Forums → WEPR → Drugs: Why not legalize?

They should also make it illegal to own drugs if you are under 30, because this is an even bigger decision than drinking.

I do not think that drugs should be legalized in the United States. At least the current illegal ones shouldn't. Obviously, you take into account that drugs such as heroin and cocaine are extremely dangerous if you are addicted to them, and can potentially kill somebody. However, there is the argument for marijuana that it is not dangerous, nor addictive. But, you have to assume if these drugs are legalized, the level of productivity in the United States will plummet because people will be doing drugs, and that's the last thing we need, with a failing economy, and a national debt of over 14 trillion dollars. With this argument in place, even alcohol should be made illegal because it affect's a person's mind, much like how marijuana has its effects.

But, you have to assume if these drugs are legalized, the level of productivity in the United States will plummet because people will be doing drugs

Ok I should stop typing when I'm tired, sorry for the double post.

America tends to be about or worse off

And in the spirit of pics or GTFO:

people would be buying it way to much and get even more messed up than they are. Also the government would try to put a tax on it and ppl would be buying it illegaly again to get arround the tax.

There are drugs that should definitely be illegal, like heroin or cocaine. And then oxycontin, because that's just synthetic heroin. Those legitimately damage your body, and prescription ones (oxycontin) are usually only given when the damage to you body, and the benefits he drug provides outweighs the damage the drug would do to you.

I think the only drug that is currently illegal that should be legalized is marijuana. There are medical benefits to using it, and I'm not talking about people getting their medical card just so they can get high legally.

My brother is on disablilty because when he was in the Army, he messed his back up from carrying so much armor. He also has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Once he started smoking medical marijuana, it was the first time since he's been back that he's acted normal, like before he got deployed. He doesn't take any of the damaging prescription pain killers he took in the Army, because smoking pot helps it and it's far less damaging.

My sister smokes medical marijuana because of a painful kidney disorder she's had her whole life, and she would have had to take some high grade pain killers otherwise. Marijuana is cheaper than the pain killers, and does much less damage to her body.

And I know that pain killers help people recover from some horrible injuries. I'm not saying that pot is just as effective for killing pain, it is a good alternative to taking so much pain killers for so long. I'm also not saying its some miracle drug, it's just that there more than one way to take it depending on your disease, and it helps people in safer, cheaper ways. It should be a viable alternative or addition to pharmaceuticals is what I'm trying to get at.

As for economic an political ramifications, it could easily become a cash crop for the U.S. The government could tax it like they do tobacco and alcohol, and that could help the governments debt crisis.

On a side note to that, industrial hemp should definitely be grown in the US. It is a superior textile to cotton, doesn't deplete the soil like cotton does, and can be used for other purposes. You can make a better quality paper with it among other things. If the US had government subsidies for it like they do for corn, it would easily be an environmentally and economically cheaper alternative to cotton. Even without the subsidies it would be competitive. You also can't smoke it, it just happens to be in the same family as marijuana and that stigma has made it illegal.

Well, you can smoke it, but it won't get you high, you'll just look like an idiot.

Marijuana helps my anxiety. It does not make it go away necesarily it might even make it worse. But I dont care about it as much so my heart beat sows down a lot and I can breathe normally lol.

People say it's a depressent also but it is the exact opposite for me when I am depressed so I don't believe that...

I can be wanting to kill myself and totally upset over nothing but then I smoke a bowl and play some video games and everything is just ****ing... perfect...


LEGALIZE!!

Well, you can smoke it, but it won't get you high, you'll just look like an idiot.

The drugss arent legaly because the drugsss are badd but a lot of people said that the MARIHUANA its not a drug they said that the MARIHUANA is a plant of good

The duty of the government is to protect us from harm. Drugs cause brain damage, etc. Therefore, it is the job of the government to illegalize drugs. Now, it is my belief that the fines and penalties for drug use/possession should be so massive that people can't even afford one drug offense.

Marijuana helps my anxiety.

So you're willing to risk that much of your health?

The only way you can risk your health with marijuana is to smoke unbelievable amounts often for an extended period of time.

In the words of Wikipedia.

A 2001 study by the United Kingdom Transit Research Laboratory (TRL) specifically focuses on the effects of cannabis use on driving,...The effects of cannabis on laboratory-based tasks show clear impairment with respect to tracking ability, attention, and other tasks depending on the dose administered.

A 2008 review of the evidence surrounding the acute impact on memory concluded that cannabinoids impair all aspects of short-term memory, especially short-term episodic and working memory.[2] One small study found that no learning occurred during the 2 hour period in which the subjects (infrequent users) were "stoned".[57]

Most notably, the two areas of motor control and memory are where the effects of cannabis are directly and irrefutably evident. Cannabinoids, depending on the dose, inhibit the transmission of neural signals through the basal ganglia and cerebellum. At lower doses, cannabinoids seem to stimulate locomotion while greater doses inhibit it, most commonly manifested by lack of steadiness (body sway and hand steadiness) in motor tasks that require a lot of attention.

Some of the short-term physical effects of cannabis use include increased heart rate, dry mouth (cotton mouth), reddening of the eyes (congestion of the conjunctival blood vessels), a reduction in intra-ocular pressure, muscle relaxation and a sensation of cold or hot hands and feet.[30]

...disruption of linear memory and paranoia or anxiety. Anxiety is the most commonly reported side effect of smoking marijuana. Between 20 and 30 percent of recreational users have experienced anxiety and/or panic attacks after smoking cannabis.[26]

In some cases, cannabis can lead to dissasociative states such as depersonalization[27][28] and derealization;[29] such effects are most often considered desirable, but have the potential to induce panic attack and paranoia in some unaccustomed users.