10 reasons why drugs should not be legalized

The drug violence that currently plagues Mexico is only a symptom of the larger problem. Numerous moderate and responsible drug users would be worse off, while only a few abusive users would be better off. WebThere are several reasons why marijuana, also known as weed, should not be legalized. Forcing the drug trade underground allows growers, sellers and middle men to tamper with the drugs. Indeed, drugs are bought and sold on the black market, far from the rules and enforcement mechanisms of legal products. I suspect a concern for consistency here gives de Marneffe reason to make drug production and distribution illegal but without attaching harsh prison sentences for offenders. Some people believe that prison stops those who dont want to stop themselves. WebIf drugs such as heroin are legalized, their price will be reduced significantly, hypodermic needles will be readily available at the neighborhood drug store, and drugs can be Prohibition may shrink the market, by raising costs and therefore price, but even under strongly enforced prohibitions, a substantial black market emerges in which production and use continue. Why Should, or Shouldnt, the U.S. Legalize All Drugs? A minority of people may find jail beneficial. Should Drug violence is now a fixture of daily live in the lives of the populations of North, Central and South America. If drugs are legalized, there will be more drug abuse. So anyone who takes drugs -- like marijuana -- suffers from this disease? The infiltration of the America's domestic drug trafficking by Mexican cartels, illustrating both the porousness of our southern border and the continuing gargantuan illicit drug trade in the United States, now dominates American drug policy discussions. Saying About Decriminalizing Drugs, Conversation Why His position amounts to drug decriminalization with skepticism toward making drug production and sale illegal. We have paid a high price for this confusion. Web4. Higher supplies usually lead to lower prices. Why Drugs Should Not Be Legalized Essay Example - GraduateWay If there is more drug abuse that is bad. (p. 3). Drug use is an uncontrollable disease. Suboxone Strips and Pills: Are They Similar, Substance abuse and addiction rates have been cut in half since decriminalization, Addiction treatment and rehabilitation is less expensive than incarceration, Individuals with substance abuse problems are much more likely to find recovery in rehab than in jail, People completing treatment can become productive members of society much more easily than convicted felons, Violence related to drug trafficking is greatly reduced, Courts are freed up for other important work, The rebellious, countercultural essence of drug use is changed when society sees it as a disease and not a crime. Certainly not for those imprisoned. But, if marijuana is a gateway drug and huge numbers of people continue to try it for the first time every year, then it does not seem likely that the number of cocaine and heroin users continue to drop each year. 79% said that an increase in the number of accidents involving drivers using marijuana is a majorreason for their opposition. Why Should (Or Shouldnt) The United States Legalize All Drugs? Not everything goes. 1. The vacuum will be filled by illegal drug cartels and a black or gray market. Marijuana is an addictive, gateway drug. CON. The same issues that are inherent in cocaine cutting are also issues in drugs like MDMA and Molly. It is hard to imagine a world in which the United States government would spend $1 trillion solely on eliminating poverty and improving education to prevent people from turning to drugs; but if the Federal government would only imagine the possibilities, they may begin to change their minds and attitudes on the legalization of drugs. As a result, while the health and safety risks of cigarettes may be greater than those proven to accompany marijuana, one can buy cigarettes from a vending machine and but go to prison for smoking marijuana. The Legalization of Drugs, appearing in the series "For and Against" edited by R. G. Frey for Cambridge University Press, raises the seldom-asked philosophical question of the justification, if any, of imprisoning persons for drug offenses. 10 Reasons Why Why should Marijuana has so many reasons why it should be legal. Prohibition enforcement also encourages infringements on civil liberties, such as no-knock warrants (which have killed dozens of innocent bystanders) and racial profiling (which generates much higher arrest rates for blacks than whites despite similar drug use rates). Americans overwhelmingly say marijuana should be legal for Should Drugs Be Legalized If there is more drug abuse that is bad. Instead of protecting vulnerable people and regular citizens, the war on drugs only puts them in harms way in many different ways. In a free society, the presumption must always be that individuals, not government, get to decide what is in their own best interest. Yet, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, overdose deaths from prescription drugs have reached epidemic levels. WebNo