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Legalize Marijuana. Legalize Coke, Heroin and the Rest Too. |
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A recent post on the legalization of marijuana prompted debate among authors here at the Seminal. Most everyone was in agreement that pot should be decriminalized, if not legalized. In making the argument, some emphasized the fact that marijuana is not a “hard drug,” and is therefore less harmful to society than, say, heroin or cocaine. While I agree that adverse consequences of marijuana are dwarfed by those of coke and heroin (and even those of alcohol and tobacco) I take the legalization argument a step further - not only pot, but all drugs, should be legalized. I justify my belief with two facts: the War on Drugs is ineffective and largely futile, and the social consequences are too great to warrant existing laws, both in the US and abroad.
First, a cursory examination of the War on Drugs shows minimal efficacy:
In 2005, the DEA seized a reported $1.4 billion in drug trade related assets and $477 million worth of drugs. However, according to the White House’s Office of Drug Control Policy, the total value of all of the drugs sold in the U.S. is as much as $64 billion a year, making the DEA’s efforts to intercept the flow of drugs into and within the U.S. less than 1% effective.
When victories have occurred they’ve often been pyrrhic in nature. Colombian cocaine provides a good example: after stanching traffic through the Caribbean route favored by Colombian cartels, the open US-Mexico border became the route of choice. Felix Gallardo emerged as the point man in Mexico and eventually became the largest drug trafficker in the Western Hemisphere. Over time, power fractured and the four modern cartels emerged: the Tijuana Cartel, the Sinaloa-Sonora Cartel, the Juarez Cartle, and the Gulf Cartel. Today, we have the neverending stream of violence at the Mexican border. We have the astonishing amount of firepower reveleaed by recent raids. We have demand comfortably met by supply.
If US-Mexican efforts succeeded in taking down these cartels, another route would soon emerge, just as cocaine production in Colombia survived the toppling of the Medellin Cartel, the Cali Cartel, and the Norte del Valle Cartel with barely a hiccup. Production has proven equally oblivious to billions of dollars in US aid delivered via Plan Colombia.
Despite this inability to reduce or control the illicit trade, or to reduce or control the main engine in the narco-machine (US and European demand), the US government continues to throw lives and treasure into this black hole. We continue to lock up citizens guilty only of drug dependency. We continue to push sale and use into society’s darkest corners, thereby assuring that power, money and influence accrue in the hands of dangerous men. The dire circumstances in Colombia, Mexico, Afghanistan and Guinea Bissau all, to varying degrees, bear the point.
My argument is no doubt hastily made, and would benefit from substantial extrapolation, but the point remains the same: we have, in sum, an ineffective policy that costs billions, ruins lives, destabilizes governments, funds terrorism, and enables a scrupulous undeground culture. And yet we continue to ignore the simple (and profitable) remedy.
From a pragmatic standpoint, yes, legalization efforts should be focused on marijuana. From most every other standpoint, all drugs deserve the same treatment. The revenue generated from the legalized sale would be put towards education, rehabilitation and prevention. The expenditures currently slated for the “War on Drugs” could be reallocated towards social programs that solve the problems that lead to drug use. The government of the United States of America could focus on development aid to Colombia in place of military aid, potentially stabilizing that society and phasing out production altogether. Most importantly, America would be stronger and the world would be safer.
For the sake of common sense, legalize it. Legalize it all.
Me atrevo a decir que me provoca cobardía opinar, porque estar a favor o en contra siempre tiene consecuencias positivas y negativas.
En favor o en contra siempre hay excesos.
Lo bueno es estar a favor de combatir los excesos como drogadicción, alcoholismo, uffffffffff
ellos tiene muchas consecuencias que nos disgustan y
nos hacen impotentes de injusticia.
Espero decidan lo mejor en EEUU, porque siempre influye a Latinoamérica.
Tu tienes razon que siempre hay excesos, y si legalizamos drogas tenemos que hacerlo prudentemente, pero yo creo que si los estados unidos haga legal las drogas como cocaina y marijuana, las condiciones en latinoamerica, especificamente en Colombia y Mexico, mejoraran imensamente.
gracias por haber leido, Paula. Eu te escribo mas por email.
