We're probably all familiar with the failed attempt at alcohol prohibition in the history books of the USA, but is it any more effective now than it was back then?
Prohibition in the 1920s led to a huge increase in organised crime as gangs attempted to circumvent the law, but is it really any different to any prohibited substance now? Organised crime distributes illegal substances for profit, the police and other law enforcement agencies spend huge amounts of time and money trying to stop them, so is it time we looked for an alternative solution to prohibition?
If we're talking about marijuana, It should be legalized and sold such as tabacco. Mostly in smoke shops and tax the hell out of it. Government makes money, we get weed legally, everyone wins!
I wasn't talking about a particular drug or any other prohibited substance in the OP, more about the general rule of prohibition versus other methods.
Marijuana does pose a problem for authorities simply because by prohibiting it, it has the potential to be mixed with other substances through the supply chain, rather than being available as what it is, a herbal pyschoactive drug that has the potential for medicinal purposes.
Instead of investigating the benefits, it is demonised and stood along side much more dangerous drugs.
It's interesting you raise tobacco though, which is probably one of the few legal drugs which has been demonised but at the same time not prohibited. It is restricted now, much more than it was since it became globally popular in the first and second world wars, but after women taking a stand against the fact they couldn't smoke in the street during the '20s (anyone aware of the Torches of Freedom campaign, heavily sponsored and pushed by the tobacco industry) we have now come full circle and smoking is banned virtually everywhere in metropolitan areas.
Personally I think prohibition of any sort is a farce. Telling someone they must not do something, making it a taboo, almost makes it a reason to rebel. This can be taken out of context of course by those who say murder is prohibited and it doesn't cause people to rebel, going on rampages to murder people, but that is just taking a valid argument to its extreme for the sake of argument.
If we're talking about marijuana, It should be legalized and sold such as tabacco
should it be legal: yes. sold like it's tabacco: no.
overall: usa isn't ready for legal marijuana. people need to understand the product more then they do now.
as for the topic in general: yes. that what is illegal is attractive to people that like the feeling of danger. even if they don't know they like that feeling themself. they usualy don't think far enoufg to find and except that point.
