Legalized drugs would be cheaper, no doubt, but they would also become the province of big corporations rather than "mom and pop" drug dealers. Legalization would open up more research into the benefits and hazards of specific drugs and might actually lead to some useful scientific knowledge.
The situation we have today with illegal drugs is exactly the situation we had with alcohol during prohibition. Since the products can't be sold legally, they become the province of gangsters and thugs who both drive up the price and enforce their market positions with violence. A friend of mine did a study in Colombia a few years ago about how the FARC and the right-wing paramilitary groups have basically become giant narco-trafficking syndicates devoid of any real political purpose. We made the choice to end prohibition and live with the consequences of legal alcohol. I believe that eventually we may make that choice with other drugs as well. Medical marijuana laws and de-criminalization of possession of small amounts are the first steps in a generational shift in attitudes about drugs usage- treating drug use (and abuse) as a public health problem rather than a criminal one, just as we have done with alcohol. The latest studies show that teenagers are using fewer illegal drugs, but at the same time they are using (and abusing) legal prescription drugs at a much higher rate than in the past. We need to get over the legal/illegal distinction and treat the entirety of drug use as a public health problem, just as we have done (very effectively in many ways) with alcohol use. Still, some drugs, like meth, are so evil they should never be allowed anywhere, but it could take decades for us to come to terms with those issues. On 1/10/07, Bruce Sorge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I have often pondered the question, if drugs were legalized, would that > help > to reduce drug related crimes and stimulate the economy? My opinion is > that > in the long run, yes. If the government is regulating them and taxing them > and thus making money off of them, what is the incentive for the local > dealer to sell them unless they sold them cheaper than what the government > was. What do you all think? > > Bruce > > > On 1/10/07, Robert Munn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Ah, the beautiful irony. They could outlaw tobacco and legalize > marijuana, > > and they would give the cigarette companies a product that is ten times > as > > profitable as tobacco to peddle to the public. > > > > On 1/9/07, C. Hatton Humphrey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > I've been watching the War on Tobacco and listening to people talk > > > about the legalization of marijuana... in some cases from people in > > > the same party. > > > > > > Aren't those two goals mutually exclusive? > > > > > -- --------------- Robert Munn www.funkymojo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Create robust enterprise, web RIAs. Upgrade & integrate Adobe Coldfusion MX7 with Flex 2 http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;56760587;14748456;a?http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/flex2/?sdid=LVNU Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:224241 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
