Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall
Firstly, your argument about cocaine users is weak. There are levels of addictiveness. Not all hard drugs cause instant addiction. In the case of cocaine, I'd describe the level of addiction somewhere between booze and crack/heroine. That being said, if cocaine was readily available, there would be a lot more addicts. Sure many of them would function economically, but there are health concerns as well.
I think the major problem I'm having with your argument is that you are using examples of drug use to rationalize legalizing drug sales and production. We can legalize use and allow treatment without legalizing the sale of drugs.
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Well, according to independent scientific inquiry, caffeine is a more addictive substance than cocaine. Their are millions of caffeine addicts in this country, and continued usage damages ones health.
In fact, I am
not using anecdotal evidence to rationalize drug sales and production. I said as much in my post, whether I have those experiences or not, the analytical side of my brain is telling me, based on the evidence, that the more pressure that is applied towards criminalizing drugs, the more lucrative and prevalent they become.
This is not a trivial conclusion.
By taking the authority out of the hands of a criminal element and putting it under the regulatory weight of the federal government (who we trust to produce, regulate, distribute and administer far more potent, addictive and lethal drugs), you've removed the largest portion of funding for organized crime (profit that underwrite less profitable but still damaging criminal enterprises), as well as removed the majority of their victims (the helpless of society) from their grasp placing them and their addiction in a system designed to help them deal with their addiction.
Yes, of course there will still be a black market for drugs, just as there is for tobacco, alcohol and firearms, just like there is for pharmaceuticals. That market exists because the profit is based on theft which is far less lucrative.
As a society, we're cutting off our nose to spite spite our face.