Legalization of drugs, pros and cons!

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by UofMfan

Did you know that the minimum sentence, according to guidelines, for any drug offense is 5 years?

Let's do the math and see how much money we would save on housing these non-violent offenders and how much we would gain from taxing this stuff.

Thanks for the cookies

Pot needs to not be an offense at all. It is just dumb. I agree with SF, it need to be legalized at the Federal Level. Mushrooms, Poppies, Peyote, etc.

I do think Chrystal Meth is scary and it makes the entire area it is cooked toxic and can explode easily and kill innocent bystanders. Other than that, I really don't care. Decriminalize away. Yes, prostitution too.

I agree that the government does not need to legislate morality.

[Apocalipstic]

Of course for those people who think pot is a gateway drug and leads to Crystal......

I think they need to read up and look a their logic.

[Cyclopea]

I'm "anti-drug". Don't like them, don't do them.
But I think all drugs including pharmaceuticals should be legalized and the taxes put towards treatment for addiction.
The practical problem with this is that there is a massive economy built around drugs which would collapse. If the black market was wiped out and most of the prisons closed by legalizing drugs what would replace this economy? What would happen to all the people who make a living on the black market? Would they sell Avon or what? It's not just "cartels" that make a living in the drug economy but lots of regular people too. There are not enough jobs in the legal economy as it is without displacing the massive underground economy and all the legal jobs that feed off it. Would the average street dealer be re-trained as an addictions counselor in the new "treatment economy"?

[weatherboi]

Legalizing drugs benefits us all for many reasons!!

Here are some off the top of my head.

1-Societal Benefits- Illegal drug sale creates a criminal culture. People, such as myself (recreational user),has to come in contact with not so nice people. It also affects our youths and creating a space to choose a life of crime selling drugs on the street.

2-The Potency Effect- Remember prohibition...more people chose to drink alcohol over wine or beer because it was more potent. Alcohol related deaths skyrocketed. When it comes to drugs if a dealer is gonna take a risk, then the dealer is more likely to risk transporting/selling a more potent product for the public to purchase. Potency does not equate quality!!

3-Health Benefits- Legalizing would ensure market driven high quality substances to purchase. There would be brand name competition and accountablity.

4-Reduction in Crime- four reasons for this thought
1-reduction in market prices from the influx of users that were normally deterred because of criminal laws.
2-substance related crime will decrease because the courts will now be open for companies to settle disputes in court.
3-Profits for cartels = money for terrorists!!!
4-legalizing sale,transport and possession will now be viewed as legal buisness transactions.


This is all I have for now...

[Soft*Silver]

gave up drinking and drugs 21 years ago. (one relapse).But I agree that pot should be decriminilized. And I also come from the economic stance as well as the quality control stance. Other drugs I am not ok with becoming legal. I cant imagine walking into Main Street Market and buying some acid to go along with my Orange Juice for my lunch break.

And I think, because we have outlawed smoking in almost every public place, containing pot smoke in public would be so limited it would not be difficult to control for those who dont wish to be subjected to it, like myself, who counts contact highs with relapse.

and I wish to god they would make prostitution legal and regulate it and get a union going for the sex workers. Its insane that its not.

but then this is a nation that allowed bush to reign for two rounds and picked the actor over the jackass before bush.

shaking my head...in my head there is a much kinder simpler world...too damn bad it has as much clout as playing with Barbies....

[Apocalipstic]

No acid for lunch?

*POUT*

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

No acid for lunch?

*POUT*

No, but only because I'm sure our employers wouldn't like us doing that on our lunch breaks any more than they want us to have a martini on our lunch breaks.

I'm not allowed to have any alcohol within the TWELVE hours before I go to work. I'm sure it doesn't take that long for a person to sober up - but the rule is fair.

[MsDemeanor]

Originally Posted by betenoire

I'm not allowed to have any alcohol within the TWELVE hours before I go to work. I'm sure it doesn't take that long for a person to sober up - but the rule is fair.

That's a bit rough. For most folks, that means not even being able to have a glass of wine with dinner if you work the next day. I guess it depends on what one does for living.

[Andrew, Jr.]

I say legalize all drugs and prostitution on a federal level. Too many can benefit from this. The smoking and allergies are now in effect depending on where you live. In Maryland, and Delaware, in certain counties you are not allowed to wear colognes or perfumes, banned the usage of scented deodorizers (think Febreze) in office buildings, and in company vehicles. Tax the drugs and all, and use that money to pour back into our failing economy.

