Legalisation of drugs

[Sazzle]

I am against the legalisation of drugs, simply because in my opinion, they serve no long term benefit to anyone. You may get a short high from smoking cannabis, you may get a brief buzz from sniffing cocaine, and you may get drunk for a few hours from drinking alcohol. But really? What good does any drug do on a long term basis?

Long term, people face:

• Addiction (yes even cannabis is addictive - don't pretend it isn't - even if only for the cravings of the effects)
• Poverty (because inevitably the money you have gets spent first and foremost on the drug you need/want, before thinking about food and fuel. Yes. That applies to alcohol and cigarettes)
• Health complications (memory loss from cannabis, lung cancer from smoking, liver cirrosis from alcohol)

To name but a few.

I'm sorry, but as amazingly well informed as statistics and research is, its simply not what happens in real life. There are those who may consider themselves wide thinking individuals with enough life experience and text book knowledge to base opinions on, but I have seen what happens to people who get involved in drugs - their plight makes me sick to the stomach when I think there's an argument for legalisation. No matter what restrictions are imposed on their distribution or use, there will never be any real benefits for drug use.

Many people become trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, welfare dependence, crime and health problems - all of these things are interlinked, and drugs are often thrown into the mix just to add to the problems.

I am fully aware that even prescription drugs are addictive and can have severe side effects on a persons health, just as alcohol and cigarettes are killers. Why complicate the issue with legalisation of currently illegal substances? Legalisation would mean allocating 'allowed quantities', which people will inevitably flaunt anyway, adding to complications for Police and the medical profession "its for personal use sir".

My own experience is enough for me to firmly say no to drugs. As it is, I cannot bear illegal drugs and I am quite disapproving of people who use them - that is my opinion and thankfully, I'm entitled to it!

I have spent around fourteen years seeing what happens to families, individuals and entire communities when illegal drugs are freely available. It's not pretty. Broken homes, broken people. No matter what limits are imposed, or boundaries set, they will always be broken and substances will be abused. Alcohol and cigarettes are freely available - people die every day from lung cancer and liver complications.

I'm no hypocrite - I quit smoking last October and still drink alcohol on weekends, but I do so with caution and with life's lessons ringing in my ears.

And from me... I think that's it .

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[Dave]

The issue with adults are entitled to do what they like to their bodiea argument also falls flat on its face when you consider society has to pick up the pieces in regards to the NHS bill that we end up acquiring to deal with the aftermath.

Dispite been a drinker that does bother me about drugs legal or otherwise.

 

[Fredward]

But surely everyone has the right to choose what you do with there bodies.

Banning drugs because they can kill you is like banning driving or extreme sports. They can kill you.

Different people have different tastes. Making something illegel just because its not for you/you look at it statistically/ financially, doesnt mean you should force everyone else to follow your rule.

I think people should know the risks and choose accordingly. It's not for anyone else to decide what to do with ones body.



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[Plastic Person]

Some good points made in this thread, and some terrible ones too, but alas.

Sazzle is right in saying that really, drugs have no long term benefit, and so legalising or encouraging them might seem churlish. However, very few things have long term benefits. We live in a society of aspiration towards physical goods designed to make us feel momentarily pleased with ourselves and functioning members of society. Whilst I acknowledge this is different to potentially (potentially) dangerous drugs, it's a meagre thrill to me. As a teenager, I couldn't understand why people would seek chemical stimulation beyond their own means, but when you realise what a miserable slog the reality of adult life can be, you begin to see why a drugs industry thrives.

Similarly, whilst you do sound like a rave cliche saying it, pure MDMA or ecstasy is phenomenal. I wouldn't ever go round encouraging it, as it's not for everyone, there's tonnes of dodgy stuff it's and very much a circumstances drug, but the government you may recall fired David Nutt for suggesting it's safe and perhaps only the 18th most dangerous illicit substance in the UK, more than 12 places away from alcohol, or cocaine. This is because the government know how disruptive to society it is. By which I mean, it puts things into perspective for people. But like all drugs, it's not real. But what is?

 

[Jem8472]

If you legalise drugs does that not just make it easier for the peer pressure to get you to start.
How many people that smoke started just because they felt pressure at school off friends?
How many started drinking just because of pressure from friends at school?
I know a lot of people that have started smoking when they were at school under age and still smoke and wish they had not bowed to peer pressure and started in the first place.

I have to agree with Sazzle, as there is no long term benefits to drugs then why should they be legal.

Who would not want to snort this stuff???

[youtube]http://youtu.be/LE_gQMAG2Xk[/youtube]

 

[Martin]

I wouldn't, but if people do, surely it's their choice?

What does have long term benefits? Not much. Playing video games has no long term benefit, so should we relegate Playstations to the black market to be sold by dangerous criminals?

