Is there a third possibility with drug laws?

Question

One would assume from the media (particularly newspapers) that there are only two possibilities. Either we have laws against drugs or we condone drug use.

If we consider 'The Independent'. A couple of years ago they were advocating the legalisation of cannabis. Then, recently, they were saying "We're sorry", and going on to explain that cannabis contributes towards psychosis and so on and so forth.

Is there a possibility that we can find an alternative to laws to tackle the drug problem? It is apparently the case that drugs do not stop people from taking drugs but simply elicit a more covert approach from its users and dealers. The drug laws provide an easy way for criminals to make money and force many users into crime in order for them to pay for the drugs which are being sold by the criminals and overly inflated prices.

We can all so easily see how prohibition didn't work with alcohol but many seem unable to transfer the same reasoning onto drugs.

Is there an alternative

Answer 1

Hello,

(ANS) Let me tell you drugs & the laws on drugs is an extremely extremely difficult and seemingly intractable problem. If the answer was obvious or straight forwards governments would have dealt with it bye now but its a highly complex social problem.

**For a start you have to ask yourself Why? so many people take drugs, what is their motive for taking any form of drug? Why? the need for so much escapism & so much unhappiness in our society?

**Drug taking does say something about "us" and our culture in this country, in this society and the way we treat young people. I say young people because the vast majority of drug taking is amongst teens to late twenties & early thirties.

Why? OK! for example, when I was in my teens & twenties the cannabis wasn't so easily available on the streets or else where. Further more the cannabis mostly came from Turkey & Afghanistan or Lebanon & in the form of a resin and this cannabis wasn't as strong as todays form of the drug.

Today drugs are awash on our streets from the biggest cities to the smallest villages and thats a big difference from my teens & twenties.

Hard drugs such as speed or heroin were very difficult to almost impossible to get hold of or buy. Today these drugs are easy to find & cheap to source, which again is a big worry.

Governments,
Governments don't always behave in ways that make sense, for example on the one hand they want & condone the taxes & revenues from Alcohol and making the UK laws on drinking 24/7. however, this has brought with it massive policing problems for city centers, put extra stress on the NHS from alcoholic poisoning amongst drinkers, alcoholism has increased etc,etc.

The same kind of problem exists with drugs as with alcohol, if you Ban all drugs thats going to take massive police resources to enforce but if you go the other way "a free for all" then that may also lead to serious health & mental health problems.

THE MIDDLE WAY,
It seems to me that given the complexity of the drugs problem the only option thats realistic is to allow people (users, not the dealers) some legitimate small amount of soft drugs such as cannabis for personal use. While police concentrate on the dealers & the Mr.Bigs at the top of the supply chain.

GOVERNMENT CONTROL,
Another possible option would be for the government in conjunction with the entire pharmaceutical industry to produce the cannabis & other drugs. For the government to control the supply & costs of the drugs whilst also collecting taxes from users buying them. This way the criminal element of drug supply could be abolished. However, both government & society would have to finally accept that drugs are not going to go away but control of supply & demand might be better than before with the terrorists & mafia controlling supply.

No! easy answers it has to be said!!

Ivan

Answer 2

The problem with the drug laws is that they only concentrate on the negative. There are millions of people who smoke cannabis on a regular basis (including myself) and don't suffer from the mental side-effects which make the headlines.

If cannabis was legalised then the government could control its strength and distribution. I'm not saying that this would solve all the problems, but it would address the issues which are continually talked about by the good old press, ie how strong it is these days compared to the good old sixties, when it wasn't that bad. (my ****)

Maybe if the press wasn't run by another bunch of junkies, sorry I mean alcoholics, we could have a reasonable debate without drugs being demonised simply because they are illegal. Alcohol and cigarettes have a greater effect on society, so why aren't they being re-classed?

Either way something needs doing

Answer 3

Dang. i replaced into with you all the thank you to the gun administration. All those expenses sound great, yet getting them to be approved is yet another difficulty. The electorate choose a balanced funds yet do not choose larger taxes or cuts in government courses. The reducing of decrease to center earnings families is a great thought, yet they make up a multitude of the tax base. So incredibly it is going to purely shift the tax earnings to the prosperous and the earnings will stay the comparable. Im desirous approximately non-shortened sentences for criminals. i think of we choose many extra prisons which will hire many extra electorate. do away with the appeals technique altogether. in the event that they cant take care of themselves the 1st time, do not waste taxpayer money on 2nd and 0.33 trials. great thought for term obstacles, yet bear in mind the very individuals that is constrained may well be those vote casting for or against it. I believe the historic past tests and all that. i don't agree that a individual has to have any particular reason to legally own or carry a gun.

Answer 4

I would like to say everyone of us now has to watch what we are saying ,to not offend,upset very sensitive issues ,that is not freedom of speech , beaning treated like children in this country ,yes legalise cannabis,no silly prices on the streets it will reduce crime .i think that would be a good start it would bring the control back to the police and big brother would monitor the statistic's then if this goes well move on to the next stages,legalise another class c drug and get the control back.silver fox.

Answer 5

Execute drug dealers and imprison druggies in a real prison (not a holiday camp), with no access to ciggies ,drugs or TVs . That would make the buggers think twice before making our kids addicts.

5 thumbs down, I didn't realise there were so many potheads on YA.

Answer 6

the worlds richest countries allow illegal drugs to be bought off of the worlds poorer nations. this will never end.

Answer 7

the bottom line is....that cant figure out how to tax it. The US cant stop the smuggling, so how do you reckon
there going to control taxing pot, and stop the smuggling. they cant, theres no offset......they cant even break even. no money.....no legalizing

Answer 8

NO...hookem and bookem and dont look back.
pot will never be legalized in your lifetime. forget it.

Answer 9

what i am sorry i was high,are you talking to me.? lol