Legalize Drugs, Why?

[geauxtohell]

But, how does making drugs legal do anything to help the addictions that addicts have? if heroin is legal doesn't that give the addicts less of a reason to try and get straight?

Look at what happened with methadone. That's the best argument against legalizing opiates/opiods.

I think MJ should be legal. I would never support legalizing any opiate, cocaine, methamphetamine, or LSD.

 

[High_Gravity]

Why not exactly? Right now the drugs are everywhere. Anyone can buy them who wants to, the only rub is they're pricey because they are illegal. Then when someone gets hooked and they finally wish to get off the drugs they are allready pretty much screwed. They allmost invariably have a criminal record, oftentimes peppered with non-violent felonies, but felonies non the less.

So even after they get clean they can't get a good job. Given the nature of the people involved (addictive personality disorder) they will invariably crack under the pressure of not being able to be productive and make a good living because of the stigma.
This system is so clearly not working that to blindly follow on with it is an example of insanity. Something else must be attempted. Just carrying on because you can't think of anything better is foolish.

But, how does making drugs legal do anything to help the addictions that addicts have? if heroin is legal doesn't that give the addicts less of a reason to try and get straight?

The first thing it does is remove the stigma of being a felon once they get clean. That removes a significant factor in why most addicts fail in their recoveries. You doom the vast majority of them to fail. If drugs are decriminalized the price drops out of the market so there is little need for the addicts to commit crimes in the first place to feed their habit. Cocaine obtained legally from teh governement (yes it is very possible) costs pennies instead of hundreds of dollars. Drugs are cheap for the most part. Their cost is in the diseases the users get from inferior drug making methods and of course the legal issues involved.

You make very good points you may very well be right, its just from my experiences of seeing people I know get hooked on these drugs just makes me shudder when I think about them being sold legally and cheap for everyone to buy.

 

[High_Gravity]

But, how does making drugs legal do anything to help the addictions that addicts have? if heroin is legal doesn't that give the addicts less of a reason to try and get straight?

Look at what happened with methadone. That's the best argument against legalizing opiates/opiods.

I think MJ should be legal. I would never support legalizing any opiate, cocaine, methamphetamine, or LSD.

I agree, I'm just thinking if these things are legal instead of seeing college kids party and drink it up, we will be seeing them party and smoke up some crack or crystal meth instead. You can't tell me these things are the same.

 

[geauxtohell]

But, how does making drugs legal do anything to help the addictions that addicts have? if heroin is legal doesn't that give the addicts less of a reason to try and get straight?

Look at what happened with methadone. That's the best argument against legalizing opiates/opiods.

I think MJ should be legal. I would never support legalizing any opiate, cocaine, methamphetamine, or LSD.

I agree, I'm just thinking if these things are legal instead of seeing college kids party and drink it up, we will be seeing them party and smoke up some crack or crystal meth instead. You can't tell me these things are the same.

They aren't. For one thing, meth and cocaine are addictive and carry the potential of an acute overdose. MJ doesn't do that.

 

[westwall]

But, how does making drugs legal do anything to help the addictions that addicts have? if heroin is legal doesn't that give the addicts less of a reason to try and get straight?

The first thing it does is remove the stigma of being a felon once they get clean. That removes a significant factor in why most addicts fail in their recoveries. You doom the vast majority of them to fail. If drugs are decriminalized the price drops out of the market so there is little need for the addicts to commit crimes in the first place to feed their habit. Cocaine obtained legally from teh governement (yes it is very possible) costs pennies instead of hundreds of dollars. Drugs are cheap for the most part. Their cost is in the diseases the users get from inferior drug making methods and of course the legal issues involved.

You make very good points you may very well be right, its just from my experiences of seeing people I know get hooked on these drugs just makes me shudder when I think about them being sold legally and cheap for everyone to buy.

I agree it's a dangerous consideration and there probably will be individuals who get addicted who probably never would have. However, I think the complete elimination of innocent deaths will more than make up the difference. I hate hearing about children laying in their beds being killed by gang bangers shooting up some neighborhood. Decriminalize drugs and that shit stops!

 

[westwall]

But, how does making drugs legal do anything to help the addictions that addicts have? if heroin is legal doesn't that give the addicts less of a reason to try and get straight?

Look at what happened with methadone. That's the best argument against legalizing opiates/opiods.

I think MJ should be legal. I would never support legalizing any opiate, cocaine, methamphetamine, or LSD.

I agree, I'm just thinking if these things are legal instead of seeing college kids party and drink it up, we will be seeing them party and smoke up some crack or crystal meth instead. You can't tell me these things are the same.

