Do you people think that illegal drugs should be legalized?

[niv]

I say yes. Stop senseless violence and prison overcrowding, all due to the illegalization of certain drugs.

[Giancarlo]

Absolutely not.
It will clean out our country, we should build more prisions.

[niv]

If people want to inject hallucogens into their bodies, it's not my problem. If people want to kill each other to get those drugs or to supply those drugs, then it is my problem.

[Giancarlo]

My beliefs won't move.

[niv]

So Giancarlo, are you saying you want a whopping 80% of all teenagers in jail just for taking a whiff of marijuana? By the way, I am clean. If I were to smoke moderately (somewhat less than constantly) on a daily basis, I would die due to my medical condition.

[Giancarlo]

I think 80% is a greatly overstated amount.

[niv]

No not quite. According to topical statistics, approximately 4 out of every 5 teens have smoked pot at least once. I am that 1 out of that 5, by the way.

[Giancarlo]

If that is true then I am that 1 out of 5. No wonder why this country's society is going to hell. We need to gain control of this situation and teach our future generations drug use is dangerous.

But I don't trust those statistics. They are misleading.

[niv]

Giancarlo, I have told you that the DARE program has failed in the United States. It is up to people to choose wisely on whether to get into the act of taking drugs or not.

[Giancarlo]

We should try harder to teach Kids that Drug use is horrible. You haven't back anything up with not even one link.

[niv]

Must I? Fine, I'll go dig up some stuff from MSNBC if you really want me to. Actually, the DARE program isn't a complete failure. At least it got to some individuals like myself.

[Canuckkev]

Marijuana is healthier than smoking. Still unhealthy, it is smoke, but if you get pure stuff, it won't have all the harmful impurities of cigarettes. I think marijuana should be legalized.

But crack, cocaine, heroin, exctasy are harmful. They are more addictive, and more powerful. Also, not as easy as growing a plant in your basement, so they are harder to acquire, which means they can contain harmful additives. These drugs should be legalized.

About the whole drug thing...drugs and alcohol are harmful to our bodies. But so is lots of things. Occasional drug use isn't bad. The problem is with addiction. Drugs can quickly become deadly. Mind altering drugs are very harmful too. LSD isn't going to kill you, but sometime you may never come down.

Anyways, I don't agree that you should not experiment with drugs. They can be fun. The first time you have exctasy is amazing. But continued use is bad. Whatever, I need another coffee...

[Giancarlo]

Well I am glad it did help you... I remain a hardliner against drugs. I am one of the few, that doesn't need help because I am independent from the crowd.

gtg.

[WorldWarGeneral]

Currently illegal drugs should never become legal. If people were responsible with drugs like Marijuana, and didn't over do it, then it would be okay. But people aren't responsible. They're stupid, and would get addicted. Sure, people wouldn't kill to get the drugs, they'd just kill for no reason while in a drug induced state. It happens all the time when people are drunk. Not everyone, but the majority would not be responsible drug users. Everyone has the "druggies" (sp?) at their school. Who really wants more of them running around? I don't.

And as far as prison over crowding, that is a real problem. I read some where that the U.S. has a higher percentage of its population in prison than the U.S.S.R. did under communism. I'm not sure what to do about it. But legalizing drugs will only serve to increase the rate of decay in American society. Build more prisons, and make it more uncomfortable. Modern prisons are too nice, in my opinion. A windowless cell, no TV, no excess contact, no bed (only a slab) etc. would make for a most unpleasant stay, and perhaps deter repeat offenders.

[Giancarlo]

Goodness, I thought I would never see this on this bulletin board... someone with the same opinion that I have.

[Todd]

I won't vote because I can't just say Yes. I would need to have various terms and conditions met before I could ever say yes. I honestly don't care what others do to their body as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.

If the law is broken while under the influence of a narcotic there should be a tougher punishment. If anything I think crime would decrease as you would put the drug dealers out of business and the power of gangs would greatly be reduced. If they aren't able to make money of the drugs they are out of business and will be forced to get a real job.

Drug labs aren't mainly in poor run down neighborhoods as most would suspect. Just the other day there was news on another drug bust where they owned a $400,000 home running a huge drug operation. It was in the middle of an upper-class neighborhood and they were never suspected until the police followed a dealer to the home. I'm guessing there are many more like it that we won't find because they don't cause a disturbance in society.

