Should drugs be legalised?
440540
Drugs kill far fewer people than high fat diets and smoking. The traditional notion that everyone will become drug addicts if they are legalised is ridiculous and paranoid. The main barrier to legalisation is the fact that no-one wants to be the political party to take that step, as it is a sure fire way to lose the vote of the middle classes.\nUnfortunately whilst the issue remains entrenched in politics, there an be no serious debate only sloganeering and hyperbole.\nMeanwhile drugs are being scapegoated for the real issues of poverty and poor education that blight the areas where they   are most widely used
710230
anyone who thinks drugs should be illegal purely for health reasons must certainly agree that all fat people should be put in jail for hurting themselves.....\n\nthe only thing that should be illegal involving drugs is the use of drugs to harm another person... and since harming another person is already a crime... then by default if you take a drug and you do something stupid... you're already in trouble by the law... taking the drug itself shouldn't be a crime\n\nwho really cares if a person harms themselves using a drug... cigarettes, alcohol and fatty foods do the same thing... breathing in fumes from household cleaners is bound to kill cells too... but hey it's not illegal to smoke, drink, eat mcdonalds, and clean your toilet... taking a drug should be a choice... citizens should have the freedom to take them if they want... advocation against drugs should be aimed at influencing people to not take them and try alternative activities.. and NOT to place bans and restrictions on them\n\nbesides in the long run... if someone dies from an OD... then 1. it's their fault... and 2. less "stupid" people in our overpopulated world\n\nbut yes that really didn't answer your question... it was more of an opinion...
15228
yes, marijuana should be legalized, if not for the wonderful textile possiblities of hemp (which is legal, for it contains no THC, but y'have to jump through a bunch of hoops to be allowed to grow it), marijuana gives you the munchies!  on a humorous scale, that would increase your local grocer's business a hundred-fold.  on a more serious level, it stimulates the appetite of chemotherapy patients, so sick from all those anti-cancer poisons that they have trouble eating.\n\nthe only problem with any substance or act that makes people feel "good" is that someone will invariably abuse it.  alcohol, tobacco, acts sexual in nature, just to name a few, are abused constantly by humans.\n\nthe u.s. government could also tax the crap out of it, thus generating funds instead of wasting them incarcerating people who, otherwise, have done no wrong.  plus, it'd put the drug dealers out of business, whom often are involved in the selling of more harmful substances, as well.  i also suggest the legalized use should be restricted from those in the fields of public transportation, child care, anything requiring the use of guns, and medicine.  i'm sorry, but i want my pharmacist sober when mixing up migraine medicine.  i don't wanna get estrogen pills by mistake!\n\nthe real gateway drug?  tobacco.  think about it.
111833
Yes.In my opinion, I think marijuana should be legalized. Have you ever watched the tv show called Cops? How many domestic violence calls have you seen them respond to because someone was high on pot. None that I remember.. Alcohol on the other hand causes most people to become violent,arguementative and has destroyed thousands of families. Most that get into a drunken stuper can't even remember what they did the next day. Marijuana on the other hand causes most people to relax, kick-back, laugh and eat.. They can alsways remember what they did. The only lives I know of that have been destroyed because of marijuana has come about because they got caught using or in posession. Now their life is ruined because they are going to loss their job, possibly their house, cars, kids and anything else the government can figure out a why to make a buck. Hell, someone that smokes a little pot on the weekend can loose their job three or four weeks later if they're drug tested at work. This, even though they aren't under the influence. An alcoholic, who has abused his wife and kids over the same weekend can go to work on monday and pass any drug/alcohol test given them.. Me personally, having spent time with both, I'd much rather spend time with the potheads than the drunken, slobbering loud mouthed alcolohic's.
443356
There should be no illegal drudge.  There are all kinds of medical uses for every drug created but in the US we have illegal drugs that your Dr. cannot prescribe for you even if it would save your life.  Heroin is used routinely to treat severe cancer related pain in other countries.  LSD was developed to treat alcoholism, marijuana has several uses. Cocaine also has several uses.  I think the hype surrounding illegal drugs is just a propaganda thing of the politicians to have a platform to get our votes.  There are just as many abuses of legal drugs as there is of illegal drugs.  And what about alcohol & tobacco?  They are legal & are the worst of them all.  Anyway,  my point is, if they were legal there would be no war on drugs.  We'd save all kinds of tax money.  Do away with DEA,ATF, RENU & a lot of idiot stupid laws.  I don't even & never have done drugs but if everything were legal, then tax the h--- out of the recreational drugs & set up rehabs etc. for the druggies.
1035368
Marijuana, because it can be used to treat glaucoma patients and to alleviate certain types of pain, should be legal, provided that it does not cause uncontollable affects in the users for whom it might be prescribed.  Legalization could eliminate the abuse of this drug and the sale of it by "street pharmacists" who frequently add other dangerous chemicals to it and use unscrupilous sales tactics to dupe customers who cannot get it legally.  The fact that it is illegal makes it more tempting to some people who enjoy living on the edge.
200499
Yes.  I depends on the drugs and where you are.  Some drugs are legal when used in certain ways, usually when prescribed by a doctor.  Also, some countries are much more relaxed about their drug laws or enforcement practices.\n\nOr are you just trying to be funny?  Ha! Ha!
229462
Drugs should be legalized, and especially marijuana.  Marijuana grows out of the ground, therefore, it must have a purpose.  It is medically proven to help cancer patients and people with multiple sclerosis, yet the stupid government has this whole issue with controlling people's lives.  My husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and did not smoke pot.  He kept having exacerbations and ending up in the hospital.  When he began to smoke, he stopped getting sick!  People shouldn't be punished for using drugs...they should be punished is they commit crimes to obtain drugs!
