Is prohibition of drugs as counter-productive as prohibition of alcohol was in the twenties?

Question

If so, why don't they legalize drugs? Is it because too many people are making money off of prohibition, and it's a good way for the government to maintain control of our lives?

Great answers! Does anyone actually believe if prohibition is a good thing? If so, where are they? And if they're not anywhere, why do we still have these crazy laws??

Answer 1

Yes, if anything, it's worse. Some of the drugs in question are arguably 'worse' than alcohol, too, though, so it's not a simple question of de-criminalizing all them.

The criminalization of certain drugs, like prohibition, is in part a moral issue, and reversing your stand on a moral issue is politically dangerous. There are also, of course, large beaurocracies that justify much of thier funding - and even thier entire existance - on the basis of enforcing drug laws, so those entrenched interests fiercely resist any decriminalization efforts. Ironically, the same is true on the other side of the law, the criminal organizations that systematically break drug laws do not want to become legal enterprises, since that would mean facing competition from legitimate businesses, such as gigantic multinational pharmecutical companies. (as an asside, this is a counterexample to the conspiracty theory that big corporations run everything - if they did, all drugs'd be legal).

To a lesser extent, it is also true that some laws that get pushed through to combat illegal drug trafficking do grant law enforcement agencencies powers that they can sometimes use in cases that are not stricktly drug-related, and, to preserve these additional powers, those interests also resist decriminalization of any kind.

Answer 2

Follow this thread of reasoning for a moment.

Cocaine is illegal, expensive, and highly addictive, so somebody bring a whole bunch of it in and sells it to Jimmy The Dealer, who cuts it with something neutral or poisonous, and sells it at a great profit.

This brings wealthy people into the neighborhood to cop some dope real quick and get out, and all of the neighbors unlucky enough to get hooked quickly spend all they have on fixes, so they start stealing. They break into cars for a while, then start breaking into houses, then maybe start robbing people at gunpoint, and all of that cash and stolen goods goes to Jimmy The Dealer's house.

Then the cops come bust Jimmy The Dealer, seize every dollar and diamond ring in the place along with all of the stolen goods, which are "taken into evidence".

Here's the good part: more often than not, no effort is made to return the stolen stuff to those from whom it was taken, and all of the money and all of the goods are turned into revenue, which in many states is just kept by the courts and the police under the civil forfeiture of assets process.

Plausible? It happens every day.

Answer 3

No. The prohibition of alcohol was much less successful proportionally than is the current narcotics regulations. Drugs could be legalized and taxed, especially marijuana.

It's not a good way for the government to maintain control of our lives because it doesn't seem to be very effective !! :P

Answer 4

Actually, it is worse.
The Prohibition in the 1920s only gave rise to organized crime in this country. The endless "War on Drugs" has financed criminal enterprises on a world-wide scale, from the opium fields of Afghanistan to the Coke Cartels in Columbia.
The problem is not that the government is running some great profitable conspiracy here; it's just that they have bought into their own propaganda. They've made such a bugbear out of some chemical compounds that they are completely unable to even contemplate legalization.
The fact that the propaganda was largely a tissue of lies is irrelevant at this point.

Answer 5

You are either lying about being a liberal or you don't keep up with what the majority are suggesting. Some nutcases are saying ban all guns and they get all the media attention and are quoted by the gods on faux news. Most people say the mentally ill and criminals and children shouldn't be allowed to buy certain types of weapons and ammunition at the local wally world or gun shows where there are no background checks to see if a person is a violent criminal.

Answer 6

I believe it is just like alcohol prohibition. Legalizing drugs would eliminate the billions we spend on fighting them, bring in huge tax revenue (not unlike the alcohol surcharges in many states), and since a majority of our jails are full of drug offenders, eliminate overcrowding. I don't know who, besides the criminals, is really making money on the drug trade. Also, several South American terrorist organizations, including cells of Hezbollah and corrupt government officials, get funding from the drug trade and protection money.

Of course, I doubt it will ever happen. Too many people want the government to "protect" them instead of using their own self-will.

Answer 7

Not AS counter-productive. More people drank before prohibition than take drugs now, though possibly the illegality of 'softer' drugs (ecstasy, cannabis and amphetamine) may be so. I think legalising cocaine and heroine may be a mistake however. Even 'casual' use of these drugs is going to SERIOUSLY screw you up.

With legalisation of 'soft' drugs can come regulation. No longer would they be cut with toxins, and of course they can be taxed the hell out of. Plus - it would be very easy to find out exactly who was using them. Many drugs (especially cannabis) are so readily available that having them in regulated shops will not make them particularly more so.

Answer 8

It's worse and contributes to a much greater crime problem and causes incarceration of hundreds of thousands of otherwise good people.

Why don't politicians make it legal? Wouldn't that drop the price and hurt profit?

Follow the bouncing dollar sign.

Answer 9

well alochol prohibition produced the the kennedy s as they were in on the illegal profits
and look how wonderfull and smart they are .....

Answer 10

FOLLOW THE MONEY MY FRIEND....

Look who contributes money to the war on drugs and there is where you will find your answer.