No, they're not but the kids do it anyway. Now when they get caught it is a criminal matter and they're screwed. Treat it as a medical problem instead. They get the treatment they need and instead of paying for 20 cops to go out and do useless buy/bust operations that don't accomplish a damn thing, that money can be directed at prevention and treatment which does do some good.

 

[westwall]

Look at what happened with methadone. That's the best argument against legalizing opiates/opiods.

I think MJ should be legal. I would never support legalizing any opiate, cocaine, methamphetamine, or LSD.

I agree, I'm just thinking if these things are legal instead of seeing college kids party and drink it up, we will be seeing them party and smoke up some crack or crystal meth instead. You can't tell me these things are the same.

They aren't. For one thing, meth and cocaine are addictive and carry the potential of an acute overdose. MJ doesn't do that.

Alcohol does too. Every year we have reports of some poor college kid dying of acute alcohol poisoning.

 

[High_Gravity]

I agree, I'm just thinking if these things are legal instead of seeing college kids party and drink it up, we will be seeing them party and smoke up some crack or crystal meth instead. You can't tell me these things are the same.

They aren't. For one thing, meth and cocaine are addictive and carry the potential of an acute overdose. MJ doesn't do that.

Alcohol does too. Every year we have reports of some poor college kid dying of acute alcohol poisoning.

Alot of that is because college kids abuse alcohol and don't know their limits, these idiots guzzle Four Lokos through a beer bong when that has a 14-15% alcohol content, I think classes need to be in these schools on alcohol awareness and training.

 

[westwall]

They aren't. For one thing, meth and cocaine are addictive and carry the potential of an acute overdose. MJ doesn't do that.

Alcohol does too. Every year we have reports of some poor college kid dying of acute alcohol poisoning.

Alot of that is because college kids abuse alcohol and don't know their limits, these idiots guzzle Four Lokos through a beer bong when that has a 14-15% alcohol content, I think classes need to be in these schools on alcohol awareness and training.

Sounds like every other drug that has been listed doesn't it?

 

[High_Gravity]

Alcohol does too. Every year we have reports of some poor college kid dying of acute alcohol poisoning.

Alot of that is because college kids abuse alcohol and don't know their limits, these idiots guzzle Four Lokos through a beer bong when that has a 14-15% alcohol content, I think classes need to be in these schools on alcohol awareness and training.

Sounds like every other drug that has been listed doesn't it?

But, how do you educate someone on the proper amount of heroin or crystal meth to take?

 

[Oddball]

But, how does making drugs legal do anything to help the addictions that addicts have? if heroin is legal doesn't that give the addicts less of a reason to try and get straight?

Look at what happened with methadone. That's the best argument against legalizing opiates/opiods.

I think MJ should be legal. I would never support legalizing any opiate, cocaine, methamphetamine, or LSD.

I agree, I'm just thinking if these things are legal instead of seeing college kids party and drink it up, we will be seeing them party and smoke up some crack or crystal meth instead. You can't tell me these things are the same.

Apples and submarines.

In fact, decrim/legalization favors the weaker substance over the stronger, for a whole host of reasons....This is why the sales in liquor stores is overwhelmingly in the areas of beer and wine, with hard liquor sales bringing up the rear by quite a distance.

 

[kwc57]

I have a question for all of you who support legalizing drugs, if your own children wanted to go into a store and buy legalized heroine, cocaine, or crystal meth, would you be ok with that? or is this like those people who say they have no problems with black people but would throw a shit fit if their son or daughter brought one home?

I have to imagine that most people who support drug legalization also support age limits. So, this question is mostly moot; your children would only be going into a store to buy the drugs legally once they are of age and you can no longer dictate their behavior anyway.

No that is not true, kids get a hold of alcohol now because they get it from other kids who have access to it or other adults who supply it for them, legalizing these drugs will just make it easier for kids to get their hands on it.

Not true. Kids already have easy access to any drug they want, just like alcohol.

 

[High_Gravity]

Look at what happened with methadone. That's the best argument against legalizing opiates/opiods.

I think MJ should be legal. I would never support legalizing any opiate, cocaine, methamphetamine, or LSD.

I agree, I'm just thinking if these things are legal instead of seeing college kids party and drink it up, we will be seeing them party and smoke up some crack or crystal meth instead. You can't tell me these things are the same.

Apples and submarines.

In fact, decrim/legalization favors the weaker substance over the stronger, for a whole host of reasons....This is why the sales in liquor stores is overwhelmingly in the areas of beer and wine, with hard liquor sales bringing up the rear by quite a distance.

That plus the good hard liquors are more expensive, a good bottle of Hennessy now is over $30 a bottle.

 

[High_Gravity]

I have to imagine that most people who support drug legalization also support age limits. So, this question is mostly moot; your children would only be going into a store to buy the drugs legally once they are of age and you can no longer dictate their behavior anyway.