state has decriminalized, medicalized, or legalized cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine. The overcrowded conditions result in deteriorating prison services and as with many other offenders, drug offenders are more likely to leave prisoners willing and able to commit far more serious crimes than when they went in. Marijuana makes you dumb. WebOne reason for legalization of recreational drug use is that the majority of adicts are not criminals and should not be treated as such but helped in other ways. If you had $1 trillion, you could spend $54 million every day of your life and have money left over. If the police are no longer trained to go to war with almost 10 percent of the population, there would be less violence in the whole system and more help for those who need it. Some research suggests that almost half of teenagers over 16 years old have used some kind of illegal drug. Removing drugs from the equation at this point is like taking a leg out under a three-legged chair. Americas war on marijuana, cocaine and heroin only compounds the violence and corruption that neighboring countries see every day as a result of the illegal drug trade. In 2010, the United States government spent $500 per second on its war on drugs. We have known for decades that addiction is a medical conditiona treatable brain disordernot a character flaw or a form of social deviance. Legalizing drugs would eliminate many inconsistencies, guarantee freedoms, and increase the effectiveness of the governments anti-drug beliefs. WebWe can't legalize drugs - despite political, economic, even survival pressures to do so - because of deep underlying American mindsets against drugs, the two primary ones being Supply-side solutions include initiatives to pressure drug-producing countries to stop exporting illicit drugs, intercept drugs before smugglers can take them across America`s borders, pass stricter drug laws, crack down on drug traffickers, and sentence drug manufacturers and traffickers to long prison terms. The group says that police and law enforcement are swamped by the number of non-drug related crimes. Husak concludes "if we propose to ban those drugs that are implicated in criminal behavior, no drug would be a better candidate for criminalization than alcohol." The argument itself is simple. WebLegalizing drugs would reduce political and law enforcement corruption. The time served is not the only growing trend in prison sentencing. We are working very hard to end the war on drugs which is an artificial construct that erases a lot of cultures, After considering four standard justifications for punishing drug users Husak concludes that "the arguments for criminalization are not sufficiently persuasive to justify the infliction of punishment.". 3) Some, e.g. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Put simply, incarceration is such a harsh penalty that drug use, generally harmless to others and less harmful to the user than commonly supposed, fails to justify it. Overdose deaths in Oregon were up 70% this spring compared to the same time last year. Prolonged use has a negative effect on cognitive ability that persists beyond the period of intoxication. He argues a theoretical point that anticipated rises in drug abuse and consequent effects on young people may justify keeping heroin production and distribution illegal. Pot pushers also offer pie-in-the-sky economic arguments on behalf of their cause. It occurs, in other words,, Ahhh, its that magical time of year when people start to reflect on the last twelve months and, Heart and Mind Counseling, LLC, located in Michigan, offers a variety of counseling services to patients; including addiction,, Opioid addiction is a serious issue and becomes even more serious if a dear person is addicted. If decriminalization leads to an increased supply of drugs on the streets of the US, prices will fall and millions of new people may be tempted to experiment. (p. 34) Husak finds no compelling reason for imprisoning drug users. Charles Cully Stimson is a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation. It also encourages racial profiling, discrimination, false arrests and the intimidation of citizens in order to find the bigger culprits behind the drug trade. Making drugs legal makes them more conscience accessible and easier on the "The illegal use of psychoactive drugs is vast and extensive in the United States. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. 2) Punishing drug users protects children. That amount would buy a house, an education and comfortable retirement. WebPhilosophical and pragmatic arguments used to support legalization of drugs are wrong. These numbers do not suggest that the illegal stamp on drugs like marijuana is any deterrent, particularly for young people. The result is that the person experiences severely unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Endanger Public Safety. Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments In both instances, the reader is treated to arguments that effectively undermine current drug policy. From this perspective, the case is even stronger for legalizing cocaine or heroin than marijuana; for hard drugs, prohibition mainly raises the price, which increases the resources devoted to the black market while having minimal impact on use. Two pretty hippies. one deserving punishment. Illegal Drugs Should Not Be Legalized (From Illegal Drugs, P 131 What are ten reasons why drugs should not be legalized in the If you`re connecting with other people who drink a lot or use drugs, this could be a good time to check who you`re spending time with and find other people to connect with who can engage in more positive interests and activities. Some of the most overcrowded prisons have seen figures as high as being 50 percent overcrowded. , appearing in the series "For and Against" edited by R. G. Frey for Cambridge University Press, raises the seldom-asked philosophical question of the justification, if any, of imprisoning persons for drug offenses. You can change your cookie settings at any time but parts of our site will not function correctly without them. Drugs Should Not be Legalized The violence has not only spilled over as a result of cartel activity but it is inherent in the illegal drug trade in America on its own. WebEliminating drugs as a criminal offence will halt this injustice, and help prevent the institutional racism that pervades throughout our societies. But does putting drug users in prison contribute to this worthy goal? For one, criminalization of drugs forces the drug industry to settle disputes extra-legally. 10 Reasons Why Drugs Should Not Be Legalized In the United States, prescription opioids are legal and regulated. WebAnd there are other reasons why it should not be permitted. Even if the hardest drugsremained illegal, softer drugs would only act as a gateway to moredangerous substances. But, one of the biggest issues caused by drug violence is the level of the corruption at almost every level of the government in these countries. It Is Extremely Addictive. It also increases recovery services, housing, employment, drug education, outreach, and access to naloxone (overdose prevention tool). The violence sits on Americas door step in cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. Portugal decriminalized substance possession in 2001. PROHIBITION DOESNT WORK. Compromises Judgement 4. Accordingly, children in an environment where heroin is legal will be subjected to neglect by heroin using parents and, if they themselves use heroin, they will be harmed by diminished motivation for achievement for the remainder of their lives. Although there are benefits to marijuana, the costs of it outweigh it; therefore, marijuana should not be legalized. It has been shown to impair memory FAA overruled engineers to let Boeing 737 Max keep flying, report alleges. If drugs were legalized, they could be standardized and regulated. In order to continue its war, the government is required to violate the personal liberties of citizens. The United States could play a role in creating a more stable continent by working to cut these cartels off at the knees. Financial Motivations. Public attitudes toward marijuana have also changed; in a November 2013 Gallup Poll, 58 percent of Americans supported marijuana legalization. To equate alcohol with marijuana, however, is both uninformed and misleading. Media accounts focus on users who experience bad outcomes, since these are dramatic or newsworthy. Reasons Why Alcohol Should Be Illegal In a 2010 study, experts ranked 20 legal and illegal Below weve developed 10 arguments in favour of cannabis legalization. Fox News' sudden firing of Tucker Carlson may have come down to Volume 59, Issue 3 July 2000 Pages 525-536 Download PDF 1. The report continues to state that most first time users are teenagers. Marijuana, for example, appears incapable of causing a lethal overdose, but cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine can kill if taken in excess or under the wrong circumstances. Instead of being known as the country with the highest education budget and the most qualified workers, America is known as the country with the worlds largest prison population. Husak here responds to de Marneffe's essay which focuses on potential drug abuse and promotes the welfare of children as a justification for keeping drug production and sale illegal. Reported meth users jumped from 353,000 users in 2010 to 595,000 users in 2013. List Land also generates revenue through sponsored or paid posts. Nadelmann assumes that the number of potential addicts would not skyrocket with much more liberal drug laws. Gallup recently released more polling about marijuana, this time focusing on the arguments for and against legalization. Arguments for and against legalising drugs - Debating Europe WebAccording to some legal moralist, marijuana should be outlawed because it is wrong. LEGALISATION MEANS REGULATION. There is a risk of corruption anytime there is a large amount of money to be made in the sale of illegal goods. In fact, they will continue to use them whether it is legal or not. According to Foundations Recovery Network, lessons learned including the following: Lets not make the mistake of thinking that