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What Would Happen If Pot Were Legal for Adults? | 53 comments (53 topical)

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Just Say No to Drug War (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by Athena on Fri May 09, 2008 at 07:37:23 PM EST
The entire drug war should be scrapped.  The privileged status that alcohol enjoys should be eliminated - by virtue of it being "legal."  Make all of it legal but make addiction more of a medical emergency demanding intervention and treatment.

I disagree completely. (none / 0) (#7)
by MarkL on Fri May 09, 2008 at 07:46:53 PM EST
I will count; however, I think legalizing or decriminalizing pot is reasonable, considering how mild its effects are.
The best argument I have heard against legalizing other drugs is to to point out how much damage alcohol abuse causes, and note that if other hard drugs were legalized, we could see far more social problems as a result.
The reason other drugs cannot be legalized is that there are too many very potent, highly purified drugs available.
Do you really think that legalizing meth use will have a good outcome? I don't.


[ Parent ]
I don't think we'd see... (5.00 / 1) (#18)
by kdog on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:12:15 PM EST
much of an increase in the negative impact  addiction has on society if drugs were legalized.  Anybody who wants to do drugs is already doing them...I know of no one just waiting for prohibition to end so they can get hooked on meth.

I think we would see a decrease in the negative impact of mass incarceration and police misconduct. Besides,  more freedom to pursue happiness and living as we see fit as long as we don't directly harm anybody is always a good thing.  

[ Parent ]

even if they did (5.00 / 1) (#25)
by Jlvngstn on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:27:34 PM EST
get hooked on something, does anyone think that legalization prevents addiction?  AA is going very strong, prescription drugs addiction are live and well etc etc.

I can find no practical or logical reason for the illegality of pot, and have never read one argument that has moved me an inch.  

I hate the addiction argument, there are addictive personalities and that group is going to get addicted to something. I would prefer they get addicted to pot.  Alcoholics are a far greater drain on society from a medical perspective and the driving and the abuse on and on.

I don't know of anyone beating the crap out of each other on weed...

[ Parent ]

I think... (none / 0) (#26)
by Alec82 on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:31:39 PM EST
...we'd see a rise in the use of certain drugs (LSD and other hallucinogens including ecstasy, maybe cocaine, maybe some amphetamines).  But no one is going to touch heroin unless they have a death wish.  

 I don't know that it is wise to downplay the probable increase in drug use following either decriminalization or legalization.  From what I remember from my econ days, most economists believe use will rise after decriminalization, and I tend to put my lot in with economists on this one.  But the benefits, I think, outweigh that cost.

[ Parent ]

I probably down play it.... (none / 0) (#28)
by kdog on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:37:12 PM EST
because I see absolutely nothing wrong with the responsible use of intoxicants...and will never understand why people do.  Getting high, when done responsibly, can be an immensely rewarding experience.

[ Parent ]
As it has been said... (none / 0) (#31)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri May 09, 2008 at 09:00:14 PM EST
...elewhere on this thread, you can find/use any kind of drug you want right now.  Making drugs legal isn't going to make people run out enmasse and say I got to try it now.  

Drinking before I was of age was fun and exciting because it was forbidden.  When I became of age, it wasn't as glamourous.  

As far as heroin/any opiate, cigarettes are much more addictive.  Hillibilly heroin will screw up your life just as bad as heroin if you have an addictive personality.  And that's legal.

[ Parent ]

Legalize it all, save the cash, tax the sale (5.00 / 1) (#47)
by chrisblask on Sat May 10, 2008 at 03:29:04 PM EST
and take those billions of dollars and do some good with them.

I've moved about ten years ago into the "legalize it all" camp.  I can't imagine folks who are not doing heroin now suddenly running to the store to try it, and the people using it aren't having any problem finding it, now.

Just the three basic economic benefits are overwhelming, hard to imagine we couldn't do more good with that than all current efforts combined:

o  Save billions on law enforcement.
  -  cops, jails, courts...
  -  Drug dealers and gangs buying guns with drug money?  Gone.

o  Tax drugs.
  -  billions in direct revenue

o  Keep users working.
  -  Most drug users have jobs and families.  Putting them in jail halts all tax revenue and drives up social assistance costs massively.

