What if drugs were legalised?

[Glamorgan]

Well, I just started an assignment, and one of the options was What would happen if drugs were legalized. So, being me, I got distracted, and ended up on The Escapist. But while I'm here, I thought I might as well get some other opinions on this. So: What do you think would happen if drugs were legalized?

EDIT: And would you support it if they were?

 

[Eldarion]

You might as well, if people want to drug themselves up let them.

As for what would change? I don't know. I guess the same people who were doing them before would do them after and the people like me who don't still won't.

 

[The Procrastinated End]

Drug dealers would go out of business or become contractors and druggies wouldn't have anything to ***** to me about anymore.

 

[ShwStppnActr]

If drugs were legalized:
1. The government would start making money off of the taxes for it.
2. The FDA would start having standards for the drugs therefore making them safer.
3. The illegal market of it would decrease because you can get it LEGALLY and probably cheaper and refer back to number 2.

So. Crime decreases, recession decreases, addicts still get what they want while helping everyone else out.

 

[Omegatronacles]

Jails would have more space for real criminals

 

[Glamorgan]

Would there be any downsides to it? I can't really think of any.

 

[lasherman]

Well, they would be very heavily regulated by the government, probably making them much safer to use. It would also eliminate having to deal with sketchy drug dealers. It would save millions of dollars of taxpayer money being spent on the "drug wars", and most likely become a huge new source of revenue for the country.

Of course, this could easily lead to creating a huge new generation of crack heads and addicts, leading to everyone in the world looking like my Mega-Man avatar...

 

[ShwStppnActr]

Would there be any downsides to it? I can't really think of any.

The only thing anyone could say is the cigarettes arguments: it's publicly known that it is bad for you and the government shouldn't be endorsing something that is unhealthy. Also, it could get more people to start if it was legal. All of those could be defended with fatty foods and alcohol.

 

[LongAndShort]

Well Amsterdam is still running alright so I guess it'd work out in most countries.

America'd be fucked though. That many guns floating around and a lot of people tripping on whatever, recipe for hilarity.

 

[Glamorgan]

Would there be any downsides to it? I can't really think of any.

The only thing anyone could say is the cigarettes arguments: it's publicly known that it is bad for you and the government shouldn't be endorsing something that is unhealthy. Also, it could get more people to start if it was legal. All of those could be defended with fatty foods and alcohol.

Hmmm. Fair point. However, I don't think that you could defend the "More people starting" thing with alcohol or cigarettes. If it is easier to get the drugs, more people will start. However, I think that the pros would massively outway the cons.
EDIT:

America'd be fucked though. That many guns floating around and a lot of people tripping on whatever, recipe for hilarity.

I think you just found a good reason to keep the outlawed.

 

[blankedboy]

Would there be any downsides to it? I can't really think of any.

Except all the psychos running around destroying your car, house and family with various household objects.

 

[unoleian]

Would there be any downsides to it? I can't really think of any.

The only thing anyone could say is the cigarettes arguments: it's publicly known that it is bad for you and the government shouldn't be endorsing something that is unhealthy. Also, it could get more people to start if it was legal. All of those could be defended with fatty foods and alcohol.

Do people smoke simply because it's "legal?" No.
Do people eat fatty foods because they're legal? No. Cheap, yes. Easy, yes. A factor of culture, advertising, and upbringing? Yes. Same to alcohol.

Drugs are in a different ballpark. I've never heard anyone say they didn't do a drug because it was illegal. Not one. Not for them? Yes. Not healthy? Yes. Something they don't approve of? Yes.

Notice how all those can also apply to the same legal vices you mention. It's a personal barometer. Drugs aren't compelling because they're illegal. If education was handled correctly, people wouldn't approach them unless they are compelled to, which happens despite their legal status.

I never tried anything just because it was illegal, I tried it because I was damn curious. Not every one is. It's a factor of more than legality or "acceptability," it's a factor of mindset.

Therefore, people who do drugs do them despite their status.
However, some things, like, say, heroin, meth, that kind of stuff, is so subversively addictive and dangerous, perhaps being illegal isn't a bad thing. On the other hand, there's many things that seem to be illegal simply due to ignorance or unfounded fear.

