LINK Why Aren’t All Drugs Legal? - Freakonomics
The Columbia neuroscientist and psychology professor Carl Hart believes that recreational drug use, even heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine, is an inalienable right. Can he convince Steve?
My own view is much in line with Prof Hart. I can't think of a ban that had its intended effect so I think they do not work. I therefore find agreement with demystifying and deifying things we would like to ban. Give people safe environments to have a trip in and empathetically treat those who have problems. Probably much less costly, certainly to freedom, than our current strategy of bans (or half bans, or winks and nods, or whatever we have now).
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.@Lorajay mentioned Portugal earlier, this is from a Michael Moore film -- cueued-up :
FearlessFly
Level 9
Jan 31, 2022
0
Details matter, competent adults should be able to buy and use any drug but consumer product suppliers are also responsible for accurately representing their products. Unknown purity of street drugs leads to problems. Drug users are accountable for their individual action; taxes should be levied for the purpose of ameliorating the harm to society, freedom isn't free, especially when a dollar amount can be assigned. I think the current alcohol model for all drugs is much closer to sanity and is less harmful to society as a whole than either draconian penalties or an unregulated free for all.
Buttercup
Level 8
Jan 31, 2022
3
To those saying it's unlikely, they are opening up clinics now that provide for safe administration and treat overdoses, so it is likely to be implemented in at least more progressive cities and states. The whole mindset that chemicals that cause pleasure should be banned is so pervasive, even among agnostics and atheists.
Theresa_N
Level 8
Jan 31, 2022
1
I think there are lots of bans than have an effect on the behavior they're trying to control. Do you have any idea how fast my 600hp Cobra can go? Neither do I, but I'd find out the same day they abolish speed limits...
ChestRockfield
Level 8
Jan 31, 2022
3
That's a lot of HP.
are you really telling us you don't know already? You have more self discipline than I. 
@Cyklone Had it up to 165 this past summer. It was still gaining hard and had a great and a half left to go. Be surprised if she quit on me before 180-190. But that's quite a few more miles to drive that fast considering if you get popped you're going to jail.
@JeffMurray True, who wants to risk those consequences? We have the advantage of a LOT of open space and it's pretty easy to monitor a bit of road so that you can stretch it out. Probably not so easy for you.
@JeffMurray You could probably buy time at a Speedway, or laps, and find out but you might wreck the car. 165 does give you a pretty good indication of the top speed (190-200 seems correct). There's also The Bonneville Salt Flats you might be able to do without curvature.
@rainmanjr I know that car inside out. Been driving it for almost a quarter century. Don't think I'd wreck on an open track...
Also don't know of a track near me that I could do that though.
It's very profitable keeping drugs illegal, despite the fact that it is pointless. Those who manufacture transport and retail illegal drugs would be out of business the day they became legal and that money flows down to a lot of influential people and places, from Mexico, the golden triangle and afghanistan. Billions per year are spent on the "war on drugs" which everyone acknowledges as lost. So who receives those billions and what departments would lose, never mind that the money could be repurposed to support the many underpriviliged who live in the "richest"(what a joke) country in the world. You could even afford public health. Similar things are true in aussie. Legalising would mean taxing and controlling as well, in a far more effective manner. Keeping drugs illegal is particularly farcical when the drug responsible for most deaths, most accidents, most violence and the most domestic abuse, is freely available to anyone over 18.
Cyklone
Level 7
Jan 31, 2022
2
I don't think illegal drug producers/sellers would be put of business, especially when you cite how much the legal ones will be taxed to pay for other programs. I hear a lot of complaints about how exorbitantly expensive legal weed is here.
@JeffMurray I suppose that depends upon the level of legality. You must still have laws to protect the growers as why should it be expensive if any idiot can grow it in their back yard? But you're probably correct, as at the least they would find another marketable product. Slaves maybe?
Some countries have tried it to a limited extent, ( Holland and Scandinavian counties especially. ) and it seems to work yes. But of course those are countries with fairly good national health and welfare support networks, whether it would work so well in somewhere like the US is another question.
Fernapple
Level 9
Jan 31, 2022
4
The argument for legalizing involves such treatment clinics as well as monitored trip lounges.
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