Legalize?

[Shambles]

There are definitely signs of hope in the UK at the moment. Here's an article published today from a mainstream UK newspaper that's just one example of many similar ones that have cropped up this last year or so. Since the Blessed Prof. Nutt got sacked here it seems like the UK press (or at least the less rabid section of it) have started to all come out surprisingly strongly in favour of legalisation.

PS: The article is in relation to a government plan to drastically reduce - or even stop - prison sentences for drug runners caught with quantities up to 50+g of many common drugs - Drug 'Runners' Could Escape Prison Sentence - EADD thread.

 

[skinwalker]

Unfortunately, the government here in the US won't legalize in the near future due to their ignorant perspective on psyches and unrelenting control of drugs as well as their research.
I myself have been failed, in a sense, by western medicine and am guilty of becoming a slave to the dependance of ineffective legal drugs.
It is unfortunate that even with the array of medicinal evidence with many of these compounds they are still classified as scheduled substances.
This just helps confirm the governments motive for drug research/development. They would rather you suffer and find costly immediate relief therapy than help find a cure or effective preventative therapy.
I take it back I do have faith in western medicine to an extent as I have also benefitted from as well but it really does frustrate me to be torn between both worlds!!

 

[Cambo]

There are definitely signs of hope in the UK at the moment. Here's an article published today from a mainstream UK newspaper that's just one example of many similar ones that have cropped up this last year or so. Since the Blessed Prof. Nutt got sacked here it seems like the UK press (or at least the less rabid section of it) have started to all come out surprisingly strongly in favour of legalisation.

PS: The article is in relation to a government plan to drastically reduce - or even stop - prison sentences for drug runners caught with quantities up to 50+g of many common drugs - Drug 'Runners' Could Escape Prison Sentence - EADD thread.

I really hope this 50g rule becomes law, the amount of people in jail for possession alone is horrible! Who knows, less people in jail = less cost to keep them in jail = more people working = better economy? Now all we need is legalised and taxed drugs = everybody in the UK becomes a millionaire because the country is so rich, lol %)

I fail to see really, any negatives for keeping these drugs illegal... I bet a McDonalds on a friday night damages me more than a hit of LSD or a joint.

I see a lot of good looking news on The Independent, if only the same news came from The Sun or Daily Mail.

 

[jamaica0535]

In the idea of harm reduction, if they were legal they would be regulated and taxed which pays the powers that be at the benefit of the drugs being pharmaceutical quality as a standard for the consumer. its kind of hard to have a black market if your product is not considered illegal, the gang violence over drugs would drop, and police would be free to do more productive things, and people would stop seeing an appeal in the risk and rebellious attitude many younger people have.

 

[Shambles]

^ Totally agree. I think the deglamourisation that comes with legal drugs is often overlooked. The evidence from countries that have tried partial decriminalisation policies does seem to suggest that many people find legal drugs boring and are less likely to use them in the first place. Personally, reducing the number of drug users per se is not necessarily something to aim for especially but the fact that it does appear to be a natural by-product of legalisation is surely a bonus in the eyes of many.

Cambo: I can't see that law going through as it is (as it stands the maximum amount of (for example) phet that runners could be caught with is 250g which is a shitload and I can't see the average MP agreeing to that) but it is a promising step in the right direction. Shame they don't have the balls to just go ahead and legislate and are asking for public opinion but maybe that's a Good Thing. The Sun, The Fail and their other right-wing rag ilk are not happy bunnies about this proposal but they have no argument against it - it's all just bluff and splutter. If you read the comments sections of their reports on the proposal their readers ain't half as rabidly against it. Some are, obviously, but many see the sense in liberalising UK drug laws.

There may just be lil signs of hope here in Blighty. There already is in much of Europe. It would be harder for the rest of the world to stick rigidly to current WoD failed policy if large parts of Europe started to go the other way, I suspect.

 

[allium]

The evidence from countries that have tried partial decriminalisation policies does seem to suggest that many people find legal drugs boring and are less likely to use them in the first place.

I think most people considering legal drugs boring have the following logic in mind: all cool compounds are prohibited, and these compounds aren't prohibeted, so they aren't cool(otherwise they would be illegal). A common logical error I suppose.

And illegality itself doesn't make compounds "cool", it is all about culture. I believe cocaine and heroine looks more cool than amphetamine and hydrocode. In eyes of "uneducated" majority, of course.
So if you just make drugs legal, without real regulation, then you'll see cool sorts of weed, elite strains of mushrooms, "high-quality" opium. Look how many different beverages exist, all containing the same chemical - ethanol.

Of course, make drugs available onlyin pharmacies, and people will find them boring. But maybe only for the first time.

I totally agree with the rest of your post, Shambles.

Also, IMO, any sort of legalization/decriminalization is a great thing. Drugs may(and should) be regulated, but fuck prohibitionism. And I am pretty sure more and more countries will make their drug policies more liberal in the coming years.

 

[Dr Farnsworth]

And I am pretty sure more and more countries will make their drug policies more liberal in the coming years.

This will follow the US' stance on drugs. A couple years ago Jamaica was going to full legalize cannabis but the US basically said that if they did we wouldnt trade with them.
Obviously no one cares its illegal as you can tour plantations but my point is no one can go against the US purely because of their ability to influence international trade.