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I knew someone would say this. Full legalization for narcotics for drugs such as; heroin, methamphetamine and even "peaceful" psychedelics will spawn a whole ho

I knew someone would say this. Full legalization for narcotics for drugs such as; heroin, methamphetamine and even "peaceful" psychedelics will spawn a whole host of problems our society isn't ready to deal with, including; psychiatric, welfare, substance abuse and worst case, the above 1984 situation you mentioned. It's why opiates were partly banned (besides the racist overtones) in the earlier part of the 20th century. If you want to see a historical example, look at China's opium crisis in the 19th century. Full legalization is not the correct path, full decriminalization, subjective taxing, quality assessment and proper counseling and support is.

yboris 7y ago
The right question to ask is "why am I being put in jail?" -- there is no way to satisfactorily answer such a question in the case of nonviolent drug possession / use. We don't put people in jail because they drink (impairs the mind). We don't put people in jail because they ski (can kill people instantly). Putting someone in jail is the worst thing a state does to an individual, and an answer of "because we're not sure what will happen if we don't" isn't appropriate. Read Legalize This: The Case for Decriminalizing Drugs (Practical Ethics Series) by Doug Husak https://www.amazon.com/Legalize-This-Decriminalizing-Practical-Ethics/dp/1859843204 https://www.amazon.com/Legalize-This-Decriminalizing-Practic...