NationStates

Volnotova wrote:Yes.

Also of course because selling, buying and producing drugs would no longer be illegal. ;)

Barringtonia wrote:Another savings is the cost of housing all the prisoners jailed under pointless and minor drug offenses.

My intuition says that drug use would go up due to its addictive nature but I tend to find facts don't accord with my intuition.

Ultimately, regardless of any conspiracy theories as to why the gvernment continues a failed drug policy, it's simply down to the fact that it would be political suicide to legalise them at the current time.

Soviet Haaregrad wrote:

Amacia wrote:What's it really about, and sauce please.

It's all about the money Lebowski.

Zeth Rekia wrote:

Barringtonia wrote:Another savings is the cost of housing all the prisoners jailed under pointless and minor drug offenses.

My intuition says that drug use would go up due to its addictive nature but I tend to find facts don't accord with my intuition.

Ultimately, regardless of any conspiracy theories as to why the gvernment continues a failed drug policy, it's simply down to the fact that it would be political suicide to legalise them at the current time.

So, if you got put in jail for doing drugs, and get released, the government gives you compensation to pay for your time?

Okay...

Amacia wrote:A question for everyone, after doing drugs, would you be more employable if you go to rehab rather than jail?

Soviet Haaregrad wrote:

Amacia wrote:A question for everyone, after doing drugs, would you be more employable if you go to rehab rather than jail?

Considering if you're an addict it might help you recover, and regardless jail and a criminal record tends to look bad in the eyes of employers, I'd say yes.

Zeth Rekia wrote:

Barringtonia wrote:Another savings is the cost of housing all the prisoners jailed under pointless and minor drug offenses.

My intuition says that drug use would go up due to its addictive nature but I tend to find facts don't accord with my intuition.

Ultimately, regardless of any conspiracy theories as to why the gvernment continues a failed drug policy, it's simply down to the fact that it would be political suicide to legalise them at the current time.

So, if you got put in jail for doing drugs, and get released, the government gives you compensation to pay for your time?

Okay...

Lackadaisical2 wrote:A libertarian wouldn't care if crime rates rose or fell and would rely on the moral necessity of personal rights.

Xirius wrote:Have a look at Portugal, decriminalizing (still not legal but you get therapy instead of jail) drugs works quite well to reduce both crime and drug usage.

Nazis in Space wrote:

Sociobiology wrote:
well cannabis was banned to make it easy to deport illegal and legal immigrants from Mexico during a time of job scarcity, when immigration was a perceived threat, since cannabis was the drug of choice for these immigrants at the time. Opium (and its Derivatives) was banned to make it easier to deport Asian immigrants during an economic downturn were immigration was a perceived threat.
I see a reoccurring theme

Are you sure these reasons apply for the drugs in question being banned in, say, various european or asian countries?

The Soviet Technocracy wrote:

Zeth Rekia wrote:So, if you got put in jail for doing drugs, and get released, the government gives you compensation to pay for your time?

Okay...

And every single God-fearing, gun hating, drug hating, gay hating American family will be up in arms about it.

Barringtonia wrote:There's a balance between the effort to get drugs on the black market and the convenience of paying a higher premium through tax by just getting them from the newsagent. Tobacco and alcohol would be similar, sure I can get them cheaper from Sid down at The Pig & Whistle but it's just a bother.

Sociobiology wrote:yes because such people always want to believe they have a clue about psychology, come to think of it everyone does, must be a fluke caused by wiring us to model other peoples brains in ours.

Wikkiwallana wrote:

Xirius wrote:Have a look at Portugal, decriminalizing (still not legal but you get therapy instead of jail) drugs works quite well to reduce both crime and drug usage.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Still, just to be safe, where might I find the data on it?

Blazedtown wrote:

Barringtonia wrote:There's a balance between the effort to get drugs on the black market and the convenience of paying a higher premium through tax by just getting them from the newsagent. Tobacco and alcohol would be similar, sure I can get them cheaper from Sid down at The Pig & Whistle but it's just a bother.

Effort? Its easier for a 16 year old to get a 20 sack than it is to get cigarettes.

Bottle wrote:

Blazedtown wrote:
Effort? Its easier for a 16 year old to get a 20 sack than it is to get cigarettes.

So true.

When I was 16, getting alcohol or cigarettes required the use of a fake ID, or bribing somebody older to procure them for me. Getting weed, coke, acid, or speed was both easier and cheaper.

Ifreann wrote:

Bottle wrote:So true.

When I was 16, getting alcohol or cigarettes required the use of a fake ID, or bribing somebody older to procure them for me. Getting weed, coke, acid, or speed was both easier and cheaper.

When my cousin was 18(the legal age for drinking here) he moved to California. His parents, being reasonable people, were happy enough to let him have some beer or wine with them. Even then, he still found it easier to get weed.

Terra Agora wrote:

Lackadaisical2 wrote:A libertarian wouldn't care if crime rates rose or fell and would rely on the moral necessity of personal rights.

Im a libertarian and dont believe in natural rights. Your statement fails.

Bottle wrote:

Blazedtown wrote:
Effort? Its easier for a 16 year old to get a 20 sack than it is to get cigarettes.

So true.

When I was 16, getting alcohol or cigarettes required the use of a fake ID, or bribing somebody older to procure them for me. Getting weed, coke, acid, or speed was both easier and cheaper.

Terra Agora wrote:

Lackadaisical2 wrote:A libertarian wouldn't care if crime rates rose or fell and would rely on the moral necessity of personal rights.

Im a libertarian and dont believe in natural rights. Your statement fails.

Threlizdun wrote:No, people will not buy from cartels to obtain tax free drugs for the same reason no one buys tobacco from cartels to avoid taxes; human beings are too lazy to go out of their way to get something when they can just get it from a store.