should any drugs be legalised if so give your reasons why they should or shouldn't?
540587
well it's like this...alcohol is legal, despite the fact that you can destroy your liver and brain cells and it severely impairs judgement.  cigarettes are legal despite the fact that they cause cancer, emphysema, and bronchitis.  Most prescription drugs have side effects a mile long, but are still legal.  Anything plastic is made in a process which produces organochlorides, which bio-accumulate(meaning they build up in your system) and never bio-degrade, cause cancer and numerous other diseases, but is legal to use.\nMarijuana has medicinal benefits, kills fewer brain cells than alcohol, and isn't produced in a chemical reaction, biggest side effect is hunger and laughter, yet is illegal.  People are under the mistaken impression it is a "gateway drug" and impairs judgement. I did it in my late teens and never had the desire to try anything harder, and did incredibly stupid things under alcohol influence, not MJ.
252077
there is nothing wrong with drugs themselves. any drug, if used properly, in moderation, and for a purpose other than just getting f*cked up, can be a usefull tool for expanding the use of the brain and seeing things from a different perspective (something that people should do more often). some of the most brilliant minds in history were drug users. i'm not saying there aren't risks; any tool used recklessly can cause alot of damage. give a kid a hammer and don't teach him to use it properly, and see what happens. windows get broken and maybe hands get smashed. give that hammer to someone old enough to swing it, and teach him the right way to use it, and houses get built. we should stop pretending that drugs have no value and start educating those who choose to use them. and i don't mean "dare". all i ever did in that class was draw joints in the hands of the cartoon characters in the d.a.r.e handbook. and i wasn't even interested in drugs at the time. to me, d.a.r.e. was just another pointless class i had to sit through while counting the minutes 'till the end of the day. big deal.
21418
No, there isn't a single rational reason why it should be legalized.
907722
How about "Legalizing medicinal marijuana would be a humanitarian and compassionate act?"\n\nOr "Is world over-population an urban myth?"\n\nOr "The death penalty constitutes cruel and unusual punishment?"
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...
24115
No. The government has no business in how its citizens choose to live their lives. All the lifestyle preferences you listed should be just that: preferences. If one person enjoys using recreational drugs, in addition to living a productive and successful life, he should be able to.
488123
Legalize it.\nTax it.\nDon't demonize it.\nPeople have a fundamental right to do whatever they want to their own bodies as long as they don't hurt other people. The government (of any country, not just the USA) might say differently, but they have an acitve, profitable interest in keeping it illegal.\n\nBTW-No, I don't smoke it. Never have. No plans to. Personal choice. But if I want to smoke it, or shoot smack, or burn some crack, I damn well ought to be able to do that. The consequences are my own. If I lose my job, too bad for me. If my wife leaves me, then that is a poor choice for me to make, but they are MY CHOICES to make.
1063539
Remember that the most dangerous and damaging drugs are already legal - tobacco and alcohol.  So should we legalise all the others?  Well some think that by making drugs available, usage will increase and therefore more people will have a drug 'problem'; however I think it's fair to say the only 'problem' with drugs is the associated crime that affects others in society.  If someone chooses to mess up their heads with drugs, that's their right.  It becomes a problem when they steal from others or hurt others in the process of getting money for drugs.\n\nIf we legalised all drugs, we could ensure that minors did not have access to them (think of the legislation around booze and cigs), we could fund health services and drug rehab centres, we could monitor the usage, trends and predict problem areas, we could ensure the quality (most heroin overdoses are caused by high quality heroin accidentally being injected), and we could create safe places for people to use drugs in a safe way.\n\nSo yes, let's bite the bullet and legalise them.  I don't use drugs (except the odd glass of wine), but I would fully support my fellow human beings' choice to do what they wish with their lives, as well as enjoy the knowledge that such a move would reduce the likelihood of my house being broken into or me being mugged for my wallet.
56281
yes. we could all use a dramatic change in the consumption rate of class "A" drugs - and the legalization of soft drugs does exactly that - lowers the overall level of interest in more powerfull drugs. it's like choosing from two types of "evil" - you must choose the lesser evil in order to prevent tragedies.
1053792
Well due to the dominant conservative ideology we have in the country, I don't believe that we can ever legalize drugs. Conservatives see legalization as a means of condoning its practice and use. Despite eliminating the flow of money towards organized crime, and essentially ending the "war on drugs," the decriminalization of substance abuse and legalized sales of drugs is seen as a ineffective solution.
