Since Illegal drugs are the 2nd biggest business on earth?

Jessica.
#1. September 6th, 2009, at 6:11 PM.

anyone who wants drugs legalized is an idiot

Gabriel V
#2. September 7th, 2009, at 9:40 PM.

One big problem, “you” are assuming their desire to “save” the country. It’s pretty evident that is not the case.

Bibigirl
#3. September 10th, 2009, at 3:02 PM.

The only thing that would be different if it were legalized is they wouldn’t be locked up if caught with it, just pay a small fine to the IRS.

FugQ2
#4. September 12th, 2009, at 3:10 PM.

Lay off the Kool-aid.

Marijuana is already legal in 1 county in california,and decriminalized everywhere else in the state. This does nothing but promote acceptance and poor work ethics in my opinion. I see your point but I cant agree with you.

Killer Queen
#5. September 13th, 2009, at 11:40 AM.

While I don’t agree with going to the weed store and buying mushrooms (they can kill), I do agree with some of what you say. I will get numerous thumbs down for this but that never changes my opinion.

As far back as the 70s, researchers were saying that crime goes down when people are able to get legal prescriptions for their addictions. Their usage goes down as well. The UK has done this for years. I saw a documentary and one woman told her story of a life of crime with heroin. After she was able to get a script for it, she cut her usage down to a quarter and was married with children. She said that as long as she could remember, something felt missing inside her. With a low dosage of heroin, she felt normal, not high.

It has been proven that the brains of addicts don’t function the same as non-addicts. They don’t release enough dopamine and not enough serotonin uptake. I believe it should be treated as any other medical condition.

The issue is that most people have never taken the time to research these alternatives (you have). They only see junkies commiting crimes and feel they should just stop abusing the drugs as if it was that simple. There is a reason that current treatment (12-steps, etc) only help about 18% of addicts. We need other solutions.

Edit: I have done my homework. In fact, I have taken advanced botany along with being an addiction counselor at one point. I do know what I am talking about. Mushrooms from the southwest states for example, are lethal at small doses. Yes, there are certain strains that are more benign but you didn’t include a species name, just “magic mushrooms.”

Please stick to facts, not insults.

hamobama
#6. September 16th, 2009, at 4:26 PM.

Liquor was legalized to stimulate the economy,Beer also. Marijuana should be legalized it would also stimulate the economy. First it has to be Decriminalized

clean truck
#7. September 17th, 2009, at 9:51 AM.

Put down the drugs and back away from the keyboard.

Angel&hollister 2!
#8. September 17th, 2009, at 11:11 AM.

I agree. Not to mention the tax dollars this could generate and stop the drug dealers from coming in from Mexico. The tax dollars could b e used to help pay off our debts. Another thing we should do, is have reality drug and alcohol education. Not all of this silly DARE crap that no kid takes seriously. Teach us how to drink responsibly and not drunk drive. Not don’t drink at all. But that’s a whole nother subject.

It all comes down to this. Would you rather streets be filled with drug-dealers and drug related crime and murder. Or all dangerous drug dealers and gangs put out of business and drugs to be safe and helped and who knows. But the US needs to stop perpetuating the lie that making it illegal helps, because it doesn’t. It makes it dangerous for drug users, for citizens and for society.

Altair 1
#9. September 20th, 2009, at 7:49 AM.

Prevention by law is the best medicine for druggies, pushers and manufacturers

ADRIAN W
#10. September 20th, 2009, at 2:13 PM.

You are 100% correct.

Illegal drugs cause
- failed states such as Afghanistan
- turf wars involving violence on the streets of many cities
- vast expenditures on attempts by the authorities to apprehend those involved in the trade

Legalisation would:
- save all the money (futilely) spent on drug law enforcement
- create a new income stream for the government (taxation of the legalised drugs, just as for cigarettes and alcohol)
- allow those who are addicts to be treated (with the new money coming in) without fear of being arrested

good guy
#11. September 23rd, 2009, at 1:01 PM.

hey, taxing drugs will indeed have a beneficial effect on the economy–why, rush limpballs paying tax on his addiction alone would solve the economic crisis, and legalizing hookers would be great for larry vittner of Louisiana, and him paying tax on that would solve the stock market crisis, and lets not forget about male hookers–you know, so larry craig and mark foley could help pay for bush’s wars with their taxes. Good ideas, dionyus…now if we could just tax stupidity, we’d all be on easy street. Well, “we all” being, of course, democrats and independents…