Legalize Drugs?

I wouldn't mind having marijuana legalized (disclaimer: I don't use any drugs whatsoever...).

Face it, rum or whiskey are stronger drugs than marijuana...

But I think if cocaine was to be legalized, it would ruin the economy, as most police, military and politicians wouldn't be able to organize the "illegal cocaine trade", as they are doing today for a heavy profit.

Suddenly, police officers, high military and politicians would have to find another dirty trick to make fast money on our back...

I think this is a major reason with keeping cocaine illegal: it is much more profitable that way.

profitable but for the few...
i am all for legalizing all drugs, think about those billions of dollars landing in the budget instead of pockets of corrupted politicians.
and as for the drug users, c'mon they do it at their own wish: no free treatments, no clinics, no mercy.

dv8 said:

think about those billions of dollars landing in the budget instead of pockets of corrupted politicians.

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In some countries I could mention that amounts to exactly the same thing.

I agree with dv8. But I doubt it will ever happen, simply because of what has already been stated, it is much too profitable now.
Who benefits by keeping it illegal? The most vocal anti-drug politicians might well be the most connected to the drug trade.

I guess my .02 is that the drug "war" is being fought bass ackwards. The reason it's failing (and has been for many decades) is that we keep going after the suppliers.

They are like the mythological hydra - even if you cut off one head, another grows in it's place. That's because the business is so profitable. Here's the irony: even if you succeed in cutting off one major trafficker, and keeping another from taking their place, the diminished product availability makes the business even more profitable for those remaining businessmen.


Assuming the intent is to keep the trade illegal, the way to deal with it, therefore, is to ignore the sellers, and go after the buyers. I'm not talking about the knuckleheads and stick-up kids in the hood. They're not the real problem. I'm talking about the casual users, namely Brad and Piper from Duke who are looking to have a bit of extra fun this weekend.

Those people, aggregated, are the ones who fuel the business. Therefore, if you aggressively prosecute and persecute them (faces on the news, felony charges, dragged out of homes, pretty much the same coverage you see minorities and poor whites getting on the evening news), I guarantee you'll see a major change in things.

As for outright legalization, I disagree. Controlled drugs - legal or otherwise - aren't benevolent. And people tend to use poor judgment around drugs. Either reason is enough to be against it, but both....

DRob :glasses:

DRob said:

I guess my .02 is that the drug "war" is being fought bass ackwards. The reason it's failing (and has been for many decades) is that we keep going after the suppliers.

They are like the mythological hydra - even if you cut off one head, another grows in it's place. That's because the business is so profitable. Here's the irony: even if you succeed in cutting off one major trafficker, and keeping another from taking their place, the diminished product availability makes the business even more profitable for those remaining businessmen.


Assuming the intent is to keep the trade illegal, the way to deal with it, therefore, is to ignore the sellers, and go after the buyers. I'm not talking about the knuckleheads and stick-up kids in the hood. They're not the real problem. I'm talking about the casual users, namely Brad and Piper from Duke who are looking to have a bit of extra fun this weekend.

Those people, aggregated, are the ones who fuel the business. Therefore, if you aggressively prosecute and persecute them (faces on the news, felony charges, dragged out of homes, pretty much the same coverage you see minorities and poor whites getting on the evening news), I guarantee you'll see a major change in things.

As for outright legalization, I disagree. Controlled drugs - legal or otherwise - aren't benevolent. And people tend to use poor judgment around drugs. Either reason is enough to be against it, but both....

DRob :glasses:

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If someone wants drugs there going to get them one way or another. In the DR and the US its easier than you think and can be done legally.Theres no shortage of doctors willing to prescribe drugs for anyone who wants them.

This is a major hurdle to the war on drugs because drug companies have a legal pipeline through lobbying and usage of doctors to push their crap and make them money.

The drug companies are a major obstacle in legalizing marijuana and other drugs because they know they will lose lots of money if people get get their legal "high" someplace else.

Beads said:

If someone wants drugs there going to get them one way or another. In the DR and the US its easier than you think and can be done legally.Theres no shortage of doctors willing to prescribe drugs for anyone who wants them.

This is a major hurdle to the war on drugs because drug companies have a legal pipeline through lobbying and usage of doctors to push their crap and make them money.

