Do you support Drug Prohibition?

[Z06]

Do you think drugs which are currently illegal (ex. marijuana, *******, heroin, etc.) should be legalized?

Why or why not?

[YARDGORILLA]

OP-what say you?

[Z06]

OP-what say you?

Drugs should be legal. War on Drugs is a massive waste of money and a huge failure.

[illriginalized]

Marijuana should not be illegal. *******, heroin, and similar should be illegal.

[YARDGORILLA]

Drugs should be legal. War on Drugs is a massive waste of money and a huge failure.

Carte blanche, legal? No stipulations or guidelines? No designated areas, no restrictions or rules to govern the legal status?

[ZenBowman]

Marijuana should not be illegal. *******, heroin, and similar should be illegal.

Isn't that still going to continue the war on drugs?

[Z06]

Carte blanche, legal? No stipulations or guidelines? No designated areas, no restrictions or rules to govern the legal status?

Same rules as alcohol.

I voted all drugs should be legal, but I am not 100% sure. Heroin and meth really are serious business, it would be strange if you could just buy it in a shop somewhere. Although I don't think the usage of those drugs would dramatically rise.

[user5145]

Marijuana should not be illegal. *******, heroin, and similar should be illegal.

Why should ******* and heroine be illegal?

Not sure why people make such statements when a drug as harmful as alcohol is regularly sold and consumed without second thoughts.

[GeorgeCarlinJr]

Why should ******* and heroine be illegal?

Not sure why people make such statements when a drug as harmful as alcohol is regularly sold and consumed without second thoughts.

And tobacco

[illriginalized]

Isn't that still going to continue the war on drugs?

Why should ******* and heroine be illegal?

Not sure why people make such statements when a drug as harmful as alcohol is regularly sold and consumed without second thoughts.

An opinion based on an experience in the past with friends. At least dealing with *******. Marijuana isn't addictive, while *******, heroin, and similar drugs are addictive.


Oh and tobacco, processed tobacco should be illegal, or at least majority of the chemicals used in cigarettes should be not be allowed to be used in processing tobacco.

[ZenBowman]

An opinion based on an experience in the past with friends. At least dealing with *******. Marijuana isn't addictive, while *******, heroin, and similar drugs are addictive.


Oh and tobacco, processed tobacco should be illegal, or at least majority of the chemicals used in cigarettes should be not be allowed to be used in processing tobacco.

Okay, so instead of marijuana, tobacco should be illegal. BRB, creating a new "War on Cigarettes" which will do even more damage than the failed "War on Drugs"....

[Blindead]

Depends on what you mean by legalization. I think most of htem should be legalized, and the rest decriminalized for recreational use. Heroin is a disgusting drug, along with homemade meth, and those who produce it should still be liable for prosecution. I see nothing inconsistent with this - I don't think that producers should be able to put arsenic and lead into food, so why do I think they should be able to bring things like heroin into our country?

And yes alcohol can be more dangerous than many drugs, but there's no going back on that, and it's hardly all bad, only when you abuse it. You can't just take a little bit of heroin and get a little high.

[Spuddy]

Prohibition was a perfect example of what legal vs. illegal looks like. When alcohol was illegal, criminal syndicates ran the show and made police efforts look plain stupid, then when it was legalized and regulated, the crime bosses lost an empire overnight; This saved money for law enforcement while completely draining a huge source of income for the big-time criminals who were making money importing liquor.

Right now we have huge cartels and gangs that are out of control, being funded predominantly by dirty money they receive for importing various illegal drugs. Thousands of cops have died fighting a losing battle against them, and likely millions of people have died from uneducated drug use or collateral damage in the unending drug wars. If we regulate drug distribution, the gangs lose massive income, the border becomes more secure, and best of all, people will become educated about what they are doing to their bodies, and will have a place to turn for help if things get out of control (it's no small secret that rehab clinics have a bad vibe for addicts since "the man" knowing about their problems is a huge turn off) Overdoses will become much less common with regulated purity, drug taxes will pay for drug rehab, and billions of dollars will be saved when the drug war simply vanishes due to zero demand for illicit drugs.


But that would mean that an entire law enforcement branch of the government would no longer have any use, so Uncle Sam will never allow it.

[TrollTech]

Do you think drugs which are currently illegal (ex. marijuana, *******, heroin, etc.) should be legalized?

Why or why not?