decriminalization is the answer to substance abuse recovery. Harsh drug laws and penalties were designed to deter people from using, selling or buying drugs in the United States. One person who favors the coalescence of the terms "use," "abuse," and "addiction" is John Walters, Kerlikowske's predecessor as Drug Czar in the Bush Administration. drugs While committing a crime must not be condoned, those who are sent to jail for possessing a small amount of cocaine suffer more than just detainment. Many users therefore share contaminated needles, which transmit HIV, Hepatitis C, and other blood-borne diseases. Douglas Husak makes a compelling case against punishing drug users. The same is true of the prohibition on drugs. (as) seen in people who abuse drugs. Whether its to make a better product or to make a more addictive product, this tampering can end in tragedy if it goes wrong. Thirdly, to those who contend that illicit drugs may increase violence and aggression Husak responds that: a) empirical evidence does not support marijuana or heroin as causes of violence and b) empirical evidence does support alcohol, which is decriminalized, as leading to violence. The people of Mexico, and indeed in all of these countries, are tired of dealing with the unreasonable level of corruption throughout every level of their government. On that question, available evidence is far from ideal, but none of it suggests that prohibition has a substantial impact on drug use. The 2023 Season Outlook for Dallas Cowboys, Pros and Cons for Each Team to Win the Super Bowl LVII, Top 10 Reasons School Uniforms Should Be Banned, Top 10 Reasons Jesus Christ Never Existed, 10 Reasons The Death Penalty Should Be Legal, 10 Reasons Why You Should Date a Man with a Beard, Top 10 Reasons Euthanasia Should Be Legal Everywhere, Affiliate, Paid, and Sponsored Post Disclosure, Thank you for your Sponsored Post Purchase. should be legal The universality of drug use throughout human history has led some experts to conclude that the desire to change consciousness, for whatever reason, is a fundamental human motivation. In addition, some drugs aid relaxation, others increase energy and some promote spiritual enlightenment or literary and artistic creativity. In the farthest reaches of the country, it is much easier to take the money and protection offered by the powerful cartels than it is to accept similar offers from the president. As recently as 2006, just 32% supported marijuana legalization, while nearly twice as many Match. But if the goal is to minimize harm to people here and abroad the right policy is to legalize all drugs, not just marijuana. The effect is well known even by the users, but they state they keep their focus on the positive side, assuming that the drug causes brain damage. According to de Marneffe's analysis, however, harsh prison penalties currently imposed on drug offenders are unjustified. Among the public overall, there is a modest gender divide in views of whether abortion should be legal: 58% of men and 63% of women say it should be legal in at least most cases. Legalising harder drugs like heroinwould only lead to more addiction and more deaths. These are facts. Why not? Those who believe this should stand beside the medical examiner as he counts the 36 bullet wounds in the shattered corpse of a three-year-old who happened to get in the way of his mothers drug-crazed boyfriend. The problem is that this uncertainty in quality has resulted in the deaths of users. For another, he quotes a statistic showing that approximately four times as many persons die annually from using prescribed medicines than die from using illegal drugs. It is easy to process the idea of a couple of million dollars. Rather, sound national drug policy includes international cooperation, research, strengthened law enforcement, treatment, and prevention and education. . The increasing popularity behind the notion of giving pot the green light raises an obvious yet seldom asked question: why do people want to legalize it? According to the burdens principle, "the government violates a person's moral rights in adopting a policy that limits her liberty if and only if in adopting this policy the government imposes a burden on her that is substantially worse than the worst burden anyone would bear in the absence of this policy." This group is made up of former federal agents, police officers, prosecutors and judges who have first-hand knowledge of the devastation this violence causes both for law enforcement and for families. 1. Many young people who experiment with drugs, as well as those who struggle with addiction, wish they had never tried drugs. If America spent $1 trillion creating programs to improve education, alleviate poverty and encourage economic growth among the middle class, America would be a very different country. Will treating all such people as addicts really improve their and America's situation in regard to drugs? . Legalize and regulate non-medical use of all drugs, prioritizing opioids. Prison overcrowding is one of the biggest issues in the current judicial system but it does not get as much regular airtime as the offenders themselves. They also inhibit quality control, which causes more accidental poisonings and overdoses. Sign-up with Monumetric to Get High Paying Ads on your website. It is immoral to tell people how they can, or cannot enjoy themselves. How to Identify the Signs of Opioid Addiction? Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana - Verywell Health Freeing up law enforcement to focus on other types of crime is cited as a very important reason by 70% of respondents while 60% say it's a matter of freedom and personal choice. For example, you will receive a violation if you have less than 2 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine, or one gram of heroin, or less than 40 units of LSD and oxycodone. 10 Reasons Why Marijuana Shouldnt Be Legal To punish one drug-using adolescent in order to prevent a non-using adolescent from using drugs is ineffective and also violates justice. The present war on drugs has not and will not produce a decisive victory. These chemicals are more widely known as cutting agents. These are facts. In sum, Husak accepts that drug use poses health risks but contends that the risks are not greater than others that are socially accepted. States and countries that decriminalize or medicalize see little or no increase in drug use. Physician Obligation. All Drugs Should Be Legalized Doesn't Solve Anything Treatment For Alcohol Abuse From 1920 to 1933, the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages was illegal in the United States. But, the war on drugs itself has degraded more personal liberties over the years. What's more, prohibition creates health risks that wouldn't exist in a legal market. First, marijuana has negative effects on mental health. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. WebThis should be reason enough to make all drugs illegal. The right treatment, for the right person, at the right time, and which is affordable and accessible, may not be available in ones community. Native Americans used peyote and tobacco in their religious ceremonies, just as Europeans used wine. He develops a convincing argument that imprisonment is never morally justified for drug use. Marijuana advocates have had some success in arguing that marijuana is a soft drug, similar to alcohol, and fundamentally different from hard drugs like cocaine or heroin. Always free and confidential. Kerlikowske himself noted, "The success of our efforts to reduce the flow of drugs is largely dependent on our ability to reduce demand for them.". And a recent poll suggests only about 10 percent of Americans favor legalization of cocaine or heroin. The amount of money spent on the failed war on drugs is staggering and the amount of old misinformation that is used to justify that expenditure is shocking. This is because drugs are bought and sold on the black market, away from the rules and enforcement mechanisms of legal products. Yet the Obama Administration won't contemplate the possibility of legalizing marijuana. De Marneffe's "burdens principle" seems to hold the whole society hostage to the objective liberty interests of one individual. Although Johnny might choose heroin use, his objective interest is for future motivation and ambition that is not harmed by heroin use. Benefits Of Legalizing Marijuana - 279 Words | 123 Help Me Legalizing marijuana would slash drug-related crime, they assert. It is hard to ignore the serious and debilitating violence that goes on in Central and South America every day as the result of cartels and corrupted public officials. Because prohibition raises heroin prices, users have a greater incentive to inject because this offers a bigger bang for the buck. Decriminalization might also increase the supply of drugs on the illegal drug market. WebThose who oppose the legalization of marijuana point to the health risks of the drug, including: Memory issues: Frequent marijuana use may seriously affect your short-term WebNovena. producers, distributors or especially users of illicit drugs. But the reasons arent related to their relative risk or harm. Towards the end of last year, a Gallup poll found that U.S. public support for marijuana legalization surged to 66%. The Check-In: Cool pools for summer adventures. If drugs are legalized, there will be more drug abuse. Yet if and when states legalize marijuana, local demand will increase. By continuing to use this website, you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our Privacy Policy unless you have disabled them. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Cully Stimson is a widely recognized expert in national security, homeland security, crime control, drug policy, and immigration. No doubt states are justified in protecting the health and well being of citizens. Drugs arehighly addictive. This is because the laws vary from state to state. drugs Husak entertains, but cautiously rejects the notion of a system where production and sale of drugs is illegal while use is not a crime. Even if the harder drugs remained illegal, the softer drugs would only serve as a gateway to more dangerous substances.

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