Relegalise drugs
From CroziervisionWiki
| Work in Progress |
| This page is in need of a lot of work which it will receive when the author gets time |
| Author: Patrick Crozier |
| Permalink |
I think drugs should be relegalised. Yes, that's right, there was a time when all drugs, including heroin, cocaine and cannabis were legal. Indeed there was a time when one of them - cannabis - was compulsory.
Why? Partly, because bans involve force and I am against force. Partly, because I believe that the individual's health is none of the state's business. And partly because I believe that the ban does more harm than good.
Before the ban:
- drugs do not seem to have been a major problem. Yes, some people smashed their brains out. And some people wrote (allegedly) great poetry.
After the ban:
- drug gangs and gang warfare
- money laundering laws which have slowed down the banking sector
- punishment without trial in the form of asset seizures
- MS victims going without treatment ie cannabis
- AIDS victims going without treatment
- the poor quality of some drugs ie ones that would kill you. It is interesting to note that E never killed anyone until it was banned. Mind you, in recent years the quality seems to have improved
- greater crime as addicts attempt to get the money for their next fix
Questions
- So, when was cannabis compulsory, then? This was in the Elizabethan times. Cannabis was needed for ropes and sails and under certain circumstances it was obligatory to cultivate it.
- Why does the ban lead to low quality? Because it becomes difficult to brand a product. Large established companies like Ford, McDonald's etc know that they have to keep quality high or they'll lose their reputation and lose sales. Drug dealers don't. Or, at least, not to the same extent
- Why has drug quality improved in recent years? My guess is that the War on Drugs has proved so unsuccessful that more is getting through and that suppliers have to find better ways of marketing their product. Quality is one way.
- Hang about. You said "addicts". Does this mean you don't believe in free will? Good point.
- McDonald's high quality? Yes, consistent and they don't poison you - at least, not in the short term
Further Reading
Christian Michel, Drugs Should Not be Prohibited
Paul Anderton, Why Complete Legalisation Is the Real Answer to the 'Drugs' Problem
Brian Micklethwait, Why 'Drugs' Should Be Legalised
When heroin was legal, Jonathan Duffy, BBC News Magazine article
Comments
If you would like to comment on this article I suggest you make it here rather than attempting to use the Talk/Discussion page. I have recently received a large amount of Wiki spam and the only effective way of preventing it is to prevent the unmoderated creation of new accounts without which the page is uneditable (unless your name is Kieran or Jax).