I think it's a stretch to group those drugs together, but at least you clarified that in your poll.

The War on Drugs (and Prohibition) is a complete disaster, especially as it relates to Marijuana. Almost no one other than Drug/Tobacco/Alcohol lobbies believe the Marijuana should be criminalized the way it is. People have been behind bars for years, charged with possessing something that won't addict them, cause brain damage, or cause them to act violently. It's pretty ridiculous, and getting to the point where the Office of National Drug Control Policy/Partnership for a Drug Free America and other similarly useless organizations are simply lying so as not to inform the public of the truth about the dangers (or lack thereof) of marijuana. (memo from ONDCP: "marijuana is addictive and dangerous") lol lol

Our policy toward hard drugs is similarly a failure. Simply possessing a certain amount of crack (without intention to distribute) can land you 5 years in federal prison. This is disguised racism at best; there is a huge sentencing disparity between possession of crack and possession of *******. Users of hard drugs are often charged with felonies, and can't find meaningful work after becoming clean due to their criminal record (even if they have not committed crimes against others).

Our schedule system of drugs is also a joke. Drugs which are not addictive and do not cause violent behavior (ex, marijuana, LSD) are listed as Schedule I, while things like Meth and PCP are Schedule II, simply because they have a medical purpose. This is ridiculous, and pretty illogical on top of that. Even more offsetting is the fact that some of our Schedule I drugs are pretty innocuous, and may even be sold over-the-counter elsewhere. Others, such as Ibogaine, actually help people break addictions (Philip Morris wouldn't be too happy about that).

Not to mention, the War on Drugs isn't working. All it's doing is hurting our economy (virtually all economists are against it), landing non-violent offenders in prison, and hurting America's image and deepening racial divides. All that for the profit of Pfizer and friends. The war on drugs has never worked, and probably never will. This policy is a joke and a disaster, and no, I don't support it.

/rant

[illriginalized]

Okay, so instead of marijuana, tobacco should be illegal. BRB, creating a new "War on Cigarettes" which will do even more damage than the failed "War on Drugs"....

Marijuana doesn't have any deadly chemicals involved with its existence unless some idiot sprays or laces marijuana with something, like *******, angel dust, or even embalming fluid. Cigarettes on the other hand, when looking at the recipe and how they "cut" into tobacco, you'd assume that these tobacco companies are literally trying to kill us.

[ZenBowman]

But that would mean that an entire law enforcement branch of the government would no longer have any use, so Uncle Sam will never allow it.

If people voted for it, it would happen. This self-defeatist attitude is effeminate, get rid of it.

The problem is that people consistently vote AGAINST drug legalization. Even in California, the legalize marijuana proposition may not pass. It won't be government's fault. It'll be the people's fault for voting against it.

Again, this self-defeatist attitude is effeminate, get rid of it.

[ZenBowman]

Marijuana doesn't have any deadly chemicals involved with its existence unless some idiot sprays or laces marijuana with something, like *******, angel dust, or even embalming fluid. Cigarettes on the other hand, when looking at the recipe and how they "cut" into tobacco, you'd assume that these tobacco companies are literally trying to kill us.

Isn't this directly contradictory to your claim that the government is trying to control our private lives too much?

The "War on Cigarettes" would have similar societal implications as the "War on Drugs", except on a much grander scale. Prison populations would quadruple, is that what you want?

Should alcohol be illegal too?

[Human Rocket]

Isn't that still going to continue the war on drugs?

Legalizing marijuana would certainly cut down on the prison population. Besides, even though it's claimed to be a gateway drug I'd think most users who had access to legal, inexpensive, high quality cannabis wouldn't bother trying other drugs.

[ZenBowman]

Legalizing marijuana would certainly cut down on the prison population. Besides, even though it's claimed to be a gateway drug I'd think most users who had access to legal, inexpensive, high quality cannabis wouldn't bother trying other drugs.

I doubt it. People have access to legal tobacco and alcohol, and still go for cannabis.

[illriginalized]

Isn't this directly contradictory to your claim that the government is trying to control our private lives too much?

The "War on Cigarettes" would have similar societal implications as the "War on Drugs", except on a much grander scale. Prison populations would quadruple, is that what you want?

Should alcohol be illegal too?