I think the advantage of smoking pot on cancer patients and AIDS patients would be so beneficial when they hit the wasting stage.

[MsDemeanor]

Legalize everything and tax everything. I'd much rather have meth manufactured in a controlled environment and sold with an ingredients list than have it manufactured in someone's shed where it's polluting the water and endangering lives.

There's no down side to full legalization. Massive layoffs in the prison industry and DA's offices don't count as a downside in my book.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by MsDemeanor

Legalize everything and tax everything. I'd much rather have meth manufactured in a controlled environment and sold with an ingredients list than have it manufactured in someone's shed where it's polluting the water and endangering lives.

There's no down side to full legalization. Massive layoffs in the prison industry and DA's offices don't count as a downside in my book.

Good point on the Meth, I had not thought of that. Thank you!

[UofMfan]

Originally Posted by MsDemeanor

Legalize everything and tax everything. I'd much rather have meth manufactured in a controlled environment and sold with an ingredients list than have it manufactured in someone's shed where it's polluting the water and endangering lives.

There's no down side to full legalization. Massive layoffs in the prison industry and DA's offices don't count as a downside in my book.

Excellent point. Besides, crime is constant, so those who work for prisons and the DA will be busy anyway.

[apretty]

Originally Posted by MsDemeanor

Legalize everything and tax everything. I'd much rather have meth manufactured in a controlled environment and sold with an ingredients list than have it manufactured in someone's shed where it's polluting the water and endangering lives.

There's no down side to full legalization. Massive layoffs in the prison industry and DA's offices don't count as a downside in my book.

agreed.

making it *legal* isn't going to make me want to use meth/crack/whatever.

this also would de-criminalize the addict.

also, anything can make an addict fixate--have you seen those people that have 'loving relationships' with inanimate objects like the eiffel tower?

(i say addict/fixate and i do think that addiction and your 'drug of choice' takes the place of a REAL relationship, when an addict is in an active-addiction stage)

[PearlsNLace]

I work for a clinic that treats people who have become addicted to prescription drugs.

We also treat Heroin and cocaine addictions also.

I can not tell the desperation apart, when these people first come into treatment. Without reading the charts, all I see are the miserable symptoms of withdrawl.


Knowing this, would I make it legal? Hell yeah. Making it illegal really only punishes the families, and makes the cycles of addiction worse, due to the compound effect of secretive shame, the harrassment of law enforcement- and the financial drain that at this point benfits NOT A DAMN person worth having it. Use the money from taxes and what-not for education and then treatment if/when addiction happens.

I dont see a difference, outside of cultural acceptance, of a prescribed pill vs a street drug. They are all hard drugs. The road to recovery is brutal for all of them. Less likely for Heroin? Perhaps. But I do believe a large portion of that is due to the very nature of what it takes to AQUIRE those drugs, and that has to do with it being illegal, and not regulated.

So, just in case you were wondering, YES I do believe we need to change the way prescription drugs are regulated in this country. The current system has some doctors scared to medicate patients when they have pain, have other doctors just writing carte blanc scripts that get sold on the black market. Our system is NOT working. And then there are the countless who are no longer even seeking medical advice, and aquiring meds somehow on their own without medical training at all. These things scare me. Our system does not work.
I dont see this changing though. Currently the system is benifiting pharmaceutical companies, and they pay the politicians.

If you want something changed, you dont protest, you shell out cash. If this is jaded, I am willing to look at another view. For today, this is my opinion.

[Jess]

Originally Posted by PearlsNLace

I work for a clinic that treats people who have become addicted to prescription drugs.

We also treat Heroin and cocaine addictions also.

I can not tell the desperation apart, when these people first come into treatment. Without reading the charts, all I see are the miserable symptoms of withdrawl.


Knowing this, would I make it legal? Hell yeah. Making it illegal really only punishes the families, and makes the cycles of addiction worse, due to the compound effect of secretive shame, the harrassment of law enforcement- and the financial drain that at this point benfits NOT A DAMN person worth having it. Use the money from taxes and what-not for education and then treatment if/when addiction happens.