I dare say that opinions for or against the legalization of cowardice leads me, say it has negative consequences for and against as well.
But something must be done because alcoholism, drug addiction, obesity, etc., have very unpleasant consequences in our societies and the world.
I hope the U.S. take better decisions because it always affects the countries of Latin America.
Greetings and Peace
The American people are clearly not winning the war on drugs, and as you point out the war has wreaked havoc south of our borders.
I would favor legalization of most drugs, though I think each drug should be treated as an individual case. Marijuana could be legalized without severe repercussions, but I would favor coupling legalization of cocaine, for example, with various restrictive measures such as establishing inpatient facilities for addicts and limiting distribution in a serious way. Ie, if you could buy marijuana at the 7-11 or the neighborhood bar, cocaine would only be available in special facilities. I think the Europeans and Canadians have pointed the way forward on some of this.
Treating each drug as an individual case is wise. I was saying to myself as I was writing this, “we can’t legalize Meth. Decriminalize it, yes, but legalize it? There’s no responsible way to do that, and doing so wouldn’t solve any of the international problems caused by cocaine or heroine or even weed.
Also wise to couple legalization of cocaine and other hard drugs with restrictive measures. The European and Canadian models are certainly worthy of emulation.
I agree.
Meth should not be legally sold.
To me, the argument for legalization of all substances that aren’t ridiculously poisonous has always made sense. Marijuana, ritualistic drugs, cocaine, MDMA, opium and even heroin are all relatively safe substances. By relatively safe, I mean that with good information and a healthy psychology most people can use them occasionally without become addicted or hurting themselves dramatically. Measured doses and access to hospital care without fear of arrest would limit overdosing and accidental deaths, a figure which is already far lower than all pharmaceutical deaths, to a bare minimum.
However keeping extremely harmful drugs off store shelves just makes sense, the reasoning similar to other consumer protection regulation. If your food ingredients make people sick you can’t sell them. Meth is a real poison, it starts killing your brain and body in a dramatic way even from the first use. It quickly destroys the parts of the brain that would allow you to quit.
It saddens me to no end that meth is cheaper than high quality marijuana. An abundance of cheap strong safer drugs would probably keep most people off of harder drugs.
The time has come to end the war on drugs. We should be releasing more than half of our prisoner-slaves. We should be tearing down our unused jails. We should be turning police officer jobs into EMT and paid fire dept jobs. We still need laws and police, but the war on our citizens has to end.
End Prohibition!
By looking at legalizing drugs on an individual bases you are missing the bigger picture. For one, many people get hooked on meth because it is a relatively cheap drug on the black market. ‘Drug’ prices are excessively high due to the war on drugs. Since meth is much cheaper on the black market than say cocaine, it makes that meth that much more accessible.
If all drugs were re-legalized (that’s right, all drugs were legal in the US at one time), we would greatly reduce violence (including murder), theft, gang activities, overdoses, prison overcrowding, children with at least one parent in prison (currently 1.5 million children have a parent serving time in prison for a non-violent drug related crime) and countless other societal problems.
If all drugs were re-legalized then the drugs would be in the hands of ‘honest’ business people instead of violent criminal gangs. Most overdoses happen not because the person ‘took too much’ of the drug in question, but because it is only available on the black market the unscrupulous pushers seeking greater profit often cut the drug with another harmful substance. Overdosing on pure pharmaceutical grade heroin would be very difficult.
If the drugs were legalized then organizations would spring up that would ‘certify’ the grade of the drugs helping to insure the drugs safety (as compared to the black market). I am not saying that all these drugs would be ’safe’. That would be a ridiculous statement.
This would also substantially reduce the price of drugs which in turn would also help to greatly reduce crime. Cigarettes are extremely additive and alcohol is also has a pretty high addiction rate. But how ofter do you hear about someone being held up or robbed so someone can purchase a pack of cigarettes? It is quite rare. Why? Because cigarettes are legal the price is much lower. So a cigarette addict doesn’t need to break into your house to steal your DVD player to sell to pay for his cigarettes.
