"We Are Mexico's Drug Problem." -The Huffington Post

Xorak on 27/7/2012 at 09:19

I think most of these drugs should be legalized simply because as an intelligent society we should be dealing with the effects of what we do.
Just because it's legal doesn't make it right.

Now that the drugs are here, there's never going to be a magical way to remove them and go to a simpler time when they didn't exist or when people didn't use them. It's just time to own up to the problem. Maybe we can cut the gangsters out of the equation if some government body really did regulate everything.

Let people waste their lives on drugs if that's what they choose to do, but we can stop making it so that everyone else is affected because of it.

Thirith on 27/7/2012 at 09:29

Quote Posted by heywood

So while I'm in favor of decriminalization or even legalization of certain drugs (the less damaging & addictive ones) it's far, far from being a solution to the problem.

You're right on that, but I don't think we should wait until we find a solution if there are things that can already alleviate and improve the situation. Freeing up major resources in the 'war against drugs' can lead to improvements in other areas - if the political will is there, that is.

scumble on 27/7/2012 at 11:15

Isn't it in Switzerland that they have medical programs to get people off hard drugs in a controlled fashion?

Ah, here we are: (http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/12/29/swiss-government-providing-free-heroin-for-drug-addicts/9030/) Free heroin for addicts

Somewhat cheeky headline, as the fact that it's "free" isn't the point. It's difficult enough to give up something like caffeine cold-turkey, so anyone suggesting abstinence is being a bit dim.

Neb on 27/7/2012 at 17:26

Yeah, all the data from trials in Switzerland are promising. The same with the UK and any other country that tries it out.

One extreme example we're forgetting: Portugal decriminalised possession for personal use of everything just over 10 years ago, and it seems to be going well. (I was reading an article about it a few days ago, but I can't find it now. Wanted to post it.)

nickie on 27/7/2012 at 17:36

I saw (http://www.cato.org/publications/white-paper/drug-decriminalization-portugal-lessons-creating-fair-successful-drug-policies) this report the other day but it probably isn't the same one.

The Alchemist on 27/7/2012 at 18:23

I've heard whispers about the financial support
your government receives from the drug industry.

[Guest:] Well, the irony of this, of course, is that
this money, which is in the billions, is coming from
your country. You see, you are the major purchaser of
our national product, which is of course cocaine.

[Host:] On one hand, you're saying the United States
government is spending millions of dollars to
eliminate the flow of drugs onto our streets. At the
same time, we are doing business with the very same
government that is flooding our streets with cocaine.

[Guest:] Mmm-hmm, si, si. Let me show you a few other
characters that are involved in this tragic comedy.

zachary1975 on 28/7/2012 at 23:10

Quote Posted by Shadow

fully legalize most drugs
tax them
use taxes + funds from not fighting expensive drug war to fund rehab clinics

crime drops significantly on both sides of the border
we put a dent in our debt
people aren't being put in jail for stupid shit
a bunch of other awesome stuff

there I just solved all of your problems for you

The reason drugs aren't legalized is because of something that has happened in mexico. Drugs make peoples minds go and therefore legalizing them would make society more dangerous than it already is. Plus taxes on the stuff if some idiot politician decided to make drugs legal and taxable would have to be in form of sales tax. but i'm not going to pay good money in taxes just to make clinics so people can go ruin their mind.

Muzman on 29/7/2012 at 04:10

The mistake is to think you're not paying for it already in some form or another.

zachary1975 on 29/7/2012 at 15:50

If i am it's probably in a better form than making it so people can go ruin their health.

DDL on 29/7/2012 at 18:28

Well, you'd need convincing evidence that legalising drugs would lead to a significant increase in drug taking. Obviously this hasn't really been tested, but the fact that portugal decriminalised drugs and saw drug taking decrease..does not lend credence to this hypothesis.

And even then, you'd need to show that the increase in drug use would lead to more social problems than those caused by drug trafficking, drug pushing, drug-related gangland violence, and so on.

Quote:

Plus taxes on the stuff if some idiot politician decided to make drugs legal and taxable would have to be in form of sales tax. but i'm not going to pay good money in taxes just to make clinics so people can go ruin their mind.

Um..if it's a sales tax, and you're not buying the drugs, why is it your money that goes to the clinics?

Overall, you'd rather funnel all your taxes into fighting a war that shows no signs of being winnable?