Legalizing Drugs: A fun new poll!

[Oliveloaf]

Your thoughts?

[The Original An Gadaí]

I think most recreational drugs should be legalised, regulated and taxed.

I say most because I don't know enough about recreational narcotics to say that ALL should be legalised, although from a civil liberties perspective, once people know the risks it shouldn't be an issue what they choose to put inside themselves.

[What Exit?]

My thoughts are legalize it, tax it and devote the collected money into rehab programs and education and there should be plenty left over to help the general fund.

[Oliveloaf]

My thoughts are legalize it, tax it and devote the collected money into rehab programs and education and there should be plenty left over to help the general fund.

I'm with you, mostly. At odds with my inner libertarian is my fear that certain drugs, coke especially, are simply too dangerous for even casual use. Pot...really? what the hell? Should be legal.

[What Exit?]

And I almost forgot to mention the windfall of so many less people in jail, learning how to be dangerous criminals and of course undermining the various drug cartels that have largely wrecked Mexico and other countries and aren't exactly doing wonders for our own cities.

[Elendil's Heir]

I voted to legalize pot only. Some hard drugs are so addictive, and treatment, rehab and counseling is so expensive, I'd be very leery of making them more broadly available by decriminalizing them. Even legalizing pot will not necessarily lead to a huge tax windfall - many people will continue to grow it secretly and not report it to the IRS or its marijuana-taxing equivalent.

[What Exit?]

I'm fine with people growing their own pot actually, but people are generally lazy and a large number will buy the taxed production herb. Either way we save money not putting people in jail and funding the drug cartels. It is not just the tax but the cost of the "War on Drugs" where we'll see the windfall.

[Orual]

I am down with legalizing pot, and am totally on board with decriminalizing drug possession of any kind, but I cannot justify legalizing crack or meth.

[Sarahfeena]

I definitely say yes to legalizing pot. EVERYTHING else though, as the other legalizing option? Not sure about that...like Orual says, how do you justify legalizing seriously dangerous drugs? On the other hand, we're no good at controlling the usage, so what's the answer? It's a conundrum, to be sure.

[Sarahfeena]

I'm fine with people growing their own pot actually, but people are generally lazy...<snip>

Somewhere in here there's a joke about pot smokers...

[RabbitMage]

Of those options I also went with just pot, even though I'd prefer and middle ground between pot and everything.

Growing pot in your den probably won't hurt anyone. But ask me about living in one of the meth capitals of the world, and what happens when shit goes wrong there.

[What Exit?]

I'm fine with people growing their own pot actually, but people are generally lazy...<snip>

Somewhere in here there's a joke about pot smokers...

I think you're right.

As an ex-Hawk I guess I love the idea of legalization and using the money to just educated and rehab about the dangers of dangerous drugs and the current situation is killing far more people (though many not in the US) than I think legal Meth and H would. Let's face it, something like half out prison population is there on drug related charges? The problems in Mexico and many other Latin American countries is our "War on Drugs". Let's try something different. We know this "War on Drugs" has failed and we know that Prohibition failed.