The drug companies are a major obstacle in legalizing marijuana and other drugs because they know they will lose lots of money if people get get their legal "high" someplace else.

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That's like blaming wall street for forcing you to take out that lousy mortgage on that house that cost far more than you can afford, beads.

Bad decisions at the top are often the result of bad decisions at the bottom. People who use poor judgment elect poor leaders who are susceptible to lobbyists who represent companies that make money off selling poor products to people with poor judgment, and so on.

I know you want to point a finger at some nebulous corporate bogeyman, but the best place to start is usually a mirror. Try using the one attached to your medicine cabinet.

Chirimoya said:

In some countries I could mention that amounts to exactly the same thing.

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sad but true. but i like the idea that you may be able to buy cocaine in wall-mart :cheeky: and maybe even mention: "i would like to sponsor the state police/hospital/PETA with this purchase"...

Although I do not currently use drugs I did when I was much younger and, yes, I definitely inhaled...among other things.

I believe drugs should be legalized, licensed, taxed and sold in WalMart!

Drugs are currently not legalized more out of ignorance than any real desire of the government to protect us. Governments have yet to determine how they can control the flow of drugs from supplier to consumer. Once they figure that out they can license the suppliers, tax the consumer and everyone will be happy.

Cigarettes, for example, are a product that if used as described by the manufacturer will almost certainly kill you. But governments allow them to be sold because they know where they are coming from, where they are going and how to extract revenue from them.

Gambling is a horrible habit that preys upon the weak, poorest and uneducated in society. Yet governments allow it because they can control it sufficiently to license and tax it.

Alcoholic beverages are worse for you that ecstasy and marijuana combined (and probably even more drugs). It ruins peoples lives, eats their livers, causes horrific accidents around the world and more. It's bad stuff. But so long as the governments feel they can adequately license it and tax its consumption they are happy to allow it to be sold.

Drugs are no different except the governments haven't quite figured out how they can prevent people from making them in their bathtub or in the backyard. Just as the 'revenuers' in the Appalachians closed most of the moonshine mills, the government will eventually figure this out as well.

The sooner drugs are legalized the better. Crime will go down. Sales will go up. New jobs will be created and criminal organizations will move on to the next thing, whatever that may be, to sell under the table to us.

Now...where is that blunt I had laying around here...

Castellamonte said:

I believe drugs should be legalized, licensed, taxed and sold in WalMart!

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I totally disagree.

They shouldn't be taxed, nor sold at WalMart.

They should be FREE and readily available on demand at the street corner gubmint free drug store.

Give druggies all they want, ESPECIALLY the really hard, dangerous drugs. Encourage the seeker of soft drugs, pot, to take the hard ones. They want 5 crack rocks? Give 'em 10, with a new pipe as a bonus.

Let them all die. Let their friends and families watch them wither away and die. Let all of society see it happen. Put it on TV, complete with video: "Breaking news, 3 more found dead, their corpses rotting in a fecund apartment infested with rats and feces..."

Cull the herd. Soon. Quickly.

No demand=no supply.

Hardcore? You bet? Effective? I'll bet a WHOLE lot more than we see today. Or do what Singapore does: hang them.

cobraboy said:

I totally disagree.

They shouldn't be taxed, nor sold at WalMart.

They should be FREE and readily available on demand at the street corner gubmint free drug store.

Give druggies all they want, ESPECIALLY the really hard, dangerous drugs. Encourage the seeker of soft drugs, pot, to take the hard ones. They want 5 crack rocks? Give 'em 10, with a new pipe as a bonus.

Let them all die. Let their friends and families watch them wither away and die. Let all of society see it happen. Put it on TV, complete with video: "Breaking news, 3 more found dead, their corpses rotting in a fecund apartment infested with rats and feces..."

Cull the herd. Soon. Quickly.

No demand=no supply.

Hardcore? You bet? Effective? I'll bet a WHOLE lot more than we see today. Or do what Singapore does: hang them.

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Sorry , my friend, but this post seems a bit TOO harsh.

When the world is a picture perfect world, then drugs will seize to exist.

I hope you will never have a child hooked on them. Then you will retract your post I bet.

Not all drug users are losers. These people just got caught up in a violent world.

