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The pros and cons of legalising drugs

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http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/728898-UK-The-pros-and-cons-of-legalising-drugs *


A jar of medical marijuana*

A tide of support for legalising drugs seems to be rising around the world. Could it work here too?

Fri 11 Jul 2014

Last month Jamaica announced it would decriminalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis. In December, Uruguay became the first nation to make it legal to grow, consume and sell the plant.

More than half of US states already allow marijuana for medical purposes and Washington became the first to permit the recreational use of the plant in 2012, despite a federal ban, with Colorado following earlier this year. Cannabis [5] went on sale in Washington[5] earlier this week.

In the UK, a group of experts and celebrities recently wrote to the government making the case for decriminalising the possession of outlawed drugs. So what are the pros and cons of making possession of drugs, including cannabis, more legitimate?
Pro: The war on drugs creates addicts

Russell Brand, Sir Richard Branson, Sting and Michael Mansfield QC were among high-profile signatories to a letter to the government asking for a reappraisal of drugs policy organised by campaign group Release, The Independent reported last week. They want David Cameron to consider decriminalising possession.

Release says arresting users "creates more harm for individuals, their families and society". It says that if users are not "caught up in the criminal justice system" they have a better chance of escaping addiction and says evidence from other countries proves this. For example, they say users of ‘soft’ drugs like cannabis are more likely to try something harder, including heroin, when both are illegal.
Con: Legalising drugs would create addicts

Kevin Sabet, a leading US academic and opponent of drug liberalisation, told The Guardian last week: "Legal regulation has been a disaster for drugs like alcohol and tobacco. Both of those drugs are now sold by highly commercialised industries who thrive off addiction for profit." He concluded: "What we need is much smarter law-enforcement, coupled with real demand reduction in places like Europe and the US." At a time when governments are uniting to stop people smoking, should they really be becoming more laissez-faire about drug use?


Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/health-science/59417/the-pros-and-cons-of-legalising-drugs#ixzz37PmUDUx8

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My Opinion,

If it grows naturally in Nature, as a part of Nature, nobody has the right to tell Me what I can and Cannot consume, use!

The so called War on Drugs is just a scam to control the unthinking sheeple!

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I definitely think the ideal affirmative action is the most simple one: just remove any barriers to growing and using/consuming plants. PLANTS!

Honestly, nature has us covered with coca, poppy, cannabis, fungi, cacti, khat, dimethyltriptamine-containing plants....

There's a massive array of experiences available from things that have evolved to grow all by themselves! Kind of seems like beings are meant to experience these things.... :scratchhead:

While I still believe there's a place and time for isolation of alkaloids, refinement of substances, and a host of more complex human processes which create pharmaceutical items, it seems like a really really basic starting point to just let people get to know and understand plants. Sorry, I mean, let people re-familiarise themselves with these plants which have been around forever.

PROS: nature wants us to enjoy it and ourselves and thus has created many avenues through which both fun and a greater understanding of life can unfold.

CONS: people and groups who wish to claim ownership of and control things they don't understand will get upset.

EDIT: added words to indicate that I believe there's a place for "man-made" drugs and plant derived drugs

Edited by Halif
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