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Coca is Not Cocaine; Let the Farmers Be | 21 comments (21 topical)

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Legalize it. Tax it. Treat it. (none / 0) (#8)
by dianem on Thu May 08, 2008 at 12:17:56 PM EST
I don't really know why we make drug use illegal to begin with. The bad things from drugs come from two places. The inherent risk to oneself, which is a personal decision, and the illegality of drugs, which effects our entire society. We could wipe out much of the problem by taxing drugs and then using the proceeds to promote drug abstinence and treatment programs. And before anybody says that isn't possible: cigarettes are highly addictive and widely socially accpetable, and yet we have managed to dramatically reduce smoking among Americans with taxes and marketing. Drugs will not magically become acceptable if they are made legal (try to imagine a work associate sneaking out from a meeting for a cocaine break), so the marketing will have a head start.

Coca is Not Cocaine; Let the Farmers Be | 21 comments (21 topical)

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