Also, with drugs legal, they will no longer be in the hands of criminals. Currently in order to get drugs you must purchase them on the black market, which can be dangerous. Also, gangs fight for control of areas in order to push their products. This would also be greatly diminished.
Currently the US has the highest per capita prison population than any other industrialized nation including China. This is do totally on the War on Drugs. The amount of wealth lost to imprisoning so many non-violent people is staggering. Not to mention the costs on the families involved and the incredible amount of tax dollars it costs not only to wage this so called war on drugs but to house all these ‘prisoners’. It is staggering!
I for one don’t want to put my family, friends or neighbors in a cage for their decision to use a drug. Whether that drug be alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, crack or cough syrup.
I am sorry, but I believe that most people approach this subject more emotionally than rationally and don’t sift through the actual stats and evidence to approach the subject rationally. If I want to be free to live my life the way I want to, then I must also let my neighbors live their lives the way they want to. So long as you are not hurting other people or their property then you are not committing a crime and should NOT be put in a cage.
Sorry, didn’t proof this before I submitted and already see a typo in the first sentence. Please excuse this as I am in a hurry and forgive any further grammatical errors.
I agree that drugs should be legal but I dont buy this part.
people turn to meth because its cheap and easy to make at home. when given the choice, most people would CHOOSE cocaine over meth. and there was an old interview i saw where the DEA agent said coffee is more addictive than cocaine (i think thats an exageration, but i have known more people that have given up coke than coffee…)
The utter disgusting failure of the last administration could redeem a legacy by simply PARDONING everyone in prison for possession. The precedent would b e pretty much a de-facto decriminalization.
Marijuana,yes there are many,many uses for this plant! Meth is processed from poison,Heroine and or opium has been used for centuries, but you can’t fuel a car with it or build a house or make textiles. I’m all for the legalization of Natural plants that God has put here for us to use,Meth is a Soul stealing manmade menence to society, which is mainly produced by Mexican Drug Cartels, thats where we should take the war!
Someone needs to work on their math.. 1.4 billion is 2% of 64 billion
In 2005, the DEA seized a reported $1.4 billion in drug trade related assets and $477 million worth of drugs. However, according to the White House%u2019s Office of Drug Control Policy, the total value of all of the drugs sold in the U.S. is as much as $64 billion a year, making the DEA%u2019s efforts to intercept the flow of drugs into and within the U.S. less than 1% effective.
“Someone needs to work on their math.. 1.4 billion is 2% of 64 billion”
-This would be true if they were talking drug-trade related assets, as well. However, $477 million worth of drugs is ~0.7% of the drugs sold in the U.S. ($64 billion).
So therefore, the paragraph: “In 2005, the DEA seized a reported $1.4 billion in drug trade related assets and $477 million worth of drugs. However, according to the White House%u2019s Office of Drug Control Policy, the total value of all of the drugs sold in the U.S. is as much as $64 billion a year, making the DEA%u2019s efforts to intercept the flow of drugs into and within the U.S. less than 1% effective.” is worded and is mathematically correct.
People, remember your history. The United States has tried prohibition of a substance before. The “morally superior” campaigned to have alcohol outlawed. See how well it worked then. All it did was make the mob more economically powerful, more people drank, and more people died as a result of “bad” booze from unscrupulous profiteers than before prohibition was enacted. Reverse this stupid waste of time and resources, legalize it, and tax it.
Heck yeah dude, make it ALL legal!
http://www.web-privacy.pro.tc
I agree that all drugs should be decriminalized - from a theoretical standpoint. But from a political standpoint, pushing such an agenda is reckless and will only guarantee that it all remains illegal. There are those on the moderate to moderately conservative side who might be willing to conisder the decriminalization of marijuana - if only to relieve our overcrowded prison system. But if you start talking about making it ALL legal, as much as a good idea as that might be, you are only going to scare those middle-of-the-road potential allies away.
Besides, once marijuana is legalized, it might be a “gateway” to getting the rest of them legalized further down the line.
