What are your thoughts on drug liberalization?

I'm all in favour of "Let people do what they like, and deal with the consequences".

 

"it's dried plant matter so it shouldn't be illegal" is a ridiculous argument.

 

Anything stronger than weed/cannabis should not be legalised (legalized for those in America ) At the end of the day if something is made illegal when there is no medicinal need then if you cannot abide by the laws of the land you are subject to the punishments of the land.

People know the consequences before they decide to shove chemicals in their body.

 

When alcohol is as freely available as it is now, I believe there are some other drugs that should be available as well, as they're less harmful than alcohol is. Marihuana, XTC and LSD are the first that come to mind, but this is something that should be thoroughly researched before anything is decided.

So yes - I'm very much in favour of the liberalisation of certain kinds of drugs, but only after enough research of what to legalise, why to legalise just these, how they will be sold, and what effects it will (probably) have.

 

The issue for me with drugs is when they start to hurt other people that are not using them. I'm thinking of things like driving while under the influence, or somebody attacking somebody while they are high. Or even children being hurt by parent's drug usage. So, to avoid these issues, I think that there needs to be some regulation on drug usage.

I agree that the money that goes into the war on drugs could be used to better educate people about drug usage, and to set up rehab programs for those who need them. There are many people who are left in the cracks with the current rehab systems that are in place, and that is sad.

Another thing is that in prison, people tend to learn how to be better criminals, so they do not reintegrate into society very well, and end up in the same trouble again.

 

Alcohol is a known entity and it is well researched - we know in moderation it is safe. Those you've suggested certainly ecstasy and LSD are an unknown entity long term wise.

It would take decades of hard research to get close to knowing the full effects.

 

Legalise most drugs. I'm unsure about heroin and meth. I wouldn't persecute users -better to offer help than throw them away in jail.

Alcohol and tobacco are up there in terms of physical harm and addictiveness. LSD and ecstasy are not especially harmful, but the amount of ecstasy required to get high is close to the lethal dose.

 

Decriminalize all drugs.

 

I don't have any problem legalizing drugs. Employers should however still have the right to test for them and fire those who show up to work under the influence, just as they do with alcohol now.

 

^ Only if Marshal Law is initiated then fine

It'll be needed.

 

for example let's apply the standard of something being a plant to other stuff.

Should I be able to have 2 ounces of amygdalin?


I'm for drug legalization, but using that argument to support it is absurd.

---------- Post added 3rd Dec 2014 at 05:08 PM ----------

MDMA is neurotoxic Neurotoxicity of ecstasy (MDMA): an overview. - PubMed - NCBI

so if you want use the standard of being especially dangerous, like methamphetamine being neurotoxic in humans, MDMA has be outlawed too.

note: my position is that all drugs should be legalized, hard drugs should be bought from Pharma Companies and sold in heavily regulated federal facilities. This is the only way to make this workable in a capitalist paradigm because of how addictive some drugs (like morphine and heroin) are, which makes me not want to trust the market to handle it.

I don't see how this is workable in an anarchist society without drug companies quickly turning into drug cartels either.

so you're an anarchist but your system for drug legalization relies heavily on the premise that a state exists?
lol

 

Dosis facit venenum.
Legalize everything, but also regulate the use and inform the consumers, same as with any other legal substance. To quote a friend of mine (who was a lawyer) your freedom ends where the well being of other people beginn.

Most of the people that is in jail (at least in some countries) are there because of drug related crimes, specially selling the stuff.

Speaking of the devil, ^ THIS also.

And last but not least remember what happened during the infamous prohibition. To criminalize a particular drug is not going to stop the use, it's going to make it even worse, plus the side effects of having a new product for the illegal market.

 

But meth is considerably more addictive and harmful to the body than ecstasy. I'd probably support your line of thinking though. I would rather heroin and meth addicts have access to the drug and seek help on their own terms, rather than experience withdrawal symptoms.

 

I believe we should decriminalize marijuana and regulate it like alcohol. Other than that, I think our drugs laws are fine as is. Marijuana really isn't as bad as alcohol (which is protected in the constitution because prohibition failed). Marijuana prohibition is also failing, as many people are just being thrown in jail for a drug that is nowhere near as deadly as tobacco and alcohol.

I myself have never tried marijuana, and I don't plan to. Compared to alcohol, marijuana influences much less aggressive behavior, and doesn't impair the body as badly as alcohol. They've actually done a test and it shows how people were able to smoke 4-9 times the legal limit and still drive well enough to not be pulled over. That said, I'd also like to add that alcohol doesn't have health benefits. Marijuana provides benefits for medicinal usage, and it also provides a more reliable source of paper products and biofuel.

 

more addictive compared to what? all the studies that have been done on the abuse potential of MDMA have varied results. What is known is that uses of MDMA self report withdrawal symptoms, so there is evidence that it is addictive and abusable. FWIW MDMA and methamphetamine have similar mechanisms of action, being agonists at TAAR1 sites (as well as effects on ohter monoamine transporters) in the CNS.

note: I don't think that means it should be illegal, I just think spreading information that isn't accurate about recreational drugs isn't helpful.

 

Marijuana and other cannabis-like substances (salvia, etc.) should be legalized, regulated, and taxed heavily. Not that I'd still have any interest in using them. Everything else should remain illegal.

 

I think that everything should be legalised but some drugs like heroin should be heavily controlled, I believe this solely for the reason that when something becomes criminalised there is no restriction on its strength or how pure it can be(look at the prohibition era in the US). I've seen people at festivals who were sold weed with broken glass in and my dad who used to work as a social worker found that after the police removed the local supply of heroin then a new supply chain was set up and very often the new supply was drastically stronger than the old supply, some days up to 20 people would accidentally overdose because they were used to much more diluted substances.

The only way to help people with drug issues is to allow them to seek help without the risk of being imprisoned, not to mention how much safer drugs would be when they aren't contaminated with whatever dealers can get their hands on.

 

Drugs should be legal and taxed, but those who do hard drugs would have to forfeit a certain amount of healthcare money, since it is their decision to damage themselves, and therefore relinquish others' responsibility of their own health.
Cruel, yes, but you'd be given fair warning beforehand, so you'd know what you're getting yourself into.

 

Decriminalize all drugs
Send drug addicts to treatment centers instead of to prison
Free all nonviolent drug offenders and compensate them for time paid
Legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use for those over 18

Everything else should be treated on a case by case basis. If for example, a person has a cocaine addiction and is busted for using cocaine, they should go to a drug treatment center. If someone commits another crime under the influence they should be charged with a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the seriousness.