533893
Yes I do. For adults, Just like alcohol. And of course they should tax it. You could use the tax money to pay hospitals for the care all those drunks in there with cirrhosis of the liver. We could do so much with the Tax revenue it would be amazing.. We could let the folks who are losing the family farms grow it. Save our farmers. Also you could use the oil from it for so many reasons as well as the fact that HEMP is a versatile rope.. It has so many uses besides getting a buzz.. \n\n\nAnd as for medicinal purposes, Well duh!!! Why should medicine that helps any sick person be withheld from that person? They can get all manner of narcotics and crank and Valium, & etc. But can`t have a natural herb.. \n\n God gave us all the plants and herbs to use according to our purposes. You can peel the bark off of a willow tree and have natural aspirin from tea made with it. You can make a calming cup of chamomile tea. Valium comes from the Valerian Plant.. Almost all medicines come from plants and animals.. Why should this herb/plant be any different.\n\nI would certainly much rather be driving down the street with someone in the next lane going 20 miles an hour looking for the 7/11 and a cookie and a slurpy, than some angry drunk going 80 miles an hour and seeing doubles.. \n\nYou would NOT have children standing on street corners selling dime bags for some rich people in Organized crime so they don`t go to jail. After all your Kid gets right out... \n\n You would actually have room in the jails for child molesters and rapists and murderers and thieves and muggers, and purse thiefs and robbers and burglars and thugs of all kinds. WOW Imagine that!!! They would actually do their time.. What an idea!!!\n\n<><
488866
No, and ill tell you why. Long ago when drugs were actually legal and many of our forefathers used them everyone started using them. This was the time when slavery had just been abolished. They started outlawing drugs using the excuse that black men were using drugs and raping all the white women. I think that they still use stupid excuses these days, like it supports terrorism, etc. Give me a break. sorry, sometimes the things in politics really confuse me.
24032
Yes, marijuana should be legalized.  If you were to put the stats together, you would see that many, many more rapes, murders, thefts, assaults, fatal car crashes, deadly occupational accidents, and various other crimes have been committed under the influence of alcohol.  Recently, a young man was arrested for murdering his mother. His line of defense was that he was under the influence of Marijuana.  Marijuana does not make one aggressive in the least. Anyone that does or has smoked will testify to that. Marijuana has a relaxing effect, not to mention its medicinal benefits.  As for prostitution, it should also be legalized. It is THE oldest profession in the WORLD. You cannot put a restriction on ones body.  The only way to stop it would be to eliminate one of the sexes. Just my guess, but there would probably be a drop in sex crimes and sexually transmitted diseases if prostitution were to become legal.  THE ONLY REASON NEITHER OF THESE THINGS ARE LEGAL, IS BECAUSE OUR GOVERNMENT CANT FIGURE A WAY TO CONTROL OR TAX THEM. (Like cigarettes and alcohol. Which by the way is two very high contributors to our mortality rate here in America.)  Hence the war against them.
140239
The main argument against legalization is that there would be a lot of cops on the unemployment line, not to mention prison guards, probation officers, etc., etc., etc.\n\nThe arguments in favor of legalization are more profound.  They have to do with the fundamental rights of individuals to decide for themselves what they will or will not inhale, eat, or even inject.  If we ended the drug war today, most addicts (here referring to hard drugs; addiction is almost impossible in regard to marajuana) would be at the doctor's office getting help tomorrow morning early.  The drugs they crave would be less expensive that way, because the black market is even more expensive than not having health insurance!  They could also get help to quit if they were so inclined, and probably get a good bit of pressure to be so inclined.  Their families and friends would no longer have to fear that they will be arrested, put in jail, lose their jobs, lose custody of their children, and beg for money for bail, a lawyer, etc.\n\nAs to marijuana, it is a useful medicinal herb, as you probably know by now.  It is also considerably less dangerous as a recreational drug than alcohol, which is legal.  And we already have laws in place that people are not supposed to drive a car under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, so we would not need to change that.
543525
Wait 'til it's legalized, and then I might offer a suggestion. \n\nMight.....
75252
Libertarians are to the right when it comes to economics.  When it concerns social issues, usually they are to the left.  They are always taking heat for their drug legalization stance, which I think is a great idea.  It would significantly reduce crime if these substances were to be legalized.  The Netherlands did it, and it has worked out wonderfully for them.
746333
yes!!! the effects from "weed" are far less than the effects of alcohol, if it was legal it would free alot of space in our prisons, where they are placed for a non-violent crime, and i believe it would cause alot less people to use harder drugs! and people who need it for medical reasons wouldn't have to go thru all the garbage they need to now for relief!!!