The only thing that should be legalized is weed. I could see buying weed at a bar or pharmacy, but all the others, no. Could you imagine creating government standards for drugs or using tax money for overseeing and organizing. Plus how are you going to release thousands of prisoners who sold illicit drugs to get put in jail. On top of that possession is usually not the only crime they committed. Then you look at all the thieves and murders who kill and steal for drugs. This is BIG business in America as it is, there are to many people who want things to stay as they are. It would never work in this society, maybe in 50 years. I wish someone could figure it out, drugs account for 78 percent of all felony charges against people. America would be alot different without drugs.
We live in a society that is unhappy, lonely, desperate, and cynical. But if we admit, even embrace, our most harmful thoughts and feelings when we seek to legalise drugs, then we’re going in the wrong direction.
The arguments here for legalization are nothing more than rationalizations by people who’ve given up believing the world can be a better place.I won’t even address the separate excuses.
Teaching children that making money off drugs is more important than being a pathetic addict is beyond lunacy.
Haven’t drugs caused enough death and destruction in the world? Now you want more?
It is really a matter of strategy. Get marijuana legalized and then within a couple years the evidence that the drug laws are the disaster WE all know them to be will be so stark and clear that a push to decriminalize ALL drugs will have a far better chance.
Remember, it isn’t about what we know, it’s about the prejudices and misinformation that every body else is suffering under that is keeping the insane prohibitions going, keeping the country under constant siege, and fueling a massive criminal class.
I believe drugs should be decriminalized, not legalized. See my full response here:
http://www.rabbitcreative.com/2009/01/06/dont-legalize-marijuana-decri minalize-it/
Drugs become more concentrated as a direct result of banning them: while Bud Light is the most popular alcoholic beverage today, during prohibition, it only made sense for the bootleggers to ship liquor.
Likewise, Laundanum and Paregoric were the most popular opiates when they were legal. They’re both immensely weak, so they have no place in a black market.
Likewise, in cocaine producing countries, people overwhelmingly choose to chew coca leaf, which is little stronger than coffee.
Likewise, pot has grown increasingly powerful as a direct result of a 30 year drug war. There can be no “ganga light” without legalization.
While I consider cocaine, opiates and meth to be a bane of society, I also recognize that attempts to legislate them out of existence have universally failed, while compounding the damage to society by enriching criminal enterprise beyond their wildest belief.
Over 1% of the adult population in the US is now in prison - this is a level of incarceration only reached by the Soviet Gulag, and it represents a tragedy compounded daily. The War on Drugs is an abomination.
How much does the drug war cost? Policing, sentencing and detention? Foreign aid? Lives?
Rational and emotional talking recall an also article called “We Are Family.”
Think that is an issue that affects us all, because no one is free from drugs or jail as a result.
If we legalize or decriminalize it, we must think as a family, thinking about what we want for our nuclear families, communities, peoples and nations, own or foreign.
Think of our children who are the men who face the future.
Think of the man who makes mistakes by not considering God, because we believe it or not God is and will forever.
Paula M., Chile, Educator of children.
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Racional y sentimentalmente hablando recuerdo un articulo llamado “somos familia”.
Pensar que es un tema que nos afecta a todos porque nadie est? libre de drogas o c?rcel como consecuencia.
Si pensamos legalizar, despenalizar o lo contrario, debemos pensar como familia, pensando en lo que queremos para nuestras familias nucleares, comunidades, pueblos y naciones, propias o extranjeras.
Pensar en nuestros ni?os que son los hombres que enfrentar?n el futuro.
Pensar en el Hombre que comete errores por no considerar a Dios, pues lo creemos o no Dios es y ser? por siempre.
Paula, Chile, Educadora de ni?os.
Well considering prohibition hasn’t worked and ain’t going too you would think that any intelligent person would see another approach is needed instead of mindlessly doing the same old broken banging ahead against a brick wall for almost 70 years now?
All those religious nutts and moral purists are the main problem with there fucking holyier than art tho fucken bullshit
Why dont you all fuck off and grow brain?
Like the rest of us “intelligent” people, as Ice Cube put it - “For allot of people drugs work”.