Should Recreational Drugs Be Decriminalised?

[ianh]

No TJ, Columbian drug cartels (and their pet corrupt politicians and police) would suffer - the farmer would probably get a decent price for their product in a market that didn't have to pay for aeroplanes, hit men, bribes etc. Legalisation of weed (marijuana, pot, hash, whatever) could transform the economies and the social structure of many tropical countries - Jamaica, for example would move into the market very quickly and very popularly for the government which was lucky enough to be in power at the time when US and European aid was not subject to sanctions.

I think the case for legalising non-addictive cannabis is a no brainer - if you let people legally imbibe alcohol and tobacco then you can't convince me that you are worried about any harm to the individual. On a desert island, I'd rather have dope than wine or tobacco.

Harder drugs are not so easy for me, although I have seen in Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan, Afghanistan etc. that people with easy access to heroin/opium can live normally productive lives, especially if they have an oxen or two that knows the way to pull the cart home from the fields, and slightly nearer home - if they have a job which pays for the habit. In Holland, where they have taken a much more liberal, educational and medical approach to treating 'addicts' - rather than harsh legal sanctions - the average age of a heroin addict is 40 and rising. In the UK, it is 20 and falling.

Wow man, this stuff is dynamite....BANG!!!!!!!!!

[ianh]

Also check this out - especially the comments from our very own TJ.

www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/08

[ianh]

Or try this - I'm learning (I hope) to post links but I don't speak the linko.

law.rightpundits.com/?p=2133

Check out comments 9 and 10 - it's our very own, the wonderful, the amazing Mrrrrrrrr, TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE JAYYYYYYYYYY.

[tobyjug]

If I ever find out who is doing this blatant impersonation I'LL SUE

and probably Ian too for promoting ugly rumours as a accessory after the fact

It's a pity he doesn't spend more time cleaning out his bloody pond

[stavros]

There certainly seems a groundswell developing in favour of legalisation. Here's an article in yesterday's Independent that I missed first time round. Well, I didn't actually miss it, I ignored it because I look on Johann Hari as a bigoted nuisance who presents sweeping bleeding-heart-PC-liberal articles as holy writ, whilst ignoring pertinent facts. Just occasionally though, he comes up with something that makes sense...

www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-violence-breeds-violence-the-only-thing-drug-gangs-fear-is-legalisation-2062252.html

[jackie]

Well I think it's a no brainer too, even the decrim of hard drugs. Theres no evidence in any of the countries that have done it that drug use spirals out of control as a result. Let the money that is being wasted on fighting drug-related crime be spent on helping addicts.

The problem is convincing the governments, as the public, influenced by the media & frightened by drug-related crime, photos of Amy Winehouse etc demands that their government takes a tough stance on drugs. Indeed a senior drug advisor under the last Labour govt in the uk was removed/resigned from his post as his stance was decrim & the govt said no, no, no.....

Perhaps the general public needs a bit of rehab to help them think about this a bit more logically...

[stavros]

There is a very well thought out article in today's on-line Guardian on this subject. Simon Jenkins makes a very strong case for legalisation:

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/sep/09/war-on-drugs-legalisation

It has to come, eventually.