Alright so don't ban cigarettes, ban the chemicals used in them. Majority of those chemicals are used for pesticides and preservation of their product, tobacco... I'm sure they can find alternatives, even if the cost of tobacco has to go up in price.

And majority of drug offenders in the prison system, were related to marijuana...

[TrollTech]

Marijuana doesn't have any deadly chemicals involved with its existence unless some idiot sprays or laces marijuana with something, like *******, angel dust, or even embalming fluid. Cigarettes on the other hand, when looking at the recipe and how they "cut" into tobacco, you'd assume that these tobacco companies are literally trying to kill us.

Well angel dust and "embalming fluid" are the same thing technically. And this whole "lacing" argument is pretty dodgy, and mostly the product of Drug War propaganda. Most dealers will not lace marijuana with such an expensive drug as *******; it doesn't make financial sense to them, and is probably one of the most inefficient routes to introducing marijuana users to addiction to harder drugs. Not to mention that a marijuana user probably won't return to his/her old dealer if smoking a batch suddenly causes PCP dissociation (probably would scare them terribly).

But yes, I completely agree about how the tobacco companies cut their products. Some cigarettes literally include formaldehyde. Cigarettes are cut with a far greater number of cancer-causing chemicals than marijuana smoke for smoke.

[ZenBowman]

Alright so don't ban cigarettes, ban the chemicals used in them. Majority of those chemicals are used for pesticides and preservation of their product, tobacco... I'm sure they can find alternatives, even if the cost of tobacco has to go up in price.

That's fine.

And majority of drug offenders in the prison system, were related to marijuana...

Yes, but if alcohol and cigarettes were banned, that would quickly change. Read up on the prohibition era.

[blip63]

Legalizing marijuana would certainly cut down on the prison population. Besides, even though it's claimed to be a gateway drug I'd think most users who had access to legal, inexpensive, high quality cannabis wouldn't bother trying other drugs.

The gateway theory is actually based on the idea that since marijuana is illegal, you get exposed to other drugs as well since dealers usually sell more than one type of drug.

[brighamw]

Wow! I knew I'd be in the minority, but I'm the first for "Yes, drugs should be illegal" LOL

I'm for completely revamping the legal system and changing the drug laws & sentencing, etc.. But as far as legalizing any of the drugs listed, including R&P's favorite I stand by leaving them illegal...

[illriginalized]

That's fine.



Yes, but if alcohol and cigarettes were banned, that would quickly change. Read up on the prohibition era.

Oh I know... there's a huge population of America that smokes tobacco and or drinks alcohol, I would even assume that there's more tobacco/alcohol users than there is marijuana users overall.

[TrollTech]

The gateway theory is actually based on the idea that since marijuana is illegal, you get exposed to other drugs as well since dealers usually sell more than one type of drug.

Well, maybe if it weren't for our failed policy, people would not have to go to drug dealers to get marijuana. And the entire "gateway drug" theory is just more failed Drug War propaganda.

[ZenBowman]

Oh I know... there's a huge population of America that smokes tobacco and or drinks alcohol, I would even assume that there's more tobacco/alcohol users than there is marijuana users overall.

This is the understatement of the year, but yes.

[Galvatorex]

This is the understatement of the year, but yes.

id say all but meth

[blip63]

Wow! I knew I'd be in the minority, but I'm the first for "Yes, drugs should be illegal" LOL

I'm for completely revamping the legal system and changing the drug laws & sentencing, etc.. But as far as legalizing any of the drugs listed, including R&P's favorite I stand by leaving them illegal...

Why? Stance on alcohol and tobacco?

[illriginalized]

Well angel dust and "embalming fluid" are the same thing technically. And this whole "lacing" argument is pretty dodgy, and mostly the product of Drug War propaganda. Most dealers will not lace marijuana with such an expensive drug as *******; it doesn't make financial sense to them, and is probably one of the most inefficient routes to introducing marijuana users to addiction to harder drugs. Not to mention that a marijuana user probably won't return to his/her old dealer if smoking a batch suddenly causes PCP dissociation (probably would scare them terribly).

But yes, I completely agree about how the tobacco companies cut their products. Some cigarettes literally include formaldehyde. Cigarettes are cut with a far greater number of cancer-causing chemicals than marijuana smoke for smoke.

I'm just saying, marijuana in itself is 100% natural... sure people use certain chemicals while trying to grow marijuana... but none is needed, just the correct environment. And the beauty of it is not addictive.