 

[Fredward]

But isn't that unfair on the sensible users? That's like ban drinking because some binge drink till they pass out and choke on there own vomit!

The most dodgiest thing about drugs is that they are illegal, they would be a lot safer (still not safe, but safer) if they were legal and controlled.

I'm not condoning the use of all drugs, but its never my place to judge as I haven't taken any (except alcohol)





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[adsyrah]

I have to agree with Sazzle, as there is no long term benefits to drugs then why should they be legal.

Recreationally that may be true, but there are many medical uses of illegal substances. It may be a slightly different discussion to this thread, but cocaine started as a medicine, hallucinagens are found to help with mental health problems, MDMA (ecstasy) can be used for psychotherapy and the list goes on.

So I think it's incorrect to state there are no benefits to illegal drugs. Yes, they're addictive, but that doesn't mean there isn't a positive aspect to making them legal in some cases.

 

[Fredward]

Pure cannibis can also help with cancer patients.

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[delta79]

There is an argument for a partial legalization of cannabis for medical use.

I do wonder if cannabis was declassified how long it would be until Brittan has a binge use problem, like we do with alcohol.

 

[Martin]

I doubt there would be one. Most people only use it now because it's illegal and therefore exciting and rebellious. More people might use it, but I doubt we'd see stoners covering every highstreet at weekends.

 

[Fredward]

To be honest I'd rather see stoner's on the street then drunkards... much more mellow and certainly not rowdy and violent/ intimidating.

 

[Bear]

Yeah, I know which I'd rather have a pub full of! In my opinion, marijuana wouldn't cause any harm to be made legal. I disagree with other drugs though.

 

[JaykeAT]

I believe drugs should be legalized because if someone is stupid enough to take them,they should be allowed to.

OK, I presume you've never been stupid enough to drink alcohol, and never will? I presume someone as intelligent as you wouldn't want to put on of the more dangerous drugs into their bodies, ever.

There's a bit of a difference though isn't there

 

[Fredward]

not really. Alcohol is a drug

 

[Dar]

I wonder if it's too late to legalise drugs now? Such a massive and widespread attempted education programme has been promoted that I think the government would maybe lose a lot of credibility (different argument ).

I'm not particularly against legalisation of "soft" drugs, it doesn't really affect me and I see no reason against it. That's not to say that I campaign for it because I don't really see a need for it.

(Unrelated but, NO POSTS FOR AGES UNTIL I TRY TO POST THEN ALL THE POSTS HAPPEN!!!)

 

[Dave]

There is an argument for a partial legalization of cannabis for medical use.

I do wonder if cannabis was declassified how long it would be until Brittan has a binge use problem, like we do with alcohol.

I always like this argument about the medical benefits of certain illegal drugs meaning they should be legalised as it ignores the point that they mostly are available for medical use. Opiates are medically formulated derivations from heroine, there are many drugs using the active ingredients of cannabis used in medical products... Its old news.

As i have said i agree with legalizing certain drugs, but they should be heavily taxed to provide the funding for the massive increase in NHS workload.

Also again i keep hearing people harp on about how safe cannabis is

1) Almost certainly has an equal or higher carcinogenic effect that tobacco, a large proportion of the research that claims cannabis is safer comes from the 60's and 70's... more recent research debunks a lot of that.

2) The smoking habits between tobacco and cannabis differ and the longer inhalation and deeper intake are believed to be significant in the levels of carbon monoxide entering the blood stream (i think this is likely balanced by the reduced number of spliffs people tend to smoke compared to cigs)

3) Cannabis has a much more significant psychological effect than tobacco.

As i said i think cannabis should be legal, primarily because it isn't any worse than tobacco (needs to be taxed heavily). But i just don't want people to read this thread and think the drug is safer as IT REALLY ISN'T

 

[Fredward]

I don't know about the psychological effects. I think it effects every person differently, some people feel the effects much more then others and lasting damage can vary from person. Some people shouldn't take it. Some people can with no lasting damage.

Obviously crossing the drug streams explodes ALL the side effects into some strange mutant psychological off spring!

I'm no expert, but that's what I've gathered over the years. Though I think my main source may be slightly biased since he was a long term stoner... he had no obvious psychological damage though since it's all he took


DISCLAIMER: I just realised.. whenever I have said legalise drugs in this thread, I mean just weed. Don't mistake me for wanting heroin, crack and ecstasy legal!

 

[Dave]

There is no requirement for the psychological affects happen immediately, the research is very sound.

 

[Fredward]

I'm not saying they don't exist, just saying it varies from person to person and whether you are combining it with other drugs.

But to be honest I think the psychological effects is on par with the physical effects tobacco does to you.

So I would say it's pretty much on par with the legal drugs of today. The problem with being called an illegal drug puts a taboo on weed making it seem as bad as coke or LSD.