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>(I balance this with a deep hatred for cartels. If you trace these questions far enough, it seems to often lead to "the cartels are at the center of it all." A

>(I balance this with a deep hatred for cartels. If you trace these questions far enough, it seems to often lead to "the cartels are at the center of it all." And they're responsible for unspeakable miseries.) This is why all drugs should be legalized (not just decriminalized, decriminalization still leaves a black market). Cartels are meeting a demand, but cartels make up their own rules and will do anything they want to stay ahead. Just legalize them, it solves so many problems. 1. Quality and proper labeling (no more mystery drugs/dosages). Buyers know exactly what they are getting, which would decrees the amount of OD's. 2. Vast reduction in violent crimes (legitimate, licensed distributors are very unlikely to have violent turf wars as this would jeopardize their license). Black market would suddenly have no market (provided the taxes on legal drugs aren't stupid), which means no money, which means there is nothing to kill/fight over. 3. Increased tax revenue It is a win/win/win for everyone, I just don't get it....and please just don't with the tear jerking "What about the children!" The kids will be fine. No legalizing doesn't send a message that "drugs are OK". No it won't make them more accessible to kids, please stop fearmongering you don't know what you are talking about.

tomohawk 6y ago
3: tax revenue Governments can and do tax illegal drugs. Just issue tax stamps. If drugs are found without them, you also get them for tax evasion. All drugs used to be legal in the US. There is a reason that they became controlled a hundred years ago or so, and it does not involve conspiracies by big pharma. Go research the history - it's fascinating. Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death in the US. A large share of car accidents, suicides, crime, heart disease, and many other things is caused by it.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
rafi_kamal 6y ago
That can work for drugs with low abuse potentials, like psychedelics. But why do you think drugs like heroin will benefit the society or the people who are taking them?
- staplers 6y ago
  Currently legal opiods: oxycodone, fentanyl, buprenorphine, methadone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine.
- LyndsySimon 6y ago
  Do you have evidence to support the idea that more people would become heroin users if it were available through legal means?
  - rafi_kamal 6y ago
    I don't, and that's a good point - if the number of users remain the same (or even increases slightly) than I do see how legalizing can be beneficial. However, in my mind legalizing drugs also means easier access, and that can lead to an increasing number of people using drugs.
    - hitpointdrew 6y ago
      >However, in my mind legalizing drugs also means easier access, and that can lead to an increasing number of people using drugs. How many adults do you know that have never done, or tried, heroin would suddenly do so if was legal? I think the amount of people that would try heroin because it became legal would be staggering low. I don't think there are many people out there going "Man, if heroin was just legal then I would totally try it!". People that want to do heroin are already doing so, it being illegal isn't stopping anyone.
      - yborg 6y ago
        So the counterargument is hydrocodone. It is legal, and people that would never in their lives think of shooting smack now had doctors, many of whom knew better, prescribing them a highly addictive narcotic in order to get compensated by the manufacturer. Purdue Pharma was a wholly legal cartel with thousands of dealers worldwide moving their product for them. "Heroin" has a bad name, so your legalized version would have some innocuous made-up marketing name, backed by tens of millions of dollars of advertising and it would sell like hotcakes.
perl4ever 6y ago
>This is why all drugs should be legalized This libertarian trope has gotten more annoying as I get older. No matter what you want legalized/deregulated, there is something that even you can't stomach. And organized crime can focus their business on that something. They probably already have. You say legalize everything and then you say there will be "quality and proper labeling". Well duh, you have to enforce that; that means drugs that don't meet the standards are illegal. And your organized criminals will deal in them. There's no way out. Current drug laws can be framed as a matter of "quality and proper labeling", we're just quibbling about the details.
- amadeuspagel 6y ago
  Even legalizing some drugs would reduce organized crime. Would it completely destroy it? Probably not, but it would mean that there's less money to be made in it, and that means fewer people involved, less violence, less corruption.

tomohawk 6y ago

3: tax revenue Governments can and do tax illegal drugs. Just issue tax stamps. If drugs are found without them, you also get them for tax evasion. All drugs used to be legal in the US. There is a reason that they became controlled a hundred years ago or so, and it does not involve conspiracies by big pharma. Go research the history - it's fascinating. Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death in the US. A large share of car accidents, suicides, crime, heart disease, and many other things is caused by it.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

rafi_kamal 6y ago

That can work for drugs with low abuse potentials, like psychedelics. But why do you think drugs like heroin will benefit the society or the people who are taking them?

staplers 6y ago
Currently legal opiods: oxycodone, fentanyl, buprenorphine, methadone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine.
LyndsySimon 6y ago
Do you have evidence to support the idea that more people would become heroin users if it were available through legal means?
- rafi_kamal 6y ago
  I don't, and that's a good point - if the number of users remain the same (or even increases slightly) than I do see how legalizing can be beneficial. However, in my mind legalizing drugs also means easier access, and that can lead to an increasing number of people using drugs.
  - hitpointdrew 6y ago
    >However, in my mind legalizing drugs also means easier access, and that can lead to an increasing number of people using drugs. How many adults do you know that have never done, or tried, heroin would suddenly do so if was legal? I think the amount of people that would try heroin because it became legal would be staggering low. I don't think there are many people out there going "Man, if heroin was just legal then I would totally try it!". People that want to do heroin are already doing so, it being illegal isn't stopping anyone.
    - yborg 6y ago
      So the counterargument is hydrocodone. It is legal, and people that would never in their lives think of shooting smack now had doctors, many of whom knew better, prescribing them a highly addictive narcotic in order to get compensated by the manufacturer. Purdue Pharma was a wholly legal cartel with thousands of dealers worldwide moving their product for them. "Heroin" has a bad name, so your legalized version would have some innocuous made-up marketing name, backed by tens of millions of dollars of advertising and it would sell like hotcakes.

perl4ever 6y ago

>This is why all drugs should be legalized This libertarian trope has gotten more annoying as I get older. No matter what you want legalized/deregulated, there is something that even you can't stomach. And organized crime can focus their business on that something. They probably already have. You say legalize everything and then you say there will be "quality and proper labeling". Well duh, you have to enforce that; that means drugs that don't meet the standards are illegal. And your organized criminals will deal in them. There's no way out. Current drug laws can be framed as a matter of "quality and proper labeling", we're just quibbling about the details.

amadeuspagel 6y ago
Even legalizing some drugs would reduce organized crime. Would it completely destroy it? Probably not, but it would mean that there's less money to be made in it, and that means fewer people involved, less violence, less corruption.