10 reasons to legalise supply and use of drugs

[goosebump]

1. It will remove the control of the trade from the criminal underworld and eradicate the violence associated with that control
2. It reduces the likelihood of removing civil rights through draconian enforcement methods such as internment, covert surveillance and denial of bail.
3. It will remove the burden of the illicit drugs trade from vulnerable communities, and the costs associated with rehabilitating those communities
4. It will allow the State to enforce standards and provide education to ensure that risks of usage are minimised
5. It will provide a source of revenue for the State in that taxes can be applied to the sale of drugs
6. It will save the State money in that resources will not be required to tackle the illegal supply of drugs
7. It will free up resources to treat addiction and rehabilitation
8. It will force users of drugs into the open, making it less socially acceptable to take drugs
9. It will allow the State monitor the extent of drug usage and take steps to limit its impact on society
10. It will allow for easier access to drugs that are required for medicinal purposes

The central flaw in the 'War Against Drugs' is this:

The more successful the State is in removing illicit drugs from the streets, the more the price of those drugs goes up, which in turns drives up the profits that can be made, which attracts more criminals into the trade, who will use increasingly desperate and lethal methods to maintain control of the trade.

In effect, Prohibition, rather than reducing the supply and use of illicit drugs, is actually sustaining it.

In considering these reasons, remember that we already have widespread drug usage and addiction, and that drugs are cheaper and more readily available now than ever before.

It has been estimated that in terms of value, the drugs trade accounts for 8% of world trade. How can we leave such a massive component of modern society in the hands of murderous criminals?

[Endoftheworldasweknowit]

Reason 11; it promotes a libertarian agenda!
Reason 12 it allows for a reduction in the size of Garda Siochana!
Reason 13; It attracts gangsters from abroad to set up here.

[goosebump]

Reason 11; it promotes a libertarian agenda!

Yes, because as ever one knows, nobody uses in drugs in Ireland

Reason 12 it allows for a reduction in the size of Garda Siochana!

It would actually allow for the expansion of the Garda, in that it would free up resources

Reason 13; It attracts gangsters from abroad to set up here.

It would preferably be an EU wide measure, but the Netherlands is already home to much of this activity, and the Netherlands has the lowest drug usage amongst teenagers, and the lowest drug related crime rates, anywhere in the EU.

[hugh jarce]

maybe start with decriminalization..this has been a great success in portugal
where in 2001 it decriminalized ALL drugs!
here's the recent discussion dated april 3rd
Drug Decriminalization in Portugal (Cato Institute: Policy Forum)

[Libero]

Reason 8 is nonsense. And reasons 4, 7 and 9 require a high level of faith in the ability and willingness of the state. But all the other reasons are pretty solid and add up to form a powerful case.

Still, the world's parents seem convinced that drug use is likely to increase after prohibition is removed. Who can argue against this, other than to make the point that criminalisation is a weak deterrent? The point I'm making is that parents (and parents-to-be) can be brought to accept the failings of prohibition but will reject the alternative if they think it leaves their Johnnie or Mary marginally more likely to try drugs. And you can show them all the damage done in Limerick and elsewhere, and the bigger tax bills, but if they think drug use will increase amongst young people, they're against making it legal in any way.

It's mad, but even parents who tried drugs when they younger (proving that criminalisation was not an effective deterrent) still believe that keeping drugs illegal will help convince their own children not to ever try them.

[Akrasia]

I think its very interesting that George Hook is fronting a radio campaign looking for donations for the victims of severe injuries sustained paying rugby. If there were people similarly debilitated through the use of drugs, he and others would be calling for stricter controls on those substances, but there are probably more injuries and deaths from sports than there are from drug use every year.


Magic mushrooms were banned because one person fell out of a window and there was a tenous link to Shrooms, This was the first ever recorded death from magic mushrooms in the state.

BZP has just been banned because 'it can not be proven to be safe' but neither has it ever been proven to be dangerous either.

I think its very sad that a tiny fringe group of nutters (That grainne woman from european mothers against drugs or whatever they're called) can have such an influence on public policy and laws banning things can be passed with barely a thought to the social consequences of prohibition.

[collinsite81]

So how do we invoke change? What can actually be done to make this happen? our current crop of politicians haven't the the balls to do anything about it so why bother talking about this again?
The laws won't change and neither will the social problems associated with prohibition.

FACT

[goosebump]

So how do we invoke change? What can actually be done to make this happen? our current crop of politicians haven't the the balls to do anything about it so why bother talking about this again?
The laws won't change and neither will the social problems associated with prohibition.

FACT

An increasing number of main stream commentators have come around to the idea that decriminalisation, and then legalisation, is the only answer. Its only a matter of time before the politicians follow.

The entire focus of the 'War on Drugs' has been dictated by the US, but the illegal Drugs Trade in the US has destroyed vast swathes of US society, particularly amongst minorities.

The rest of the world appears to be waking up to what is coming down the line if we persist with prohibition. Hopefully, its won't be too late.

I am going to write to my local TDs outling my arguments.

[collinsite81]

I am going to write to my local TDs outling my arguments.

Maybe there is a way to arrange a co-ordinated effort? Are there any organisations promoting this publicly (that u know of)?

[soubresauts]

1. It will remove the control of the trade from the criminal underworld...

It has been estimated that in terms of value, the drugs trade accounts for 8% of world trade. How can we leave such a massive component of modern society in the hands of murderous criminals?

Good job, goosebump.

Yes, the politicians are incredibly slow to face up to the facts about drugs, but we must have faith that they will come around in the end. Unfortunately, many more Irish people will become the victims of drug-related crime before then...

We could also do with a bit more honesty from the police chiefs. You talk to police officers, anywhere in the world, who have been involved in the "war against drugs", and they all say the same thing in private: "we're not winning..." But they won't say it in public.

The point about education is very important. We need to educate young people properly about drugs, and we need to spend money on that education.

For example, if you consider marijuana alone, many users don't know that it's ridiculously dangerous to drive a car after getting stoned... All they think about is being able to pass a breathalyser test.

One other positive aspect of legalization is the knock-on effect throughout the world. If Ireland does it, other European countries will follow, and then, eventually, the whole drugs trade will tend to be legalized, which can't come soon enough for the terrorized populations of Afghanistan, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and so on.

We should ask ourselves: What do the U.S. authorities really mean by "the war against drugs"? The Wikipedia page on heroin, in a reference to Afghanistan, states:

By 2001 only 30 square miles of land were in use for growing opium poppies. A year later, after American and British troops had removed the Taliban and installed the interim government, the land under cultivation leapt back to 285 square miles, with Afghanistan supplanting Burma to become the world's largest opium producer once more.

P.S. One other argument for legalization: free trade. We (most of us) believe in free trade, don't we? Why shouldn't those farmers in Afghanistan, Peru, Colombia, and wherever, be allowed to sell their products to the people who want them?