William F Buckley - of all people - got me started down this path with a guest on his show long ago who had done historical research and found that no society in all of human history has notably decreased drug use.  When a society does a great deal to discourage drug use, he fixed percentage that do use drugs tend to cause more harm to themselves and society (harder/weirder drugs, more crime attached...).  The Netherlands had (last I looked) an aging population of native heroin users - by just less than a year for each year since drug laws were changed - iow there were not many new addicts, and those who already were are aging.  More teens looking for a drug experience just smoke pot, less go as far as heroin.

It would be great if everyone ate wheaties, jogged, drank green tea and did yoga.  However, since that isn't going to happen, not making an inevitable situation much much much worse would be a really good start.

Besides, the very idea of gov't being interested in its citizens body chemistry is a bit spooky.  Legislate actions, the reason for those actions is largely immaterial (crash a car?  tired/stoned/stupid - don't really care - your actions have consequences...).

-chris


[ Parent ]

the "but addiction would increase!" (5.00 / 1) (#42)
by cpinva on Sat May 10, 2008 at 02:06:40 AM EST
argument is and always has been a fraud, analogous to the "pornography causes sex crimes" argument. neither position has any actual empirical data to support it. they are purely creations of politics and religion.

actually, it has been determined, with actual real data, regarding pornography. just ask the commission that richard nixon established to determine that very issue. he refused to allow public release of their report, because it came to the exact opposite conclusion. so much for science in a subjective, surrealistic world.

as someone (probably several someones) noted already, there isn't a line forming at the rear, just waiting to get addicted to meth, or any other drug, once they're made legal. if you're addicted, legality is not an issue, treatment is.

to answer the original question:

not much probably, except: a. no one would get arrested for possession/use., and b. i wouldn't wake up the next morning with a hangover!

oh, wait, our law enforcement/judicial/penal system costs would drop significantly, and a lot of people would be out of a job.

maybe they could all find work in the local "head shop"?

[ Parent ]

Pot farmers (none / 0) (#43)
by Pootsteen on Sat May 10, 2008 at 08:53:10 AM EST
will be needed. Lots of new jobs!

Seriously, it is so sad that small towns rely on locking people up so they can make a living.

[ Parent ]

Meth could be mostly wiped out (none / 0) (#34)
by Pootsteen on Fri May 09, 2008 at 10:02:12 PM EST
by the cold medicine companies if they wanted to.

There is a book written by a father of a meth addict, and I wish I had more detail right now, but some ingredient in cold medicines doens't really do much for us and they could just stop making it. If they did, no one could make meth in their home with easy to obtain stuff.

I say, let emergency room workers decide what should be illegal. they see the effects and none of them see any pot overdoses or pot-fueled violence (not counting dealers shooting at each other)

[ Parent ]

Any push to reduce (5.00 / 1) (#37)
by Iris on Fri May 09, 2008 at 11:37:43 PM EST
the number of people we incarcerate, sadly, would probably need to be paired with the creation of jobs, because you'd always get the reaction from some that it would mean less prison guard jobs.  Pretty sad that we have to lock each other up so we have something to do.  So many other 'jobs' in this country that need to be done, we just have to put the resources behind them.

[ Parent ]
Yes - legalize it, all of it (none / 0) (#24)
by NotThatStupid on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:26:17 PM EST
But only for adults, same as alcohol.

Then regulate it and tax the h*ll out of it -- think of the revenue available from that source.

Prohibition is what keeps the price of drugs as high as they are - with decriminalization, the prices will drop and the criminal activities associated with the manufacture, transportation and distribution of drugs will diminish because of the dwindling profits and the exposure to government regulation.

Make driving under the influence of (any) drugs the same as current DUI laws.

Laws should punish actions that injure or endanger others, not one's self. If a person wants to get high in the privacy of his/her own home, without infringing upon anyone else's rights, who cares?

If a crime or misdemeanor is committed while a person is intoxicated by (any) drugs, punish the crime or misdemeanor.

[ Parent ]

What Would Happen If Pot Were Legal for Adults? | 53 comments (53 topical)

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