373125
It should definately be legalized.  If alcohol is legal, then marijuana should be too! I don't think the death statistics for smoking a joint are near as high as the ones for alcohol.\n\nAccording to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2004, 16,694 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes - an average of one almost every half-hour. These deaths constituted approximately 39 percent of the 42,636 total traffic fatalities.
942780
drugs are seriously bad for you\none bad reaction to a pill can kill\none pint will hardly have any affect( in most people lol )\n\ndrug users create a huge problem for society. a high percentage of criminals are involed in drugs in one way shape or form.\nmental health is a huge problem for most hard core drug users.\ni not saying alcohol - drink are faultless, not at all in fact our streets are not safe after closing time most nights\n\nhowever rather than throwing our hands up and saying we give up we cant cope or deal with you. we must continue to strive to help those affected by drugs, users and their friends/families.\n\nwe must not create a free for all society where anything goes.\nwe are adults and have choice but some people make the wrong choices.\nlaws protect people from criminals and by legalising drugs you are in a round about way legalisiing the actions of people in an altered state( much the same as drunk behaviour, sorry gov i didnt mean to run her over i was drunk etc)\n\nmaking aware the facts of drugs is a great thing to do but what good does it do to a 15 yr old who dies due to bad reaction...many known cases.\n\ndrink and smoke are also addictive but the effects are medically researched and reported. they also do not not need criminal acts to fund.\nthe effect of drugs on mental health are totally incomplete and research is already showing links to schizoprenia and other mental illness'\n\nlets hope that progress is made and we can combat all of societys ilness'\nbut meanwhile \n\ndont give up trying
79600
Yes, marijuana should be legal, because the current system of illegalization is unfair. Why are cigarettes, which are proven to be tons more times unhealthy and deadly than marijuana, legal? Cigs kill through a physical addiction as well as a psychological addiction, which means that you actually become physically dependent on the drug and you enjoy how it makes you feel, and therefore you develop the diseases that kill you. On the other hand, marijuana does not cause a physical addiction, but a psychological addiction. So you don't die from weed, and there are very few reports that support the direct disease development of weed that kills you. So why are cigs legal and taxed, but weed isn't? Why don't they just make weed legal, tax the hell out of it so it can benefit the economy, and set an age limit for 21 years-old, just like alcohol. This will benefit everyone, because it will allow taxes for law enforcement to go towards people who are actually committing violent crimes instead of trying to calm down after a hard day by smoking weed. Also, it will stop the violence that erupts over the weed drug war between gangs and thugs. Money will no longer be an issue for the gangs to fight about over the weed.\n\nWe all know why weed is illegal - because the majority of its users are minorities and those in poverty. Sure, there is a fair share of middle and upper class young people who smoke weed, but the majority are those of us in the lower tier of society. If it was made legal, then those in power (the rich, upper class and conservative citizens) would not have as much power over us. Bottom line. Dispute it if you want, but the evidence is clear.\n\nIt's the same thing with why a smaller amount of crack carries a harsher legal penalty than the same amount of pure cocaine. Poor minorities use crack, upper class citizens use pure cocaine.
781437
I think so, for a couple of reasons.  \n\n1) Teen drug use is lower in countries like Amsterdam, which have legalized it. \n2) More law enforcemnet money can be spent on the "harder" drugs like meth, coke, herion, etc.--I consider those drugs much more of a danger to society.  This would take a burden off our jails too. \n3)  Decriminalizng Marijuana would give many minor drug offenders a shot at a better life--FYI, you are unable to get any financial aid for college if you are any type of drug offender, even a Misdemeanor!!  That only helps to continue the cycle of poverty/drug use/dealing, etc. \n4)  Tax the crap out of it and we could pay off our national debt! \n5) Marijuana has the potential to be an effective treatment for many people with various ailments, such as glaucoma, cancer, etc.\n\nCool class you are taking, never written papers like that before.
968027
Keeping drugs illegal hardly makes money for the government.  We spend billions each year and have little to show for it.  Instead, the reality is that it is very politically unpopular to come out in favor of legalization.  actually there are even several conservative thinkers who despise addicts and addiction and drugs in general nonetheless favor legalization (including legendary but controversial conservative economist Milton Friedman who died last week) as a policy.  Until these voices can convince the general public that legalization would save money and lives and not constitute society's tacit approval of what is generally destructive behavior (yes, even marijuana can have dire consequences for its abusers) there will be little political impetus for change.  Thus, right now, the issue is simply a nonstarter for any politician who wants to keep his or her job.
13200
Yes. \n\nOK, that seems too short for a Yahoo!.ANSWERS answer. But it must be obvious, giving the hugebuttedness of the nation, that they are. They really should be either illegal to sell (like drugs) or taxed heavily (like cigarettes) since they severely affect the health, productivity and future of the nation.
1025970
No. Drugs should remain illegal.
317261
If the government can figure a way to tax marijuana, they will legalize it, charge about $10 bucks a joint, so High School students can use their lunch money to get high and stop shootings in their schools, beating up fags, and raping girls; cause then it would be a "don't worry, be happy attitude", and nobody would feel hate, just love and peace.\nI vote YES, what the heck, give it a try, see if things don't improve in our country. Dealers would be out of a job, so they wouldn't be to happy. I say we legalize all illegal drugs, put all the DRUG LORDS out of business, cut down on crime; People only want what they can't have, if it were not illegal, the urgency would dissipate.
1042834
I think it should be legalized....you don't hear of people getting stoned and killing someone...whether driving or not.  Stoned people just want to chill and eat....legalize it now and start dealing with the true drug problems like meth, coke, and heroin