No that is not true, kids get a hold of alcohol now because they get it from other kids who have access to it or other adults who supply it for them, legalizing these drugs will just make it easier for kids to get their hands on it.

Not true. Kids already have easy access to any drug they want, just like alcohol.

Yes but if these drugs are legalized the price will go down, which makes the drugs even easier to get, they can find a willing adult to walk into a store and buy them heroin instead of purchasing it on the street for a more expensive price.

 

[Oddball]

$30 a bottle isn't expensive...Try pricing out some of the single malt scotches.

In any case, you've swerved into another point...That being those who do go for the stronger stuff have a large constituency, who do so for reasons other than the buzz.

Pointing to crack and tar heroin as what would be the "norm" under a decrim/legalization scenario simply doesn't hold up in reality.

 

[kwc57]

But, how does making drugs legal do anything to help the addictions that addicts have? if heroin is legal doesn't that give the addicts less of a reason to try and get straight?

The first thing it does is remove the stigma of being a felon once they get clean. That removes a significant factor in why most addicts fail in their recoveries. You doom the vast majority of them to fail. If drugs are decriminalized the price drops out of the market so there is little need for the addicts to commit crimes in the first place to feed their habit. Cocaine obtained legally from teh governement (yes it is very possible) costs pennies instead of hundreds of dollars. Drugs are cheap for the most part. Their cost is in the diseases the users get from inferior drug making methods and of course the legal issues involved.

You make very good points you may very well be right, its just from my experiences of seeing people I know get hooked on these drugs just makes me shudder when I think about them being sold legally and cheap for everyone to buy.

Alcohol is relatively cheap and easy to buy. I don't drink the stuff. Well, I drink in one year what some people drink in one evening. Alcohol just isn't part of my life. That was the way I was raised. Simply because it is available.......isn't a temptation for me to buy it and use it. Drugs are the same way. For some reason, people think that if drugs were legalized, there would be a stampede on the stores, everyone would get high and there would be orgies in the street. Why? Why do you think legal availability will increase use? If that were true, it would be true with any and all legal products, be it pot, beer or french fries. Do we have a french fry epidemic?

 

[High_Gravity]

$30 a bottle isn't expensive...Try pricing out some of the single malt scotches.

In any case, you've swerved into another point...That being those who do go for the stronger stuff have a large constituency, who do so for reasons other than the buzz.

Pointing to crack and tar heroin as what would be the "norm" under a decrim/legalization scenario simply doesn't hold up in reality.

I agree but several posters have said they should go ahead and legalize all of it, meth, heroin, hash, meth, the whole package.

 

[High_Gravity]

The first thing it does is remove the stigma of being a felon once they get clean. That removes a significant factor in why most addicts fail in their recoveries. You doom the vast majority of them to fail. If drugs are decriminalized the price drops out of the market so there is little need for the addicts to commit crimes in the first place to feed their habit. Cocaine obtained legally from teh governement (yes it is very possible) costs pennies instead of hundreds of dollars. Drugs are cheap for the most part. Their cost is in the diseases the users get from inferior drug making methods and of course the legal issues involved.

You make very good points you may very well be right, its just from my experiences of seeing people I know get hooked on these drugs just makes me shudder when I think about them being sold legally and cheap for everyone to buy.

Alcohol is relatively cheap and easy to buy. I don't drink the stuff. Well, I drink in one year what some people drink in one evening. Alcohol just isn't part of my life. That was the way I was raised. Simply because it is available.......isn't a temptation for me to buy it and use it. Drugs are the same way. For some reason, people think that if drugs were legalized, there would be a stampede on the stores, everyone would get high and there would be orgies in the street. Why? Why do you think legal availability will increase use? If that were true, it would be true with any and all legal products, be it pot, beer or french fries. Do we have a french fry epidemic?

Funny that you mention it lol, have you seen all the fat kids lately? I think we DO have a french fry epidemic!

 

[kwc57]

No that is not true, kids get a hold of alcohol now because they get it from other kids who have access to it or other adults who supply it for them, legalizing these drugs will just make it easier for kids to get their hands on it.

Not true. Kids already have easy access to any drug they want, just like alcohol.

Yes but if these drugs are legalized the price will go down, which makes the drugs even easier to get, they can find a willing adult to walk into a store and buy them heroin instead of purchasing it on the street for a more expensive price.

Really? Would you buy it for them? I wouldn't. I'd venture that the vast majority in this thread wouldn't either. How many adults do you think they would have to ask....provided they actually had the balls to ask....before they find one willing?

 

[HUGGY]

Legalize Drugs, Why?

Removing the paranoia would make them more fun to take.

More in line with that whole "pursuit of happiness" thingy.