"If drugs were legal, crime will go down"

[CIB EMPIRE]

I don't think that once drugs are legal, they should be regulated at all.

Tax their purchase, if possible. But people need to discover reality for themselves. So long as they aren't endangering anyone other then themselves, if at all, then why does the state need to get involved?

What a repugnant waste of time and attention on the part of the government.

[Siorafrica]

If murder was legal, crime will also go down. Does that mean that we legalize murder?

[Amacia]

If murder was legal, crime will also go down. Does that mean that we legalize murder?

THEY

ARE

NOT

THE

SAME

THING

Doing drugs in and off themselves is not case for concern for the government. Only when they hurt people then they should step in. You can argue that you're trying to be proactive by making drugs illegal, but the even the US Department of Justice says that the only drug that is directly linked to violence by its use is alcohol. All other drug related violence is caused by it's illegality.

[New Manvir]

Sure.

People are going to do them legal or illegal. Just the way we are. You can find drug use all through recorded history.

Philadelphia recently reported saving 2 million a year by not prosecuting pot smokers...

Some should remain controlled. Crystal meth for example. Nobody comes back from that......

I feel the same. Legalize the stuff that just has you sitting around looking at the pretty colors and philosophizing about the meaning of Tuesday, keep the shit that makes you dangerous while high or coming down illegal.

By that criteria, alcohol should be illegal.

[CIB EMPIRE]

If murder was legal, crime will also go down. Does that mean that we legalize murder?

Well, murder is killing another person so im not sure if society is ready for that leap comrade. But keep your chin up the ideas rolling, we'll find a way to reduce crime someday!

[Gauthier]

I feel the same. Legalize the stuff that just has you sitting around looking at the pretty colors and philosophizing about the meaning of Tuesday, keep the shit that makes you dangerous while high or coming down illegal.

By that criteria, alcohol should be illegal.

Tried that once. Didn't work so well.

[Ferenczia]

There's a weird tendency in this thread to assume that, since all illegal drugs are illegal, they must all be equally bad and/or legalizing them all would have the same social effects. You can't just say "legalize all drugs" and lump them together like that, because the drugs themselves are so different.

Marijuana? Not addictive, unlike cigarettes. You can't overdose on it, unlike alcohol. It doesn't make people violent, unlike alcohol. Never heard of anyone getting blackout high. Is marijuana dangerous? Absolutely not. The reasonable policy implication would be to carte blanche legalize and tax it.

Legalizing heroin or crystal meth, on the other hand, is a much dicier position. I don't think anyone could make the argument that either drug isn't dangerous. Frankly, legalizing those drugs would be irresponsible. However, declaring a war on a drug or sending people to jail is not the way to discourage its use, as we've seen in the past.
In my opinion, you need a more creative solution to these drugs. For example, and I'm just coming up with shit off the top of my head here, but here's a hypothesis: Why do people take crystal meth? According to people I know who have done it, and who come from places where many people do it, people aren't taking crystal meth because it's *fun*. It's a drug that gets you through the day, the kind of drug that people wake up and do right before their 12-hour days of back-breaking, soul-numbing manual labor, just to have enough energy. So why not develop a drug that keeps you awake and alert, but isn't made of chemicals under your sink, and market that as a legal way to get a similar high? (And look at that, a drug exists already: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18925391.300)

The point I'm trying to make here is that different drugs require different solutions, and "legalize all drugs" is too simple a solution, crime-reducing or not. For marijuana, absolutely; for other drugs, maybe not.

[New Manvir]

By that criteria, alcohol should be illegal.

Tried that once. Didn't work so well.

Yeah, I know...

[New Manvir]

There's a weird tendency in this thread to assume that, since all illegal drugs are illegal, they must all be equally bad and/or legalizing them all would have the same social effects. You can't just say "legalize all drugs" and lump them together like that, because the drugs themselves are so different.

Marijuana? Not addictive, unlike cigarettes. You can't overdose on it, unlike alcohol. It doesn't make people violent, unlike alcohol. Never heard of anyone getting blackout high. Is marijuana dangerous? Absolutely not. The reasonable policy implication would be to carte blanche legalize and tax it.

