All recreational drugs should be legalized but heavily regulated.
because
score: 6
The vast majority of illegal drug users are not criminals and their drug use does not negatively impact their life. For most it is a positive to their lives. Ruining someone's life for something that they enjoy and benefit from is the real crime.
Drug laws have ruined more lives than drugs themselves. Unregulated drugs are a health risk. Unregulated drugs empower criminals, increasing crime and harm. A criminal record or being sent to jail/prison is often more harmful to a person than the drugs they use.
Drug use is a victimless crime. It is a health issue not a criminal issue. Punishing people for a health issue only makes their condition worse. If someone on drugs commits a crime we already have laws in place to deal with them.
Heavy regulation, taxes, and other restrictions could drive the drug trade to the black market if it's too overbearing, leading to the same problems we have now (other than the mass incarceration)
Many illegal drugs have shown great therapeutic value. Stigmatizing and not researching or using these substances is ignorant and prolongs the suffering of those that could benefit.
It got to the point where we're harming more people with laws than the drugs themselves. Small exmaple: Heroin (besides having bad withdraw) doesn't cause brain damage, users do not use it irresponsibly unless access is limited. Heroin addicts can live a normal life with regulated access.
Legalization is a half-step. Decriminalization (people not being victimized by the police for a victimless crime) is the full-step, and that requires the lack of the belief in outside authority, which is the reason to advocate such.
The worry about drug overuse does not validate slavery.
What would this ''regulation'' be? Why are you not applying the same logic that makes you want people to be free from these laws to mean you want people to be free from these regulations as well?
spaghetti_tree