 

[ShwStppnActr]

You can defend it with cigarettes and alcohol. Cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs are known to be harmful and addicting, yet cigarettes are legal and alcohol impairs judgement. It's really just the same thing.

Well Amsterdam is still running alright so I guess it'd work out in most countries.

America'd be fucked though. That many guns floating around and a lot of people tripping on whatever, recipe for hilarity.

Hence: Gun control.

 

[Bobster]

Well, more people will die from Overdoses, unless there's some sorta goverment policy about the drug. Other then that people'll be getting high all over the place and create havoc. That's just my two cents though.

 

[unoleian]

Well Amsterdam is still running alright so I guess it'd work out in most countries.

America'd be fucked though. That many guns floating around and a lot of people tripping on whatever, recipe for hilarity.

Hence: Gun control.

Both of these statements from both quotes offend me on so many levels, I don't even know where to begin.

 

[ShwStppnActr]

Both of these statements from both quotes offend me on so many levels, I don't even know where to begin.

Ha. Okay. Because of gun control?

 

[Brutus03]

I think you would see a jump in drug related deaths for first time users. Current users would be able to buy more. Gangs and drug cartels would have to find other ways to make money (which they already do but the drugs are big now).

Society would change. You would see more deaths, car accidents, people hallucinating and it would kill a lot of people. Overall that would be short lived as people start to wise up about their use of drugs. People would demand a cure to drug addiction and a sort of drug vaccine would be created. Test subjects who are willing to beat the addiction would accelerate the research for a cure. Then you have a cure, drugs become the new cigarettes.

 

[viranimus]

Depends on the drug really.

Pot would result in nothing would get done

Speed ... all kinds of things would get done, but it wasnt what that person was supposed to be doing

painkillers would result in a laziness that would avoid anything stressful enough to possibly cause pain

Anti-depressants would result in several deaths due to a misinterpreted zombie apocalypse

Xtacy would result in the statue of liberty being repainted in blacklight responsive neon


Heroine would result in the population dying out due to lack of reproduction simply because of the belief that the smack is better than sex.

Coke/Crack would result in complete economic collapse and starvation because well there would be no money left for anything but crack.

Acid.. well I yield to the man on this one...

?Today a young man on acid realised that all matter is just energy condensed to a slow vabration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves.? - Bill Hicks

that and also and increased viewership of childrens programing by the 18-25 year old demographic

If all drugs were legalized for recreational use, prolly the eventual extinction of the species. That or .. zombies!

In all seriousness if your looking at this from a psychological or philosophical standpoint you need to shy away from the positive examples and look at the negative examples already present in society. You would need to consider and respect that humans a lot of times tend to lack self restraint and the ability to do anything in moderation. Then look at the negative things that come from each drug, estimating that more than half of the population involved with such chemical enhancements would be generating these negative aspects and then look at the world that youve imagined under this premise.

I am a student of psychology and philosophy, so on that end I would think my logic would provide a degree of insight. However at the same time, I lost faith in humanity a long long time ago, and that might also be skewing my conclusions.

In short, it seems like it might be a good idea in theory, but the practical application of it would likely be disastrous.

 

[swansman]

Would there be any downsides to it? I can't really think of any.

You know what happens when people drink beer and/or liquor then drive? Yea, driving while under the influence incidents would go up I think. I also think that if all drugs were legalized a lot more people would do it because they don't have to worry about getting arrested for it and since it would be readily available they can have more of it.

But that is a problem with a lot of illegal drugs, its that they are addicting. So what happens when someone is addicted to cocaine and they don't have any legal ways of getting money to buy more? They steal money from other people! Be that burglary or robbery. And since more people would be doing it there would more of those kind of crimes.

Now I know there are drugs that are illegal out there that are not addictive, but a lot of them are.

 

[Cody211282]

I wouldn't mind if they were legalised, hell as far as I'm concerned what someone does with their own body is their own business, but they are held completely responsible for their own actions if they do anything when they are high. Oh and I would call them all dumbasses still.