If they were legalised:
- There would be no black market trade of drugs which is demand
led, hence the extortionate prices. The criminal gangs would be
non existent. Drugs would be regulated and the market would
therefore be supply driven, bringing down the prices so that they
are affordable – cigarettes are a prime example of this. People
then won’t need to steal money for drugs and crime rates will drop
massively. The contents of the drugs could be regulated, meaning
no bad batches etc. and the regulations will be in place to
protect people. At the moment, the regulations are in the hands of
criminal gangs who have no interest in the well being of their
customers. - Our over populated prisons would be freed up and the legal
system would be able to focus on the more pressing matters at
hand. Recreational users who are the MASSIVE majority can then go
back to being the law abiding people that they are and not be
criminalised. Drug addicts would stop being vilified and the areas
that lead to them getting to the position in the first place could
be properly looked at. - Honest information about drugs can be given, rather than the
prejudiced propaganda used to back up prohibition (the myth of the
“gateway drugs” etc.) With this information, people would be
making up their own minds about taking them (people mostly already
do, if you want drugs, you can get them). - Their uses and full effects can be researched, with
possibilities of new scientific and medical discoveries. - We will regain our rights and become responsible for the things
we do. In this age of entitlement culture, there also is a theme
of neglecting responsibility and by being allowed to decide what
we want to do with our bodies comes responsibility.
Let’s also learn from history and past mistakes, just as we did not
do with the economic crisis and the banks (another rant, another
time). Prohibition didn’t work in the United States. Let’s learn
from other countries – Holland has one of the lowest drug usages in
Europe. Prohibition doesn’t decrease demand. And it certainly
doesn’t solve the underlying problems in our society that lead to
drug problems.
So let’s make this into the issue that it is – a social issue, not
a criminal justice issue – and stop prohibition.