I say education is key and drugs SHOULD NOT be legalized.

This is my opinion and my 2 1/2 cents.

I also value your opinion BUT think it is rather harsh.

Bronxboy said:

I hope you will never have a child hooked on them.

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Is a sister close enough?

I used to think legalization was the answer, due to some of the same things already discussed here (control, taxes, etc)

Now after seeing how my community has changed over the last few years due to drugs, I'm at the other end of the spectrum and think that very harsh penalties- a la Singapore - is the only way to contain it...not prevent it, but at least contain it.

A junkie will steal from his own mother, break into any home and even kill to feed his / her habit. You can't "cure" a junkie...

It's a moot point though as they will never be legalized and The DR is never going to exact the harsh penalties I believe are needed, when the government itself is involved to the hilt in the business

suarezn said:

I used to think legalization was the answer, due to some of the same things already discussed here (control, taxes, etc)

Now after seeing how my community has changed over the last few years due to drugs, I'm at the other end of the spectrum and think that very harsh penalties- a la Singapore - is the only way to contain it...not prevent it, but at least contain it.

A junkie will steal from his own mother, break into any home and even kill to feed his / her habit. You can't "cure" a junkie...

It's a moot point though as they will never be legalized and The DR is never going to exact the harsh penalties I believe are needed, when the government itself is involved to the hilt in the business

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Changing one's mind happens, esp. when personal circumstances intervene.

I remember seeing formerly conservative "by your bootstrap" IT people standing in lines to receive unemployment checks after the dot-com bust.

We just saw hard-core no-government-interference types beg and eventually demand a 2 trillion dollar global bailout.

Dick Cheney became less of a social conservative when it turned out his daughter was a lesbian.

And now, people have stronger views on drug legalization when it finally hits home.

'Tis the way of things, I suppose.

DRob said:

That's like blaming wall street for forcing you to take out that lousy mortgage on that house that cost far more than you can afford, beads.

Bad decisions at the top are often the result of bad decisions at the bottom. People who use poor judgment elect poor leaders who are susceptible to lobbyists who represent companies that make money off selling poor products to people with poor judgment, and so on.

I know you want to point a finger at some nebulous corporate bogeyman, but the best place to start is usually a mirror. Try using the one attached to your medicine cabinet.

Click to expand...

I don't blame wall street for people taking out lousy mortgages I blame the people who singed for a mortgage they couldn't handle.

As far as finding officials who are not susceptible to lobbyists thats another touch problem without a fix as long as lobbying is allowed. I would suggest that if you removed the ability of lobbying and tracked the income of our elected officials more thoroughly this couldn't happen. This is a difficult task but by legalizing drugs you would removed the lobbying drug companies from a big portion of the equation.

Your still missing the point here. People will do drugs. Your NEVER going to stop it. Nothing you can do will stop it. Prohibition only made the illegal activities available for criminals to get rich off it. By legalizing these substances in the same way you take the biggest piece of the equation away..... THE MONEY

Sure people in Colombia can export their coke but it won't be as costly to the consumer because the criminal middle man can no longer make a profit competing against a true business and it will allow the governments to tax it and use that money for good uses.

Removing the lobbyists will take a bit out of the corruption.

The common denominator is making these things not generate MONEY for ccriminals.Once the money is no longer there to be made we'll see a difference until then things will remains as they are.

Legalize marijuana. Tax it. California although having enormous budgetary problems does this and is able to stem some of their shortfall through pot-shop tax revenue.

No matter what one tries you'll never get rid of drugs since it has been part of humanity for thousands of years. The best thing to do is to educate people how to deal with vices as they do in Holland there the coffee shops also pay taxes.

Ironically I was just watching TV here in Mexico where I'm currently located and congress is currently discussing whether to legalize Marihuana. The law being discussed by congress would allow the possession of up to 30 grams, the shops to sell it would be regulated just like alcohol currently is - You'd need a license - cannot sell to minors and a shop cannot be within 10 meters of an educational facility...This last one I think is ridiculous (10 meters?)

Mido: I don't think you can compare tobacco, alcohol or anything else to hard drugs as none of these other substances normally don't make you steal, kill, etc to get your next fix...That to me is the deal breaker.