# Educating children about recreational drugs **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 25, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800 "2009-03-25T22:25:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/41 "2009-03-27T18:52:41Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > In a legal drug world, why would pot and ecstasy be legally available to minors? Why wouldn’t we limit their purchase to adults as we do with cigarettes and in a hyperdefinition of adult, with alcohol? But now you’re undermining your own argument. Assume we live in a legal drug world. All the formerly illicit drugs are now available at legalized, licensed, regulated drug parlors. Of course, such drugs are ONLY sold to adults. But… if there are kids who WANT drugs and have the money to pay for them, the demand WON’T go away just because the law restricts legal sales. If kids WANT Ecstasy, doesn’t it stand to reason there will be people happy to sell it to them via the black market? ---
**Author:** ![New\_Beginning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@New\_Beginning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Beginning)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/42 "2009-03-27T19:15:06Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Assume we live in a legal drug world. All the formerly illicit drugs are now available at legalized, licensed, regulated drug parlors. Of course, such drugs are ONLY sold to adults. > > But… if there are kids who WANT drugs and have the money to pay for them, the demand WON’T go away just because the law restricts legal sales. If kids WANT Ecstasy, doesn’t it stand to reason there will be people happy to sell it to them via the black market? As has already been mentioned upthread, how would legalization of Ecstasy be any different from legalization of Alcohol? Sure, minors would be able to get access through the black market… but they can (and do) now regardless. Also mentioned already, there would be fewer (or no) black-market-_produced_ drugs that might be adulterated, inconsistent, or altogether fake, lowering the chance of health repercussions due to people ingesting something other than they think they’re ingesting. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/43 "2009-03-27T19:18:19Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > But now you’re undermining your own argument. > > Assume we live in a legal drug world. All the formerly illicit drugs are now available at legalized, licensed, regulated drug parlors. Of course, such drugs are ONLY sold to adults. > > But… if there are kids who WANT drugs and have the money to pay for them, the demand WON’T go away just because the law restricts legal sales. If kids WANT Ecstasy, doesn’t it stand to reason there will be people happy to sell it to them via the black market? And if kids WANT alcohol, they get someone to buy the good stuff for them, they don’t buy moonshine backyard still stuff that’s half methanol and go blind. On Preview: What New Beginning said. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/44 "2009-03-27T20:16:19Z")
> [@New\_Beginning](#): > > As has already been mentioned upthread, how would legalization of Ecstasy be any different from legalization of Alcohol? Trippier ads, I bet. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/45 "2009-03-27T20:51:35Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > But now you’re undermining your own argument. > > Assume we live in a legal drug world. All the formerly illicit drugs are now available at legalized, licensed, regulated drug parlors. Of course, such drugs are ONLY sold to adults. > > But… if there are kids who WANT drugs and have the money to pay for them, the demand WON’T go away just because the law restricts legal sales. If kids WANT Ecstasy, doesn’t it stand to reason there will be people happy to sell it to them via the black market? It was easier for me to get Pot as a kid than alcohol. It was only a little bit harder to get Crystal Meth than alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/46 "2009-03-27T21:35:40Z")
A few other questions- Who, exactly, is going to be manufacturing and selling Ecstasy (to use just one drug), and how do they expect to make money? Personally, I don’t see Pfizer or Merck jumping in to sell Ecstasy, even if it’s legalized. But assume I’m wrong. Assume big Pharma DOES start selling the stuff. They want to make money, don’t they? And they can’t make much money selling just a little bit of the stuff to a few select people. Are they going to be allowed to advertise? To make corporate spo0nsorship deals? If not, it doesn’t sound like a great deal for them. And how much stuff will they be allowed to sell? As much as buyers want? If they’re NOT allowed to sell as much as buyers want, won’t buyers automatically go to people who WILL sell them as much as they want? Tobacco is legal, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a huge black market in tobacco products. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/47 "2009-03-27T21:42:23Z")
There are plenty of generic producers out there that would produce MDMA. So what if there is a black market? Use at your own risk. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/48 "2009-03-28T05:39:30Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > There are plenty of generic producers out there that would produce MDMA. > > So what if there is a black market? Use at your own risk. Generic drugs are profitable only if you get to sell huge quantities. Is Teva going to be able to market and advertise its generic crack or its generic crystal meth? Are they going to be allowed to charge whatever they want? If not, it STILL sounds like a bad deal for the pharma company. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/49 "2009-03-28T06:10:27Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Generic drugs are profitable only if you get to sell huge quantities. > > Is Teva going to be able to market and advertise its generic crack or its generic crystal meth? Are they going to be allowed to charge whatever they want? > > If not, it STILL sounds like a bad deal for the pharma company. Right because as everyone knows MDMA is a niche market that could never get to sufficient quantities. :rolleyes: Another option is the current drug lords turn their manufacturing legit. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/50 "2009-03-28T20:32:42Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Right because as everyone knows MDMA is a niche market that could never get to sufficient quantities. :rolleyes: > > Another option is the current drug lords turn their manufacturing legit. Don’t roll your eyes- it’s a fair question, and you know it. Pharma companies want to make money. Will they be allowed to advertise? Or, if there are competing companies, can they make commercials claiming “Our crack will get you MUCH higher than theirs”? Can they charge whatever the market will bear, or only what the government tells them they can charge? Can they sell customers as much as they want, or just some pre-set limit? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800/51 "2009-03-28T20:40:13Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Don’t roll your eyes- it’s a fair question, and you know it. I also know that hundreds of millions of pills are sold every year on the black market. > [@](#): > > Pharma companies want to make money. Will they be allowed to advertise? Or, if there are competing companies, can they make commercials claiming “Our crack will get you MUCH higher than theirs”? Because it doesn’t sell by word of mouth now? > [@](#): > > Can they charge whatever the market will bear, or only what the government tells them they can charge? I’d assume they’d charge based on the market. Certainly advertising should be regulated like it is for alcohol and cigarettes. > [@](#): > > Can they sell customers as much as they want, or just some pre-set limit? Good question. Your questions regarding its regulation are good but your arguments about it not being profitable are just not even worth taking seriously. There is a multi-billion dollar market for ecstacy alone and the profit margin is insanely high at every level of the trade. Right now a pill costs pennies to manufacture and can sell for up to $ 25 each. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educating-children-about-recreational-drugs/490800.md?page=2)