The government would be better off making a profit on it and putting drug dealers and gangs out of business. I would rather have a drug free society but I can guarantee you that it won't happen in the near time future. Even if they stop the major drugs then people will go to house hold solvents and other easy to access chemicals to get their cheap high.

I just think that money is being wasted. The idea is to get the people off drugs so they can be a productive member of society but we're spending more money trying to stop drugs then those members of society would make for the government so the whole concept is unprofitable from that stand point. If people want to contribute to a stop drugs fund I'm all for using their money to stop drugs but they shouldn't use the government money when they could be paying off the national debt or using the money for more useful things.

[Toefur]

Well, this is indeed a tough issue.

I, personally, am 100% against drugs. I never have, and never will do any drug. I don't even drink alcohol, at all.

That being said, I am for legalisation, but i'm also not. I'm not for legalisation because the majority of people are so stupid it's not funny. I really don't want all these people walking around town being high and being ----heads.

But there are things that I enjoy, and I just think, "What if (for no apparent reason) these things were illegal?" So that makes me think, yeah... if these people enjoy it; let them.

Here is something I propose:

Complete and utter legalisation of all drugs. Things have gotta get worse before they get better, ya know?

So why not give people the freedom they think they have. Let them do as much drugs of whatever drugs as they want.

But conditions. Put conditions on it! Be sure to educate everyone. And then... people that choose to do drugs: if they ever become unhealthy or something bad happens to them as a result of the drugs they do: don't help them. They knew the possible outcomes; they have to live with it; rather than burden the rest of us with their problems.

No taking drugs or being under the influence of drugs in a public place.

Ie: A persons right to, say, smoke marijuana/be high on marijuana... ends at them. I don't want to have to associate with someone under the influence of drugs, and nor should I have to.

If they are smoking up in their backyard... fine. But say I live nextdoor and their marijuana smoke intrudes on my property... then my baseball bat has just as much right to intude on theirs :)

And then, if people play up. Give them harsh punishments. And I mean HARSH. If someone commits a crime while under the influence of any drug: punish them at least twice as hard than if they had done it under a normal state of being.

As for So Giancarlo, are you saying you want a whopping 80% of all teenagers in jail

Personally... I would love it, absolutely love it, if 80% of other teenagers were out of my hair. It's my own educated guess that about 80% of teenagers are too stupid and lacking in common sense to be in our society anyway ;)

[Gayowulf]

I think many drugs should stay illegal. Sure it leads to crime, poor living conditions and an early death. Oh well you get whats coming to you.

[Giancarlo]

Well it certainly ain't was 80% when I was going to school in the US, and that was like three years ago.

I must conclude that, the majority of people here are for illegalization according to the poll. ;)

[WorldWarGeneral]

If only it would really work - let people do drugs, and if they get sick, let them live with it. Sadly though, that would never work. Look at the recent Tobacco settlements? People, the same people who grew up hearing about how tobacco causes cancer and a host of other problems, are winning millions/billions of dollars because "they didn't know" It's rewarding stupidity. They did know. They were dumb, and it came back and bit them in the a**, so now they want to blame it on someone else. I can see the same thing happening 10-20 years down the road if Marijuana is legalized. You'll have floods of people whining and complaining because all the pot made them terminally ill - even though they were educated about it.

And, it isn't just that people are smoking, injecting, etc. in their own home, or in a special club, it's that the people would end up on the road, or causing public disturbances. Making laws against drug use while operating a vehicle obviously aren't that effective - look how many people are killed each year by drunk drivers. In the years following legalization, you'll hear about a new set of statistics: People killed by 'high' drivers.

[Giancarlo]

WWG, Now hundreds of people are going to start smoking and go after the Tobacco Companies because their lungs hurt to be award $2 Billion dollars like that person who was last week. LOL.

High Drivers are as dangerous as Drunk Drivers. I would rather be in a plane that a Chimp is flying then be in the back seat of car with a person who is high.

[WorldWarGeneral]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
WWG, Now hundreds of people are going to start smoking and go after the Tobacco Companies because their lungs hurt to be award $2 Billion dollars like that person who was last week. LOL.


