The legalization of drugs carries a higher price than I think most people are considering.
Yeah, it makes sense that it would possibly hurt the drug cartels and other countries who depend on America's drug money....would reduce the number of people in jail for soft drug crimes, possibly lessen street crimes (and I have extreme reservations about that). After all, this did somewhat happen during prohibition.
But like someone pointed out there are other fallout issues from the re-legalization of alcohol. DUI...Which with todays more powerful, but also fiberglass, plastic and aluminum cars makes DUI accidents potentially more devastating to the unimpaired involved.
... Even if alcohol or other drugs would be illegal... People would still be driving around and doing them. What makes you think they'd just stay at home, unless the penalties of driving under the influence are worse?
The long term effects of alcoholism....eventually after years and years of abuse the body loses its ability to take it. Effects include but aren't limited to:
hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver
gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) or pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
high blood pressure (which can lead to stroke)
certain types of cancer, including mouth and throat
damage to the brain
heart failure
neurological problems such as epilepsy
certain types of vitamin deficiency
So? You're thinking this is alcohol not drugs whats your point.
My point is that all of the above come with a price tag. A medical price tag. And this is just to the adult who is an long term alcohol abuser. What about the babies who are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome because their birth mom's continue to drink? What about the children who are born to mothers who smoke through their pregnancies? Not only is that childs life irrevocably altered, but the tax payers end up fotting the bill for postnatal treatment as well as public assistance later down the road.
If this is what is happening with just alcohol and cigarettes what will the effect be when drugs, soft or otherwise are brought into the picture. When the acquisition of pot, ectasy, lsd, is as easy as walking to the nearest smoke shop or cafe? Or even as easy as the medicine cabinet in the bathroom?
Who is going to pay for the care of people whose brains are fried from LSD, or when the effects of long-term heavy pot use become better understood?
And the unseen effects of pot aren't going to stop there. Its bad enough that at any particular moment 8% of drivers are intoxicated. And it's okay to add MORE impaired drivers to the road?
No. That's why we need heavier legislation against those that commit DUIs.
Mention was made, (by PsilocinProject I believe) about the Drunk Driver getting a slap on the wrist for the 12th offense. Along with the laughable admonishment by the judge...anyhow. Why is this person driving? Is the logical question that anyone would ask. The answer is because its nearly impossible to stop them! Doesn't matter how many cars have been impounded, he can just go out and buy another one. I've seen lots of people go ahead and drive while they are intoxicated. No one listens to reason, everyone has the same excuse "I'm good...I'm good." Everyone will have the same excuse on drugs as well. leading to more impaired drivers and more dangerous driving conditions.
My problem with ectasy is the drugs ability to take away inhibition. It would just be a matter of time (likely about 1 hour of the drug being available) before some enterprising individuals start slipping ectasy into drinks or foods with the intention of taking advantage of someone else. Need I go anymore in depth with this and where it goes?
I can imagine where you think it would go...
But I can tell you, the "Inhibition loss" from ecstasy is way less than that of alcohol. Take my word for it, I've had way more women showing me their boobs when their drunk than when they're rolling.
There are plenty of jokes made about slipping laxatives into people foods as a prank. Its only a matter of time before someones prank ends very badly as an LSD trip goes bad and someone slits their wrists, or takes a gun to someone they percieve as being a threat.
Any human being that would drop LSD or ANY other psychoactives into drinks as a laugh is a fucked up individual.
Then again, members of the CIA were doing it to eachother in the late 60's. Ironic, eh?
We don't want our taxes being raised as it is. Is the money supposedly gained by the legalization of the so called 'soft drugs' really going to be enough to cover all of societies expenses that will result from the availibility and 'permission' to use. Will it cover the lifelong expenses of children born to drug using mothers? Will it cover the living needs of individuals who have burned out their brains with heavy drug use in their youth and are now incapable of getting jobs that offer a living wage and health benefits? Are all of us as a society really willing to pay the way for people who indulge in such destructive substances?
Most users of psychedelics are only one-time users.
"Burnouts" are pretty uncommon. Schizophrenics that drop acid is a much more common thing. Even then, it's been shown that schizophrenia and bipolar disorders can actually be
helped by LSD or mushroom use.
I've said this a million times: But LSD, in the 70's was
hailed as a cure for
alcoholism. People with horrible addictions were treated with acid and never had a drop of alcohol again.
I'm not trying to imply that these problems don't already exsist in our society. I am not implying that they aren't already a problem. But legalizing drugs would in my opinion, make them a bigger and more expensive problem than they are right now.
So, you'd rather keep filling our prison systems with non-violent drug offenders at $50,000 per year per person?
State prisons held a total of 1,296,700 inmates on all charges at yearend 2005. In absolute numbers an estimated 687,700 inmates in State prison at yearend 2005 (the latest year for which offense data is available) were held for violent offenses: 166,700 for murder, 177,900 for robbery, 129,200 for assault, and 164,600 for rape and other sexual assaults. In addition, 248,900 inmates were held for property offenses, 253,300 for drug offenses, and 98,700 for public-order offenses.
Man. 250,000 people incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses...
$12,500,000,000/year to house these inmates that literally hurt nobody.
I dunno about you but I think I'd rather let them do their thing and try to treat those that need help.
Just to reiterate: That's
twelve-billion, five-hundred million dollars that could be used to improve things. Let's not mention the amount of revenue that could come just from selling legalized drugs.
