That is one of the most rational things i have heard on this argument. If someone wants to not take drugs, they don't have to. They can teach their kids not to take drugs. But it is crossing the line when someone starts to say other people can't do something when what they are doing has no effect on anyone else.
I do not drink alcohol. I have a niece who drinks and it has adversely affected her life and the lives of her kids. Do i tell her not to drink? no. Its her life. But i do tell her not to get behind the wheel of a car when she is drunk, because that crosses the line of bringing harm to others. (by the way, she dosent listen.)

But here there is a moral justification to intervene. If your niece is ruining her life, that's her choice. But if she is hurting her children, then you have justification to say something. And if she drives, then you have a duty to intervene.

Drugs aren't the problem here. It is her choices that make it a problem.

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Never moon a werewolf.

public health cannott be a proper justification for outlawing drugs.

Heroin users are the most prominent example of this. Most heroin users die due to the unavaliability of sterile needles rather than the heroin itself. They dont have access to them, so they are forced to reuse them, share them, to get the drug theyre going to get wether or not its legal. the needles, when used so often will splinter, and the user in order to avoid it licks the needle to check... as we all know how clean the human mouth is, we also know that when they inject the drug, they will develop a bacteremia from the saliva. the bacteria can cause major heart valve problems, not to mention the HIV that may come along with it. so we end up with all these dead people that would otherwise be alive, because OF COURSE its for their own good.

if you want to count all those 'acute lead poisonings' that always happen during drug raids, as a health issue, legalizing dugs would alleviate that problem too.

30 years ago in Britain there were 4000 people addicted to hard drugs such as heroine. The british establishment started the 'war on drugs'.

30 years later 400,000 people are now addicted to hard drugs.

This proves that the war on drugs is not working. There is only one radical alternative to the 'war on drugs' which will work. That is the legalisation or de-criminalisation of all drugs.

I'm not talking of drugs being able to be sold down at the local corner-shop, what i'm talking about is drugs being issued by the doctor free of charge.

As we all know, the only way to smash any business is to take the profit out of that business. No businessman will stay in business if they cannot make a profit.

The drugs trade is big business. The only way to smash this big business is by crushing the drug businessmen (the dealers). If all drugs were de-criminalised and handed out free of charge to drug addicts then the dealers would go out of business.

No addict would go and pay for the drugs if they could get them free elsewhere.

The end result of de-criminalising all drugs would not be an explosion in society of drug use and more people getting hooked. It would be quite the opposite.

If the dealers cant make their money they go bust. Therefore they cannot get any other victim hooked.

This in turn will prevent anyone from becoming addicts in the future.

Which now leaves us with todays addicts. The addicts can now slowly be weaned off of the hard drugs by their doctors who issue the drug to them free of charge.

As a result

1)there will be no drugs addict crimes as they do not have to go and commit crimes to get money to pay for their next fix.

2)Addicts can get the help they require to beat the habbit.

3)There can be no future addicts.

I agree with Trotsky and a few others here - there should be no limit, all drugs should be legal. I think other people have basically covered anything I would have to say, but I just wanted to voice my opinion.

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"Violence isn't always evil. What's evil is the infatuation with violence."
Jim Morrison

Way more tax dollars are spent on Joe for rehab, welfare, prison, etc. not to mention the damage it does to his/her children who grow up to be everyones problem. His parents or other family are affected adversely by it as well. It also affects society when he robs, kills, causes damage to property or people while under the influence.

What appalls me is when people say that Pot is not addictive. These people are either ignorant or in denial. Pot is one of the most addictive substances somewhat physically, but more so habitually. I grew up with many people who smoked Pot. That is probably why I did not get into it very heavily. I saw what it did and continue to see it everyday. It is sad how many lives it restrains. People give up many things they are very good at to live the lifestyle of a Pothead. It is not pretty. I have seen it first hand, so don't give me the you don't know what your talking about crap, I know as well or better than anyone here.

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"It aint over, till it's over"

Two issues here. One, the drugs will be taxed (because everything is), so the tax dollars are likely not an issue. Two, Joe can pay for his own (*)(*)(*)(*) rehab and shouldn't qualify for welfare. Plus, with the War on Drugs over we'll have billions more dollars.

This occurs regardless. People can get drugs pretty easily, you know. And MOST drugs do not cause people to rob, kill or cause property damage. Regardless, those drugs are readily available now, so this is a non-issue.

Well, science says it's not. But whatever. I've smoked pot hundreds of times. I never got addicted. But again, whatever. Who cares? Heroin is certainly addictive. So is nicotine. My advise is to not smoke or shoot heroin. But it's your body. Do whatever you want.

Who are you, the lifestyle police? What business is it of yours what anyone does? If they are not bothering anyone stay the hell out of it. It's not up to you to decide what's good for me and I prefer it that way.

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I wasn't born with enough middle fingers.

You are so "don't tell me what I can or can't do", that you didn't even read what I said.

Taxes: Do you not understand that most rehab and drug treatment facilities are tax payer subsidized, so Joe will not pay for his own treatment, I will.

Welfare: Most habitual Pot users do not make much money, For many different reasons. Therefore, welfare is a large by product of drug use. It also means that most drug users do not pay taxes(and drug dealers), therefore they are not productive citizens of society.

This occurs regardless. People can get drugs pretty easily, you know. And MOST drugs do not cause people to rob, kill or cause property damage. Regardless, those drugs are readily available now, so this is a non-issue.

?

Millions of families have been destroyed(by alcohol as well) by drugs. Millions of children have been adversely affected by drugs. Most habitual drug users have spent time in jail for numerous crimes. People who do not use drugs are the ones who have to deal with the after affects of users. Another problem is that you want to keep doing it so bad you make many justifications(no matter how absurd) to prove that it should be legal. Most reasons given are moronic at best. And anything to do with drugs is a big issue, so quit trying to diminish the life destroying affects of them.

It depends on what scientific research you are looking at as to the physiological affects of Pot. All drugs are either addictive or habit forming. Some more than others, but even pot is mildly addictive and habit forming probably more than most. Keep smoking it if you want to, I am just rebutting the seriousness of the problem that all drugs cause. You say it is minor, I say it is major.

Finally, I don't give a flying #$%^ what you do. I was just stating that I know many people who gave up promising careers, athletes who used rather than furthering themselves in this area, gave up scholarships to universities, abandoned their families and any number of other disturbing things because they used drugs. And gateway or not, other drugs or not, everyone of them used Pot habitually.

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"It aint over, till it's over"

The individual has a right to use any drugs that they wish. No government in America has the power to prohibit any drug.

There should be no limits upon individual freedom. Any such limits, no matter how well intentioned or popular, are tyranny, and like all tyranny, these limits will corrupt the system. Witness the WOD.

[quote=powergrid";p="26860][quote="Zephyr46";p="26839" But it doesn't have the natural pull that Heroin does.

You know who would be the most bummed if pot was legalized? Jimmy down the street getting $2000 a month selling it to his college buddies. It's always funny seeing this "fictional" Jimmy rallying at pro-pot gatherings, not thinking of this.[/quote]

Most people vomit from heroin the first few times they try it. It takes two weeks of daily use of a certain dosage to get physically hooked.

You know who would be the most bummed if heroin was legalized? The Mafia and other real criminals getting millions selling it to anyone and everyone they can.