I dont see a difference, outside of cultural acceptance, of a prescribed pill vs a street drug. They are all hard drugs. The road to recovery is brutal for all of them. Less likely for Heroin? Perhaps. But I do believe a large portion of that is due to the very nature of what it takes to AQUIRE those drugs, and that has to do with it being illegal, and not regulated.

So, just in case you were wondering, YES I do believe we need to change the way prescription drugs are regulated in this country. The current system has some doctors scared to medicate patients when they have pain, have other doctors just writing carte blanc scripts that get sold on the black market. Our system is NOT working. And then there are the countless who are no longer even seeking medical advice, and aquiring meds somehow on their own without medical training at all. These things scare me. Our system does not work.
I dont see this changing though. Currently the system is benifiting pharmaceutical companies, and they pay the politicians.

If you want something changed, you dont protest, you shell out cash. If this is jaded, I am willing to look at another view. For today, this is my opinion.

So, please help me here. Regulated, prescribed drugs are being abused, so we need all drugs no matter of the consequence of taking them to be legal? This will help you in your daily encounters with addicts how?

I am seriously amazed and confused by this position within our community. A community laden with addiction.

[SuperFemme]

Originally Posted by Jess

So, please help me here. Regulated, prescribed drugs are being abused, so we need all drugs no matter of the consequence of taking them to be legal? This will help you in your daily encounters with addicts how?

I am seriously amazed and confused by this position within our community. A community laden with addiction.

Addiction is a DISEASE.

Alcohol is legal. Oxycontin is legal. Where I live, medicinal marijuana is legal.

Regulate the disease, take away the criminal element of most substances and let doctors treat addiction patients in offices, in a medical setting where the disease can be addressed.

It would help me in my daily encounters with addicts because I would not worry about somebody robbing my home, stealing my car, etc. etc., in order to procure illegal substances. Instead, a medical professional can help the addict and treat the disease.

Imagine the taking back of neighborhoods? The removal of the allure of quick cash selling crack/heroin/meth on the street corner for fast big cash? We'd get our youth back, and our future may not look so bleak.j

I don't think it is completely crazy to think about.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Oxycotin caused me to have a heart attack. I am not surprised it legal in CA. It takes a year or so for things to come across and make it to the East Coast.

[Jess]

Originally Posted by SuperFemme

Addiction is a DISEASE.

Alcohol is legal. Oxycontin is legal. Where I live, medicinal marijuana is legal.

Regulate the disease, take away the criminal element of most substances and let doctors treat addiction patients in offices, in a medical setting where the disease can be addressed.

It would help me in my daily encounters with addicts because I would not worry about somebody robbing my home, stealing my car, etc. etc., in order to procure illegal substances. Instead, a medical professional can help the addict and treat the disease.

Imagine the taking back of neighborhoods? The removal of the allure of quick cash selling crack/heroin/meth on the street corner for fast big cash? We'd get our youth back, and our future may not look so bleak.j

I don't think it is completely crazy to think about.

Sorry to disagree with your logic, although I can see it. I don't see where making becoming addicted easier will make getting treatment any better. They don't give federal money now for addicts. Why would that change? There was a short period in the 80's where "treatment" was the trendy thing to do and insurance companies actually paid for it. Those days are way over and it is now "optional". Imagine that. It's optional to get treatment, as it is optional to become an addict. So says Blue Cross.

I try to see the point in legalizing highly addictive chemicals, but sorry, I just don't.

[PearlsNLace]

Originally Posted by Jess

So, please help me here. Regulated, prescribed drugs are being abused, so we need all drugs no matter of the consequence of taking them to be legal? This will help you in your daily encounters with addicts how?

I am seriously amazed and confused by this position within our community. A community laden with addiction.

My positition is that there is no law, no war, no defense against addiction outside of education.

My postition is pro regulation, not because it will be an addiction deterrent. But because it would provide better resources for the addictions that will happen, no matter how they are accessed.


My positition is that laws criminalizing chemicals compounds, not prevents, the complicated problems of addictions.

My position is that the war on drugs does nothing to prevent addiction, and has only profitted the wrong people.

My postition is that ESPECIALLY for our community, education is vital, alternative social outlets that are NOT chemically centered are essential, and that our members suffer harsher consequences in our current legal system when caught.

Is that more clear?

[UofMfan]

My headache is gone thanks to everyone that wished it so. I have a lot to read and catch up on.

I want to thank everyone who has participated.

Be back later to comment.