place. Criminals violate the laws because they either think they don't apply to them, don't care, or think they'll never get caught. The only way to end crime is to make everything legal in a totally anarchical system. Then by definition there would be no crime because there are no laws to be broken...

Everything that makes people criminals is innate to human nature, just some people have more of those instincts and less self-control. As long as people are materialistic there will be theft. As long as people lust, there will be perversions and sex crimes. As long as people rage, there will be violence.

Drugs being illegal might encourage criminal enterprises like illegal prostitution encourages crimes against ladies of the night, but legalizing it wouldn't stop criminals, and wouldn't cause crime rates to "drop dramatically"

Answer 4

Obviously, drug arrests would drop to almost zero. But imagine having a ton more people on coke and heroine driving on the roads. So There would just be different crimes committed.

Answer 5

Most of the answers you get on this subject will be absolutely clueless. Most people have never read any of the most basic research.

Yes. "Drug-related crime" was essentially unknown before drugs were outlawed.

You can find a good history of the subject at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/cu/cumenu.htm

You can find the major studies of the drug laws over the last 100 years at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/studies.htm

You can find more historical research at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/history.htm

Don't accept answers from people who can't give you references. Most of the answers you get will be no better than urban legend.

Answer 6

No- I think there would be more, If people could buy any drug they wanted just think of how many other crimes there would be.People under the influence do stupid, imature, violent things to one another.Alcohol is legal and just look how many people get killed by drunk drivers.

Answer 7

I believe it may but alot more people may be dying for use of drugs and also it could make crime increase b/c you don't know what a person would do if they were high!

Answer 8

The only thing that would decrease is drug arrests. I dont think it would have an effect on crime because symptons that cause it will still exist. Drugs are not the reason for most of the crime in America.

Answer 9

If breaking and entering is made legal and regulated.... would crime rates drop dramatically?

If murder was made legal and regulated, would crime rates drop dramatically?

Of course, if crime is made legal, it's no longer a crime, therefore crime rates would drop, on paper.

Best of all, if it were legal, the instances of such behavior would also drop dramatically. Oh yes, it's true.

You're a fool if you truly believe the solution is to simply make illegal behavior legal. That's the surest way to anarchy and mass death.

Answer 10

Sure the rate on paper would go down, all drug possesion and similiar charges would no longer be crimes, so naturally the crime rate would go down, a bunch. But the crimes that involve people being on drugs would skyrocket. tons of DWI's and things of that nature. so it would be more of a shift in the crime rate