| Portugal has made all drugs legal and has some significant results: However, as Greenwald concludes: "By freeing its citizens from the fear of prosecution and imprisonment for drug usage, Portugal has dramatically improved its ability to encourage drug addicts to avail themselves of treatment. The resources that were previously devoted to prosecuting and imprisoning drug addicts are now available to provide treatment programs to addicts." Under the perfect system, treatment would also be voluntary, but as an alternative to jail, mandatory treatment save money. But for now, "the majority of EU states have rates that are double and triple the rate for post-decriminalization Portugal," Greenwald says. See entire article, it is good!: www.thefix.com/content/decrim-nation-por...=pubexchange_article |
Should countries make all drugs legal?
- Thread starter Ruthanne
- Start date
Don M.
SF VIP
- Location
- central Missouri
They might as well erase the drug laws....the War on Drugs has been an abysmal failure...much like Prohibition was on alcohol. All the current laws do is make the drug dealers rich and fill our prisons with users. Legalize it, and tax it, and use the tax money to treat the sorry fools who engage in this addiction.
Debby
Well-known Member
- Location
- East coast of Canada
I heard about Portugals change a few years ago and it appears that it's been a boon to the country and to the reduction of addiction and all the problems that go along with that! But of course, the rest of our countries are hanging on to our fears and a fierce determination to find 'our own ways of doing things' instead of looking around the world to see if anyone else is 'doing it better'.
Dupe Murkland
Member
Yeah... it's probably the best idea. Figure-out new parameters for the 'work force' policing itself, via testing.
fureverywhere
beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
- Location
- Northern NJ, USA
I agree to an extent. I think countries that treat addiction as an illness have it going on. Those countries provide treatment over incarceration. The US prison system is overstuffed with inmates. Being jailed for minor possession throws people in with those convicted of violent crimes, where is the justice in that?
It's still a scary thought. I have no trouble with legalizing pot but some of the other drugs, I'm not so sure about. I guess watching how things work out in Portugal and in other places is something we should do. What concerns me is our young people. I realize they can get drugs easily these days but should we make it easier still? It's sounds like a good idea, offer them treatment, however, how about those who have fried their brains? Personally, I do not care for this approach to empty out our jails.
What has Portugal done lately? They left a mess in South America a couple of centuries ago called Brazil.
"legalizing" drugs is one thing. But crime is another. A thief is a thief. A robber is a robber. A gangster is a gangster. Drugs do not create the criminal. The drugs lower inhibitions which make committing crime easier for many that already standing on the line between criminal and illegal.
Do not confuse legal and crime when talking drugs. There are two different things with the same connotation.
"legalizing" drugs is one thing. But crime is another. A thief is a thief. A robber is a robber. A gangster is a gangster. Drugs do not create the criminal. The drugs lower inhibitions which make committing crime easier for many that already standing on the line between criminal and illegal.
Do not confuse legal and crime when talking drugs. There are two different things with the same connotation.
fureverywhere
beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
- Location
- Northern NJ, USA
But for all the people in prison right now. If you had pot for your own use, even heroin for your own use, maybe a bottle of Oxy...I'm not talking about they found your attic lined with pounds of drugs. The dealers and folks who move massive quantities need to be stopped. But minimal possession should not put you behind bars.
There's people who murder somebody but with legal loopholes get probation. I don't think possession should be in the same category as violent crime because it's not.
There's people who murder somebody but with legal loopholes get probation. I don't think possession should be in the same category as violent crime because it's not.
+1, that's it, in a nutshell.
Makes sense.
Yes, Portugal is a good example.
Treatment over incarceration, yes.
Yes, they should just make all drugs legal, the war on drugs is bogus and a failure. Legalizing drugs, as others have said would not only stick it to the illegal drug dealers, but it will also clear out the overcrowded jails. Buying the drug of choice from a legitimate business is a lot safer than buying from a stranger in a back alley, higher quality product also. Taxing them is a good way to reap the profits and put them to good use.
Possession and/or use for individuals and individual quantities should be legal. But so should an employer being able to demand a DFWP or drug free work place. Or the highway department demand non intoxicated drivers. Crimes like theft, robbery or murder associated with illegal drugs should not be forgiven, minimized or overlooked. No abuse excuse. Hopefully a 'legal' junkie will be like a legal alcoholic and won't commit as much crime. Does this mean insurance is going up to cover those who want to quit.
Debby
Well-known Member
- Location
- East coast of Canada
Well Portugal would agree with you except they don't even incarcerate people unless they are caught selling drugs I think. But if they find someone who is just using drugs, it's treated as a health issue and treatment is offered and provided as long as its needed. I think the result is a dramatic reduction in users and an even bigger reduction in the number of young people who start using. Portugal decriminalized everything and they're doing better that the rest of us when it comes to drug abuse.
fureverywhere
beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
- Location
- Northern NJ, USA
I also might point out that with narcotics, even as addicts they often aren't violent offenders. Being a narcotic addict is a continuous cycle of you have your fix so you doze or are fairly functional, the drug starts to wear off after a number of hours, then you need to find some more so you don't get sick. Heroin doesn't make people insane or crazed. There are high functioning junkies just as there are high functioning alcoholics.
Cocaine is a truly dangerous drug. Crack in particular will destroy the users life even before it kills them. Cocaine should be the number one drug they should try to control by any means needed.
Cocaine is a truly dangerous drug. Crack in particular will destroy the users life even before it kills them. Cocaine should be the number one drug they should try to control by any means needed.
Butterfly
SF VIP
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
I think meth is more dangerous to society at large than coke. People become crazy and uncontrollable on meth -- when I was working, I''m pretty sure think I saw more godawful things done while on meth than on coke. Meth does awful things to the human body.
I also think legalization is a good idea. We spend an an awful lot of money trying to control drugs, with little or no result at all. Legalization and taxation makes a lot of sense, but make being under the influence a HUGE aggravating factor (i.e., greatly increased sentences) if people commit crimes while under the influence or drive under the influence. What we are doing now sure isn't helping any. Seems to me that if a person could just go down to Walgreens to get whatever they want, maybe some of the big drug cartels would be out of business. I think legalization would take away some of the awful desperation addicts feel when trying to find their drug of choice, and that desperation is what leads to a lot of the crime they commit -- not to mention the huge profit factor for illegal drug dealers.
I also think legalization is a good idea. We spend an an awful lot of money trying to control drugs, with little or no result at all. Legalization and taxation makes a lot of sense, but make being under the influence a HUGE aggravating factor (i.e., greatly increased sentences) if people commit crimes while under the influence or drive under the influence. What we are doing now sure isn't helping any. Seems to me that if a person could just go down to Walgreens to get whatever they want, maybe some of the big drug cartels would be out of business. I think legalization would take away some of the awful desperation addicts feel when trying to find their drug of choice, and that desperation is what leads to a lot of the crime they commit -- not to mention the huge profit factor for illegal drug dealers.
I think it depends on the person what they will do on a particular drug. I knew a guy who got very aggressive on most drugs, coke, meth, alcohol. It depends on the doseage they use, too.
I agree Butterfly, meth is far more dangerous that cocaine.
I tried meth a long long time ago and all it made me do was clean the whole house until it was sparkling clean.
Butterfly
SF VIP
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
You can already take tryptophan. It's still on the market -- all that awful stuff that happened with it wasn't the tryptophan itself, it was because of contamination by a manufacturer in Japan (I think it was Japan) by the name of Showa Denko. Propofal was never supposed to be available to anyone outside a hospital setting -- even Jackson couldn't have gotten it if a doctor hadn't sneaked it out to him.