Should illegal drugs be legalized?

If you think drugs should be legalized do you think all drugs should be legalized or just a certain few?

I think marijuana should be.

Alcohol isn't good for our bodies, yet it's legal.

Fast food is bad for our bodies, yet that's legal too. (and according to some studies just as addictive as drugs)

So why not make drugs legal? If it's regulated it can be taxed creating billions in revenue. Not to mention, with regulation we stand a better chance of keeping it off the streets and away from our kids.

You don't see too many teenagers in bars these days...

Cannabis has proven healing qualities to it. Why shouldn't we take advantage of it?

Sorry guys - there was supposed to be a poll attached to this. For some reason that didn't happen!

Message edited 3/13/2008 11:11:17 AM.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

No, I DONT think they should legalize all drugs, especially marijuana

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Do you have a reason for feeling that way?

I'm not picking a fight here, I'm just asking...

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

no i don't think any drugs, including marijuana, should be legalized. medical benefits aside, the potential for abuse is too strong - and the effect on teens is really bad. it impairs their judgment and brain function. it's just too dangerous to legalize, IMO.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

I would be curious to see studies on societal effects in countries that have legal marajuana vs. the US. I think it would be much more regulated if legal (and less available to our kids). Would really need to see some data to know for sure.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

no.

there is a MAJOR difference between drugs as a crime vs. prostitution as a crime.

Prostitution is Sex for money. sex, something people do, every day. the only reason it is deemed illegal is b/c of MORAL issues people have regarding it. putting aside public health worries like disease (which can happen whether the sex is paid for or not, and can actually be lessened greatly by the legalization of it) the public ills associated by prostitution are created by the fact that it is illegal. Pimps would no longer be necessary...vice squads could work on other "real" crimes...drug use/violence against hookers/std rates would be lowered with it's legality. but no actual legal crime stems from prostitution.

drug use on the other hand, has proven to lead to many crimes in order to support the habit. legal or not in terms of usage, an addict would still need to find ways to afford his fix. there would still be theft, homelessness, job loss, and violence associated with the user. these are public health threats and are directly related to the use of drugs. therefore, it should NOT be legal.

marijuana is not physically addicting, so I would be ok with the legalization of weed....even though the smoke in weed is stronger than cigarette smoke and can also cause lung cancer.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

I strongly believe that marijuana should be legalized. I don't think it's a "gateway drug" and don't see how it is any more harmful -- for the person or for society -- than alcohol or cigarettes.

Not sure about drugs like cocaine and heroin, though.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Message edited 3/13/2008 11:34:59 AM.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Message edited 3/13/2008 11:33:09 AM.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Some additional food for thought. It seems to me that a lot of tax dollars are being spent on incarcerating drug offenders, many of whom are simply in there for posession, which is not a violent crime.

If drugs were legal, think of the money we'd be saving by not having to pay for their incarceration .

Below are some statistics:

According to the US Justice Department, 27.9% of drug offenders in state prisons are serving time for possession.

Source: Mumola, Christopher J., and Karberg, Jennifer C., "Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004," (Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice, Oct. 2006) (NCJ213530), p. 4.


According to the Justice Department, 5.3% of drug offenders in federal prisons are serving time for possession.

Source: Mumola, Christopher J., and Karberg, Jennifer C., "Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004," (Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice, Oct. 2006) (NCJ213530), p. 4.

According to ONDCP, federal spending to incarcerate drug offenders totals nearly $3 Billion a year -- $2.525 Billion by the Bureau of Prisons, and $429.4 Million by Federal Prisoner Detention.

Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy, "National Drug Control Strategy: FY 2003 Budget Summary" (Washington, DC: Office of the President, February 2002), Table 3, pp. 7-9.


According to the American Corrections Association, the average daily cost per state prison inmate per day in the US is $67.55. State prisons held 249,400 inmates for drug offenses in 2006. That means it cost states approximately $16,846,970 per day to imprison drug offenders, or $6,149,144,050 per year.

Sources: American Correctional Association, 2006 Directory of Adult and Juvenile Correctional Departments, Institutions, Agencies and Probation and Parole Authorities, 67th Edition (Alexandria, VA: ACA, 2006), p. 16; Sabol, William J., PhD, Couture, Heather, and Harrison, Paige M., Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2006 (Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, December 2007), NCJ219416, p. 24, Appendix Table 9.

Message edited 3/13/2008 11:54:22 AM.

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Message edited 3/7/2013 2:49:54 PM.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Weed should be decriminalized. Also...most of the prisoners in jail for possessing (not selling) weed are non-violent offenders...that means a sh*t load of money is being spent incarcerating these people just for getting high.....no logic there.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Whether legalized or not, I dont think it will really make a difference to people. I think doing drugs is more of a moral/personal dilemma or choice as opposed to a legal one. I didnt do cocaine when I was younger, not b/c it was illegal but b/c I didnt want to do it. If they legalized it, I still wouldnt do it.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Yes I beleive that some of the illeagal drugs should be leagalized. Esp Marijuana, its is not NEARLY as harmful as alcohol.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

I don't see marijuana as being worse than cigarettes or booze. If marijuana were legal, it would be regulated and and there would not be worry about what it is tainted with. I think that usage would not increase, except among people who use it for pain relief or for other medical reasons.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

I think marijuana should be legal. Honestly, everyone I know smokes it anyway. It is the largest cash crop - so obviously the fact that it is illegal is not stopping anyone from doing it.

There is an EXCELLENT program "on demand" on time warner right now.

It is called "American Drug War" and it is on Showtime on Demand. I was on the fence about legalizing marijuana but this program really opened my eyes and convinced me that it should be legalized.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

marijuana yes

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

marijuana maybe. anything else - NO!!!!!!!!!

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

I say only the good ones

Legalize Mary Jane

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

Legalize the ganja.

Re: Should illegal drugs be legalized?

No I don't think they should be legalized.

I am shocked people think it's OK to legalize Marijuana. While it is a "cool" drug, this is an impairing drug.

I don't want a bunch of people "high" while driving.

Message edited 3/13/2008 9:01:36 PM.