Legalizing heroin or crystal meth, on the other hand, is a much dicier position. I don't think anyone could make the argument that either drug isn't dangerous. Frankly, legalizing those drugs would be irresponsible. However, declaring a war on a drug or sending people to jail is not the way to discourage its use, as we've seen in the past.
In my opinion, you need a more creative solution to these drugs. For example, and I'm just coming up with shit off the top of my head here, but here's a hypothesis: Why do people take crystal meth? According to people I know who have done it, and who come from places where many people do it, people aren't taking crystal meth because it's *fun*. It's a drug that gets you through the day, the kind of drug that people wake up and do right before their 12-hour days of back-breaking, soul-numbing manual labor, just to have enough energy. So why not develop a drug that keeps you awake and alert, but isn't made of chemicals under your sink, and market that as a legal way to get a similar high? (And look at that, a drug exists already: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18925391.300)

The point I'm trying to make here is that different drugs require different solutions, and "legalize all drugs" is too simple a solution, crime-reducing or not. For marijuana, absolutely; for other drugs, maybe not.

AFAIK, the only reason meth even exists is because it's a cheap substitute for cocaine (same with crack). I support the legalization of hard drugs because I believe the people who want to use them will use them regardless. The least we can do is make it safer to use them by introducing proper regulations for their use. I think ideally, hard drugs should be done under medical supervision, they should be subject to the same restrictions as prescription drugs.

[Make up your own mind]

I agree that some drugs are more dangerous then others. Blanket legalization would be pretty insane.

In my opinion, you need a more creative solution to these drugs. For example, and I'm just coming up with shit off the top of my head here, but here's a hypothesis: Why do people take crystal meth? According to people I know who have done it, and who come from places where many people do it, people aren't taking crystal meth because it's *fun*. It's a drug that gets you through the day, the kind of drug that people wake up and do right before their 12-hour days of back-breaking, soul-numbing manual labor, just to have enough energy. So why not develop a drug that keeps you awake and alert, but isn't made of chemicals under your sink, and market that as a legal way to get a similar high? (And look at that, a drug exists already: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18925391.300)

"The long term safety and effectiveness of modafinil has not been determined." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil# ... d_warnings

[JuNii]

1. It would only be commercially sold drugs that would be taxed/regulated, IIRC. Meaning people could grow their own pot.
2. I don't know. What happens to people who are frequent alchoholics, who then get drunk and commit a crime?

and to add on.

people who make their own drugs tend to cut their drugs with other ingredients to increase their supplies. some of what they cut their drugs with isn't necessarily safe.

[Great Melonesia]

The only drug that should be legalized right now is pot. In addition to having few if any negative health effects, it's also the most profitable drug cartels.

[The Parkus Empire]

If murder was legal, crime will also go down. Does that mean that we legalize murder?

We're talking about drug use in relation to other crimes. In other words, legalizing drugs would make the rates of far more serious offenses, such as murder, go down.

Capisce?

[The Parkus Empire]

The only drug that should be legalized right now is pot. In addition to having few if any negative health effects, it's also the most profitable drug cartels.

Most popular, assuredly, but probably not the most profitable.

[Terra Agora]

The only drug that should be legalized right now is pot. In addition to having few if any negative health effects, it's also the most profitable drug cartels.

Most popular, assuredly, but probably not the most profitable.

lolwut?

demand (As long as you have the supply) = profit

Unless your saying people would just grow their own. I would agree with you there.

[New Manvir]

Most popular, assuredly, but probably not the most profitable.

lolwut?

demand (As long as you have the supply) = profit

Unless your saying people would just grow their own. I would agree with you there.

I have actually heard cocaine is more profitable than marijuana, not 100% on that though.

[Terra Agora]

lolwut?

demand (As long as you have the supply) = profit

Unless your saying people would just grow their own. I would agree with you there.

I have actually heard cocaine is more profitable than marijuana, not 100% on that though.

Probably because there is little supply. Well little available supply(harder to get into the US) and the demand is high (not as high as pot however)

[The Parkus Empire]

Most popular, assuredly, but probably not the most profitable.

lolwut?

demand (As long as you have the supply) = profit

Unless your saying people would just grow their own. I would agree with you there.

Pot is certainly the most consumed drug, yet not only is a lot of that grown by consumers and the local suppliers and dealers, but there's the thing that pot simply isn't nearly as expensive as many other drugs out there. I'd wager cocaine, the second most popular drug, brings in a lot more money and is what the major cartels (who have the capability to smuggle drugs in from other countries) prefer to work in, along with opiates such as heroine.

[Terra Agora]

lolwut?

demand (As long as you have the supply) = profit

Unless your saying people would just grow their own. I would agree with you there.