Agreed. I just can't believe any of those cases were actually successful. You wonder who is actually on those juries... I don't feel sorry for people with smoking related problems in the least. They got what they deserved. They certainly don't deserve money. Especially when it runs into the high millions and billions.


High Drivers are as dangerous as Drunk Drivers. I would rather be in a plane that a Chimp is flying then be in the back seat of car with a person who is high.

Sometimes I meet someone I wonder whether that chimp flying the plane is smarter than they are... :)

[Giancarlo]

If there is money involved, they would certainly try.

I was flying to Miami and I heard a lot of noise from the cockpit... maybe a Chimp was really flying it. Good landings and take off though, I am kinda of a expert since I do landings and take offs myself on dozens of Simulators that are close to real life (USAF was designed by Jane's with Help from the US Air Force), mainly Combat Aircraft though.

Some people really aren't smarter than Chimps, and if there was a wire that had electricity running through it many people I know would continue to grab the wire while the Chimp would be scared of it. What stupidity! :p

[red_zinc]

There are degradation and life. Those who like degrade selves will accumulate in their genes the tendency to vanish. The nature doesn't care for anyone.

Added: The most clever society lives according the laws of the nature.
Any ban leads to the worse.
__________
This preservation of favorable individual differences and variations, and the destruction of those which are injurious, I have called Natural Selection, or the Survival of the Fittest.
Charles Darwin - Origin of Species (and vanishing also)

[Hellbound]

Originally posted by Gayowulf
I think many drugs should stay illegal. Sure it leads to crime, poor living conditions and an early death. Oh well you get whats coming to you.

I agree. And I don't think legalising it will change things. People will still be hitting old ladies over the head for drug money even if it is legal.

Of course, if they were legal, not many teenagers would do them anymore. :-)

[Giancarlo]

not many teenagers would do them anymore.

If they were legal, it wouldn't make any difference. What I am saying is more and more teenagers would do because they think it is cool, not because of the legal concerns. So if we keep it illegal less people would be abled to afford it, and maybe they will start to understand that it is all a very bad idea to even start using drugs when the penalities are harsh. We should make the penalities a hell of a lot harsher so people would be so scared into not using drugs anymore.

[Haze]

65% of Canadians believe that Cannabis Should be legalized.

[Toefur]

While I detest drugs and the concept of the effect of drugs extremely greatly; I have to disagree with you, Giancarlo.

I'm quite certain, NOTHING, will work. People are going to want to, and will, use drugs; no matter what. They aren't going to be scared out of it. -sigh- nothing will work...

I'd be much happier if drugs were non existant in this world, OR people just didn't have the desire to use them; but it ain't going to happen.

So somewhere, sometime out there... there has to be some sort of compromise. One that will make either side happy.


Maybe we need a country in this world where people that has a complete and utter ban on drugs. People that want to live in a drug free society can live there, the rest of ya's... can bugger off! :)

[niv]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
not many teenagers would do them anymore.

If they were legal, it wouldn't make any difference. What I am saying is more and more teenagers would do because they think it is cool, not because of the legal concerns. So if we keep it illegal less people would be abled to afford it, and maybe they will start to understand that it is all a very bad idea to even start using drugs when the penalities are harsh. We should make the penalities a hell of a lot harsher so people would be so scared into not using drugs anymore.

not true. teenagers get high because they think it's cool. why is it cool? because it is illegal. that's why.

[Toefur]

they may think it's cool because it is illegal, but thats usually not the main reason; I have found.

I know so many people that claim, you need to do drugs and ---- to fully live your life to it's fullest. They do them because they think they're fun, they do them because they really can't seem to use any common sense or creativity and do something constructive.

They do them because they're bored; and the effects are 'cool'. And it also gives them reasons to act up and do stupid ----. Things they wouldn't normally do.

I know few, so very very few, people who do not do any drugs.

[Giancarlo]

Whether if it is Illegal or Legal, it won't change the demand of it, if we legalize it, like the majority of Americans don't want to, then we could end up increasing the demand even further. As people said, the users want it because of the effects, not the legality.

Maybe I should become the Drug Tsar up in Washington, and launch a new plan.... for a whole new war.