Do you think we should legalize drugs?

[Immortal Juicer]

I'm not talking about juice here, illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana, and ecstacy. I'm writing a paper for my philosophy class and I just started checking it out. I know stats can be manipulated to show anything but when John Ashcroft said cocaine was as big a business as AOL yesterday, I got curious.

Americans spend 62 billion a year on illegal drugs
Federal govt spends 18 billion a year on enforcement
It costs 315 million a year to house non violent drug offenders

Thats 62 billion worth of revenue if the govt regulated it or at least 62 billion that could be taxed. 18 billion that could be used for prevention and treatment. 315 million saved in addition to the earnings the inmates could have taxed if they worked.

Not to mention all the govt resources that could be used to fight terrorism. If the govt was the coke dealer, we could cut into terrorist financing and increase our budget.

This has got to be the most fucked up backward situation I've heard of in a long time.

I just started looking into it though so I'm sure there is another side to the story. What are the pros and cons?

Thanks.

 

[manny78]

There's a difference between cocaine/heroine and weed. It isn't the same. Yes I would definitely legalize weed.

 

[Immortal Juicer]

There's a difference between cocaine/heroine and weed. It isn't the same. Yes I would definitely legalize weed.

how do you decide where to draw the line? alot of people dont want weed legal but they have no problem with alcohol and tobacco being legal.

 

[manny78]

how do you decide where to draw the line? alot of people dont want weed legal but they have no problem with alcohol and tobacco being legal.

how do I draw the line ? one is far more dangerous than the other. Cocaine/heroine are definitely in another category.

 

[Sushi X]

my political party and i belive that at least decriminalizing drugs will keep prison costs down thus less money is needed from the people(tax payers) which helps reduce taxes and keeps the prisons from being overpopulated.

 

[b fold the truth]

When I think about ANY illegal drug...I think about it this way. Do I want my 8 year old son using it? What about my daughter? When they go to grade school...or high school...do I want them using these things? No. I find smoking highly repulsive and wish that it was illegal too..but that is just my opinion.

B True

 

[Lao Tzu]

my opinion is we should determine what drugs are dangerous, what aren't, what have valid treatments, etc. and reformat the drug laws.

alcohol & cigarettes should be illegal, but getting high on opium when we have a variety of methods to hepl addiction to them (buprex, methadone, ibogaine, etc) shouldn't be. It is just someone having fun in a socially unacceptable way.

 

[JohnyJuice]

Drugs being illegal is the reson they are such a problem. Making drugs illegal is what has the price of pot at 50 bucks an eigth instead of 1 dollar. Plants like marijuana and poppi (opium, heroin,etc) would be worth no more than a head of lettuce. The legal age to buy them should be 21, like liquor. Less people in jail, less taxes paid to support bullshit war on drugs, and these items could be taxed to raise revenue for the gov. If you would use heroin anyway, you are an asshole. At least let the assholes get pure shit that isnt cut with battery acid.

 

[dballer]

alcohol & cigarettes should be illegal, but getting high on opium when we have a variety of methods to hepl addiction to them (buprex, methadone, ibogaine, etc) shouldn't be. It is just someone having fun in a socially unacceptable way.

Buprenex is buprenorphine... the shit is addictive as crack cocaine and just as evil to withdrawl from.

 

[Crazier]

I posted this earlier today. The questions below may be able to help you with your paper... at least with pot anyway.

The questions are legitimate, and if included in your paper, I'm sure your paper would be an interesting one. Here ya go:

I start to think about the legalization, and I usually have to stop. I get so damn pissed off about the ignorance our country has towards pot. Citizen's have been brainwashed by our government to believe that pot is an evil drug.

How can people be so damn ignorant?

Envision a weed bar that is open right across the street from a bar that sells alcohol. After a year of evaluating the two bar's...

Which one would have the cops called to their bar more often?

Which one would be the cause of more DUI accidents?

What would be the difference of the atmosphere be between the two bars?

Which would have more fights?

Which bar would drive a husband to go home and kick the shit out of his wife more frequently?

Which would cause more health problems?

Which would cause people to miss work the following day more often?

American's are blinded by their ignorance. Most are ignorant in the same way they are ignorant of God. They have accepted the majority, they have accepted the words of the powerful politicians, without questions.

Answer the above questions... each answer is alcohol. Hands down.

The Pot bar across the street would be a friendly, happy, spiritual environment.

If there is one thing I wish I could change, it would be what bar's serve in this country.
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