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Making drugs regulated and available to consenting adults would destroy the black market. This would make them not only far less available to kids or teenagers

Making drugs regulated and available to consenting adults would destroy the black market. This would make them not only far less available to kids or teenagers but also reduce deaths by ensuring a tested product.

DamnYuppie 5y ago
This is patently false, we are seeing this in CA with weed right now. People are buying non legal or regulated products because they are cheaper.
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  So instead of saying the entire idea is wrong because of one example with one easily solvable problem, how about we solve that problem? Price of legal drugs needs to be lower than illegal, or at least close. Not to mention in California the illegal supply market flourishes due to export to non-legal states. This has been true for decades.
  - netizen-936824 5y ago
    Its also worth mentioning the successful treatment programs that focus on substance access: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin-assisted_treatment https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin-assisted_treatment
- robbedpeter 5y ago
  You can't half ass legalization, that just maintains space for the black markets. By keeping it federally illegal and preventing banking and insurance and the like, you make people vulnerable. Bootleg alcohol isn't a problem because we've found and refined the right balance of access and regulation. That balance needs to be achieved for all drugs. If someone wants fentanyl, it's probably prudent to require a license and valid medical reason and records keeping. If someone wants some laudanum or coca leaves, maybe it's perfectly reasonable to limit a purchase to a one dose per day 5 day supply. In addition, maybe it's reasonable to establish drug use education licenses, like hunter's education and concealed carry training. If you want to consume a commercially available drug, attend a class that trains on the safe use and harm reduction practices and provides hotlines and local medical and therapy facilities. Require pharmacies to sell to anyone whatever the single purchase limit for a substance is as long as the customer has a current card for that substance. Implement mandatory drug use education in the last two years of high school, and the first two years of college education. Broadcast free TV and radio programs on safe use and harm reduction practices. Destigmatize responsible use,and incentivize people to seek help early. Don't merely decriminalize and foist a wild west half ass barely legal industry of dispensaries on the population, because that's how you keep black markets in business.
hungryforcodes 5y ago
Not sure why the downvotes. This so much.
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  Likely because it goes against the ideology that a lot of people hold where any drugs and intoxication is bad and immoral. How drug use can be immoral is beyond me, that seems like one hell of a stretch. I'm happy to consider different perspectives and arguments for this viewpoint if anyone has them.
  - Dma54rhs 5y ago
    Because we live in the society, not in vacuum. As pandemic has proved to even the most individualistic societies you're actions do have an impact. It doesn't have to be direct. It's not about your freedoms, your precious beliefs and desires solely. You're part of the machine like it or not.

DamnYuppie 5y ago

This is patently false, we are seeing this in CA with weed right now. People are buying non legal or regulated products because they are cheaper.

netizen-936824 5y ago
So instead of saying the entire idea is wrong because of one example with one easily solvable problem, how about we solve that problem? Price of legal drugs needs to be lower than illegal, or at least close. Not to mention in California the illegal supply market flourishes due to export to non-legal states. This has been true for decades.
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  Its also worth mentioning the successful treatment programs that focus on substance access: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin-assisted_treatment https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin-assisted_treatment
robbedpeter 5y ago
You can't half ass legalization, that just maintains space for the black markets. By keeping it federally illegal and preventing banking and insurance and the like, you make people vulnerable. Bootleg alcohol isn't a problem because we've found and refined the right balance of access and regulation. That balance needs to be achieved for all drugs. If someone wants fentanyl, it's probably prudent to require a license and valid medical reason and records keeping. If someone wants some laudanum or coca leaves, maybe it's perfectly reasonable to limit a purchase to a one dose per day 5 day supply. In addition, maybe it's reasonable to establish drug use education licenses, like hunter's education and concealed carry training. If you want to consume a commercially available drug, attend a class that trains on the safe use and harm reduction practices and provides hotlines and local medical and therapy facilities. Require pharmacies to sell to anyone whatever the single purchase limit for a substance is as long as the customer has a current card for that substance. Implement mandatory drug use education in the last two years of high school, and the first two years of college education. Broadcast free TV and radio programs on safe use and harm reduction practices. Destigmatize responsible use,and incentivize people to seek help early. Don't merely decriminalize and foist a wild west half ass barely legal industry of dispensaries on the population, because that's how you keep black markets in business.

hungryforcodes 5y ago

Not sure why the downvotes. This so much.

netizen-936824 5y ago
Likely because it goes against the ideology that a lot of people hold where any drugs and intoxication is bad and immoral. How drug use can be immoral is beyond me, that seems like one hell of a stretch. I'm happy to consider different perspectives and arguments for this viewpoint if anyone has them.
- Dma54rhs 5y ago
  Because we live in the society, not in vacuum. As pandemic has proved to even the most individualistic societies you're actions do have an impact. It doesn't have to be direct. It's not about your freedoms, your precious beliefs and desires solely. You're part of the machine like it or not.