Time To Discuss Drug Prohibition?

gplus writes "December 5th was the 75th anniversary of the end of alcohol prohibition in the US. The Wall Street Journal has an op-ed which argues that now may be the time to discuss our war on drugs and the drug prohibition currently in place. The article argues that the harm caused by the banned substance must be balanced against the harms caused by the prohibition. As to why Americans in 1933 finally voted to end prohibition, while we barely even discuss it: 'Most Americans in 1933 could recall a time before prohibition, which tempered their fears. But few Americans now can recall the decades when the illicit drugs of today were sold and consumed legally. If they could, a post-prohibition future might prove less alarming.'"

Comments

Right....

[ArchieBunker]

But you don't speak about the abyss of drug addiction, the income-sapping expense, the parents of kids that forget parenting while doing drugs, the accidents on the freeway, the madness of things like meth addiction and its incredible debilitating affects on the body.

And none of that goes on now.

listen again:

[circletimessquare]

all drugs exert a destructive influence on lives. every single one

you start with something like coffee (infinitesimal destructive cost), all they way up to a continuum to something like methamphetamine (huge destructive cost)

but, also for making these drugs illegal, you exert a societal cost in terms of funding organized crime, etc.

so you have to weighs pros and cons. if you say to me its all con for making drugs illegal, or all pro for making drugs illegal, you're like a 14 year old debate club idiot: you are a total ognrant on the facts of what you are discussing

you have to make a cost/ benefit analysis of legalizing/ making illegal for every single drug. you begin by recognizing there is a cost for making drugs legal, and a cost for makign drugs illegal. then you have to pick between grey areas: by making a drug illegal or legal, are gianing more or less destruction overall?

its incredibly difficult and complicated. if you think its easy and a nobrainer, you, again, are a completel fool

for a lot of drugs (lsd, nicotine, alcohol, marijuana) the societal costs of making them illegal (organized crime, taboo cachet for idiot teenagers, etc) clearly outweight the personal costs of making them legal (smoking gives you cancer, alcohol addiction and drunk driving, etc.)

but for some drugs (heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine) the societal costs of making them illegal ARE LESS THAN the personal costs of making them legal

to understand that, you need to understand just how devastating the addictive effects of these drugs are. that it is easy to become addicted, and once addicted, you are unable to hold a job, a relationship, etc. (well, you are, for awhile, but its a rocketship you fall off of at some point... if you meet someone who says someone can be a cocaine adict or a heroin addict and remian in a relationship or job forever, no ill effects, you are dealing with an addict in denial and/ or a complete idiot)

if you don't understand the cold hard facts of the destructive power of hardcore drugs on people's lives, you are speaking form a position of complete ignorance

hardcore inebriating and addictive substances do to lives is nothing but a story of utter destruction

and again, you may say: so what? why do i care if someone destroys their lives? because me, society, my taxes, has to pay to feed and house people who are basically zombies unable to feed or clothe or house themselve,s just ithcing for a drug

if i'm shell out some cash, i'd rather fund the CHEAPER cost of forever (yes, the war lasts forever and never ends, i know that) of waging war on HARDCORE drugs (only heorin, cocaine, methamphetamine, etc.) marijuana, lsd, mushrooms: should be legal