Legalizing Drugs |
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Here is my opinion on the legalizing of drugs. I strive to make as logical an argument as possible, and address first making all illegal drugs legal. Then I address marijuana. First of all, I counter common arguments in favor of legalizing all drugs 1) If drugs were legal, society wouldn't have to spend time and money enforcing the laws.
However, someone could counter argue that legalization will not result in more drug use and therefore medical costs would not go up. This argument does not hold up because simple economics shows that legalization will result in greater use because drugs will become cheaper and more available. Furthermore, the law is a deterrent for a great number of people that don't do drugs now. Another important thing to understand is that almost everyone agrees that drugs would still be denied to minors and the enforcement of those laws would still be a cost to society. Futhermore, who is to say that there will not still be an illegal drug market even if drugs are legalized. For example, if drugs are heavily taxed driving up their prices couldn't there be illegal home grown uncertified businesses popping up, and a whole illegal distribution system to go with them? 2) People are just going to do drugs anyways. This idea can be debunked by the same counter argument as number one. Would the same people making this argument say that since criminals have always robbed and will continue to rob in the future, that we might as well make robbery legal? Of course not. That would be stupid. 3) Drug abusers only hurt themselves. Anyone making this argument is being very naive. When someone breaks into your house and shoots you to take your money for their drug habit they are affecting more than just themselves. When a drug addict lets his kids become malnourished because he is so focused on getting high that he forgets his kids exist he is hurting more than just himself. It is common knowledge that very addicted users will spend every dime on drugs, no matter how cheap the drugs are, and then will do whatever it takes to get their next fix. 4) Organized crime related to drugs will disappear with legalization True and false. Criminals deal in drugs because its profitable and easy money. Take their drug business away and they'll most likely shift to some other illegal activity. Maybe instead they will all become firemen and algebra teachers. I doubt it. So, drug related crime will go down but criminal activity will not. Legalizing only some drugs will most definitely just shift the criminal world's focus to the ones that are still illegal. Now, how about marijuana? Let's keep this simple. Society basically has to decide whether the benefits are worth the costs. Highway speed limits are a perfect example. Currently interstate speed limits are around 75 mph. Marijuana might be equivalent to raising the speed limit to 85 mph. Drugs like meth. and heroine are like allowing people to drive 200 mph. We'd be crazy to allow people to drive 200 mph, because they would be putting themselves and everyone else in certain danger.
Are we already a bunch of caffeine addicts with coffee and 5 hour energy pills? Are artificial feelings of gratification and accomplishment replacing the real thing? What direction are we going in if marijuana is legalized and where do we go from there? I do not support the legalization of marijuana, as harmless as many believe it to be, because I prefer to get my highs from real things. Real goals, real accomplishments, and real feelings of gratification. I believe that once people get their highs artificially they no longer seek to get them the real way, which destroys productivity. As a member of this society, the lack of others productivity hurts me as well, so I am in opposition to others ruining themselves, even if its for my own selfish reasons.
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