Pot is certainly the most consumed drug, yet not only is a lot of that grown by consumers and the local suppliers and dealers, but there's the thing that pot simply isn't nearly as expensive as many other drugs out there. I'd wager cocaine, the second most popular drug, brings in a lot more money and is what the major cartels (who have the capability to smuggle drugs in from other countries) prefer to work in, along with opiates such as heroine.

They can sell it at a higher price and only they are able to bring it in. As with pot like you said people can grow it, it can be locally grown, etc.

[The Parkus Empire]

Pot is certainly the most consumed drug, yet not only is a lot of that grown by consumers and the local suppliers and dealers, but there's the thing that pot simply isn't nearly as expensive as many other drugs out there. I'd wager cocaine, the second most popular drug, brings in a lot more money and is what the major cartels (who have the capability to smuggle drugs in from other countries) prefer to work in, along with opiates such as heroine.

They can sell it at a higher price and only they are able to bring it in. As with pot like you said people can grow it, it can be locally grown, etc.

Yeah, and since cartels are mainly concerned with smuggled drugs, it stands to reason that they'd want to bring in the shit that's really valuable pound-for-pound.

[Terra Agora]

They can sell it at a higher price and only they are able to bring it in. As with pot like you said people can grow it, it can be locally grown, etc.

Yeah, and since cartels are mainly concerned with smuggled drugs, it stands to reason that they'd want to bring in the shit that's really valuable pound-for-pound.

Indeed, not to mention doesn't most weed come from West Virginia? I watched a documentary on how hillbillies have forests full of it. Idk i'm probably wrong.

[Lord Tothe]

Yeah, I mean I'm not an anarchist, but I believe in privatized health care.

You believe in paying more for less?

You mean government-run healthcare there, right?

[Soviet Haaregrad]

If murder was legal, crime will also go down. Does that mean that we legalize murder?

Because me smoking weed in the privacy of my house is the same as me violating someone's rights by murdering them.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

Yeah, and since cartels are mainly concerned with smuggled drugs, it stands to reason that they'd want to bring in the shit that's really valuable pound-for-pound.

Indeed, not to mention doesn't most weed come from West Virginia? I watched a documentary on how hillbillies have forests full of it. Idk i'm probably wrong.

Oregon, Washington, Cali, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, New York and from over the borders. American pot is exported to Canada and Mexico and Canadian and Mexican pot is imported to America as well.

[Dusk_Kittens]

There's a weird tendency in this thread to assume that, since all illegal drugs are illegal, they must all be equally bad and/or legalizing them all would have the same social effects. You can't just say "legalize all drugs" and lump them together like that, because the drugs themselves are so different.

Marijuana? Not addictive, unlike cigarettes. You can't overdose on it, unlike alcohol. It doesn't make people violent, unlike alcohol. Never heard of anyone getting blackout high. Is marijuana dangerous? Absolutely not. The reasonable policy implication would be to carte blanche legalize and tax it.

Legalizing heroin or crystal meth, on the other hand, is a much dicier position. I don't think anyone could make the argument that either drug isn't dangerous. Frankly, legalizing those drugs would be irresponsible. However, declaring a war on a drug or sending people to jail is not the way to discourage its use, as we've seen in the past.
In my opinion, you need a more creative solution to these drugs. For example, and I'm just coming up with shit off the top of my head here, but here's a hypothesis: Why do people take crystal meth? According to people I know who have done it, and who come from places where many people do it, people aren't taking crystal meth because it's *fun*. It's a drug that gets you through the day, the kind of drug that people wake up and do right before their 12-hour days of back-breaking, soul-numbing manual labor, just to have enough energy. So why not develop a drug that keeps you awake and alert, but isn't made of chemicals under your sink, and market that as a legal way to get a similar high? (And look at that, a drug exists already: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18925391.300)

The point I'm trying to make here is that different drugs require different solutions, and "legalize all drugs" is too simple a solution, crime-reducing or not. For marijuana, absolutely; for other drugs, maybe not.

I agree with the above. There has never been a confirmed case of Cannabis poisoning, and Cannabis is not addictive (for those who want to quibble about the last, see one of my earlier posts); Cannabis should be entirely legal (production, sale, purchase, distribution, and use). As for the currently illegal drugs which are actually dangerous, I support only decriminalization; addiction is a medical concern, not a criminal one, and addicts should be treated as patients rather than prisoners.