Quote:
Originally Posted by dark-alias
IMO, if the Gov't decided to legalize MJ, it would sort of losing face with your message. They had just spent decades in a battle with MJ and then to all of the sudden legalize it sends the wrong message to the public. They are going to see it as (hey you made MJ legal, why not meth, coke, heroin and so on.) I really dont think that they will ever give an inch on drugs b/c some people will se it as a mile and take it to a whole new level
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I don't see "saving face" as a good rationale for continuing a failing policy. The United States removed prohibition of alcohol for a good reason, it was a disaster. Not only did it fail to achieve any goal that had been set for it, it actually created a load of government spending to enforce it, as well as the crime that accompanies illegal substances.
The benefits of allowing adults to consume alcohol, a drug, outweighed the drawbacks because most Americans who consume alcohol do so with little negative social effect. Some people can not handle this responsibility, and we punish them accordingly. I can handle a beer after work or a glass of dinner with wine, and would see any attempt to prevent me from doing so as an unnecessary encroachment on my liberty.
Same with tobacco. Little social risk. I enjoy a cigar from time to time. I understand the risks, and have weighed those risks against me smoking a cigar once every few months. I have decided that it is an acceptable amount of risk. I don't desire to smoke in public, as I understand that many people do not like the smell, so I am courteous about the matter. If someone wanted to tell me that, for my own good, I was not allowed to enjoy a tobacco product, I would consider it an unnecessary encroachment on my liberty.
I would strongly oppose any legislation making the consumption of either alcohol or tobacco illegal. I do support legislation outlawing the use of those products in such a manner that places others at risk. Drinking and driving is such an example.
I feel that other drugs should be viewed in a similar light. What is the social risk of their usage? Drugs such as heroin and cocaine produce such a strong addiction, that crime usually accompanies their usage, as most people can not afford to use them on a constant basis. As a libertarian I feel that people should be responsible for their actions regardless of their financial status, but I also understand the social risks of allowing the legal usage of cocaine and heroin to be too high.
All drugs are not created equal. Marijuana falls into the same category as alcohol and tobacco, and is illegal for the same reason that moonshine is illegal. Tax collection.
I have yet to hear a compelling argument of why marijuana should be illegal while alcohol and tobacco, drugs which cause large amounts of death, both to their users and to those who don't use them, should remain legal.
Not that I support people using marijuana, but I feel that they should have a choice to do so if they are allowed the choice to drink a fifth of Jack Daniels, or chain smoke a carton of cigarettes per day.