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In answer to the title: Yes, it is. Every country on the planet that has legalized one or other drug has seen only positive results from it (Portugal, Switzerla

In answer to the title: Yes, it is. Every country on the planet that has legalized one or other drug has seen only positive results from it (Portugal, Switzerland, The Netherlands, to name a few). The "war on drugs" has never, ever sported any success or any result in combatting this supposed "problem"; a problem that a ban itself creates - the very second a government bans a specific substance it loses all control over it, and non-governmental bodies (cartels) will instantly gain control over all accessibility of the substance in question - completely beyond any government's reach - and drug-related crime arises from this very point in a twofold manner: the cartels' fight over dominance, and the actual legal tag attached to anyone handling said substance. The only way to get rid of the problem is to LEGALIZE the substance, REGULATE IT, and thus regain control. The last time the USA were taught this lesson was during the prohibition, when it took them 14 years to realize how stupid their mistake was. The current lesson has been going on for over 80 years, costed thousands of thousands of lives, and billion after billion of tax payers' money. How much longer will it take?

rickmb 16y ago
"only positive results" is simply not true, and a dangerous assertion if you want legalization in the US to not just happen, but to stick. In the Netherlands, we're still struggling with tons of unforeseen side-effects of partial legalization (like a excessive alcohol abuse amongst teenagers, since drugs are no longer particularly "cool", and alcohol is much cheaper and more available). The net result has been positive, but it's not without its problems. As a results, there is still a lot of pressure from conservatives to take more repressive measures, and the road to full legalization is blocked by the relations with other countries (not just immediate neighbors, but the entire EU with its wide-open borders and the US that meddles in everyone's business) that take a much less liberal view. Bottom line is: legalization will create new problems, some of them may be hard to predict. It does not magically solve the problem. It just allows you to focus efforts and resources on the real problems, instead of the side-effects of prohibition.

rickmb 16y ago

"only positive results" is simply not true, and a dangerous assertion if you want legalization in the US to not just happen, but to stick. In the Netherlands, we're still struggling with tons of unforeseen side-effects of partial legalization (like a excessive alcohol abuse amongst teenagers, since drugs are no longer particularly "cool", and alcohol is much cheaper and more available). The net result has been positive, but it's not without its problems. As a results, there is still a lot of pressure from conservatives to take more repressive measures, and the road to full legalization is blocked by the relations with other countries (not just immediate neighbors, but the entire EU with its wide-open borders and the US that meddles in everyone's business) that take a much less liberal view. Bottom line is: legalization will create new problems, some of them may be hard to predict. It does not magically solve the problem. It just allows you to focus efforts and resources on the real problems, instead of the side-effects of prohibition.