What if drugs were legalised?
- Thread starter Glamorgan
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It's an extremely cynical perspective you have on the world. It seems that your whole "apocalypse" premise is based around the idea that everyone in the world would start doing all these drugs because they are suddenly legal. We have to look back to unoleian's input on this and realize that people do drugs not because of their legality, but because of their own will. And while I am not sure where unoleian stands on this issue, he does bring up a good point.viranimus said:
What needs to happen is the legalization of these drugs. Not all at once, but eventually, yes. Simultaneously, we need to boost drug education in schools. And I'm not talking about "Say no to drug, kids." I'm saying, actually teaching children the harmful effects of these drugs.
I think that a lot of people would be high, all the time. This will reduce the population, which is probably a good thing. Also, it's thier right. However, it will never happen, because the government would be inable to tax it very well because so many people could find it from individuals, or even make it themselves. this is especially true of marijuana.
Whole bunch of stoned people go out in public, some get a little violent. Mix that with a heightened pain threshold and you have a problem.
And a lot of overdoses.
And a lot of overdoses.
There are really no downsides.
People just don't want to think that their Government condones such actions.
Old fashioned views are preventing real progress in society.
People just don't want to think that their Government condones such actions.
Old fashioned views are preventing real progress in society.
Less would get done if marijuana was legalized and crack or meth being legalized would just be horrible. I say instead of working to gain more drugs, lets try to get rid of smoking and alcohol!, But that will never happen and neither will the legalization of Marijuana, Crack and Meth, so lets just all forget about it.
Well I did also go ahead and say that I AM cynical, and that may be influencing my conclusions.ShwStppnActr said:
At the same time, I work in the medical field via EMS and I have been directly exposed to the gamut of negative aspects stemming from various chemical abuses, and one of the most prevalent themes ive seen first hand is that one bad example can contaminate those in proximity to them. Junkies (IE: epitome of negative impacts) are rarely isolated incidents, they are more like cockroaches in the fact that if you see one, you know there's likely a lot more nearby that you dont see.
I fully respect that the ones who would gravitate toward the negative end of the spectrum are not the rule, nor are the ones who would gravitate toward the positive. I think its illogical to conclude any sort of percentage of good vs evil in a scenario where we have never really seen a large scale example of all drugs are legalized. I base my assumption on what has been shown and that is mankind's propensity toward self destructive behavior. Un-tether from the leash of legality a species who frequently exhibits varied levels of self destructive behavior from the extreme junkies and self mutilators to the mundane guy/girl who stays in an unhealthy relationship and give freedom to access something that has been shown to escalate self destructive behavior and you will see more negatives than positives.
Look, dont get me wrong, I personally do like the notion of a world where drugs are legal. This is likely me being cynical and jaded, and possibly even just a little bit evil but I do like the concept of complete freedom as long as it does not infringe on the rights of freedom of others. Fact is, there will always be people who dont know when to quit and take things too far. Perhaps it is better to allow those people to take it too far and in effect remove themselves from the equation. As I believe it was Hicks who said "Its time to thin the herd, If someone wants to go off and OD on drugs, let em.. I really dont think were loosing the cure for cancer"
But here is the crux. I respect that not everyone is just going to rush to do drugs just because its legal. You can argue the ring of Gyges all you like and it well might be true, but the question you have to ask yourself is if youve got one guy who is determined to blow himself up with a hand grenade, How do you give him a hand grenade in a crowded room and not expect collateral damage? Now dependent on if you want to look nationally with 300 million or globally with 6 billion how do you hand out grenades to the 10-20% who actually want to do this and again not expect collateral damage?
I know my conclusion does come off cynical, but I'm just sayin.
In any uncharted waters like this your best chance at a life preserver is to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
Anyway.. again its just my Jaded opinion. I feel it is important to express it simply because most the thread seems to be more in favor of it. Knowing me and how much I like to play devils advocate had the threads response been reversed, the perspective I would present would likely have been reversed as well.
Could you have asked a more vague question?
Are you referring to any one drug in particular?
Just the harmless drugs like marijuana? Or the dangerous stuff too (meth, cocaine, etc)?
And if the latter, what sort of Orwellian dystopia are we living in? And wouldn't there then be larger issues to worry about?
Are you referring to any one drug in particular?
Just the harmless drugs like marijuana? Or the dangerous stuff too (meth, cocaine, etc)?
And if the latter, what sort of Orwellian dystopia are we living in? And wouldn't there then be larger issues to worry about?
I'm more talking about the always-have-dones than the suckered in new ones. With their habit now legal and nothing stopping them from being stoned in public, their new found sense of invincibility may get to their head and they MIGHT try to get dangerous.Eldarion said: