# Legality of Drugs and Guns: Commensurable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 12, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766 "2009-09-12T00:34:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/21 "2009-09-13T01:12:39Z")
Right. Current illegal drugs do two things. One, they are an element in positive social interactions. As my friends used to say, drugs bring people together, and it’s true of weeds, etc., as it is of alcohol (and alcohol _definitely_ does that). Two, for some they inspire creativity and motivation–they’re sort of weak nootropics. To everything a dose, though. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/22 "2009-09-13T01:53:45Z")
Stimulants are also an effective method of weight loss, and improve some people’s performance at some jobs. Some prescription drugs have the same positive effect on a person whether or not the person has a certain little piece of paper. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/23 "2009-09-13T02:07:18Z")
But the point remains, guns and drugs are entirely different sorts of problems and solutions. They’re both tools, but they’re tools that do different things to people in different ways. Not similar at all. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/24 "2009-09-13T02:10:25Z")
Not to mention the right to own guns is protected by the constitution. Congress is not similarly constrained from passing legislation controlling drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/25 "2009-09-13T03:58:05Z")
The argument _against_ drug legalization seems to imply that drugs are a more destructive force in society than guns. Is that something anti-drug people would agree with? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/26 "2009-09-13T04:34:45Z")
What does that have to do with anything? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/27 "2009-09-13T05:32:51Z")
Wow, Cagey Drifter, you really take your name seriously – I’ve looked through a couple of your threads. I like you! ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/28 "2009-09-13T09:52:42Z")
> [@Tristan](#): > > So, you are basing your ideas on an environment you have no experience with? Sorry, I didn’t realise it was neccessary to have direct experience of something before you could suggest improvements or make commentary on it. I’ll bow out of this thread, and hang my head in shame. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/29 "2009-09-13T10:02:09Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > But the point remains, guns and drugs are entirely different sorts of problems and solutions. They’re both tools, but they’re tools that do different things to people in different ways. Not similar at all. I think the point being made is that there is a law allowing one group of people to have in their possession highly powerful and purposely lethal products, yet another group of people are not allowed to have an ounce of cocaine or other product in their pocket. Perhaps adults should be allowed to purchase a license to possess certain illicit drugs, until government gets a backbone and starts working on making them legal? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/30 "2009-09-13T15:51:35Z")
But pot’s not highly powerful and purposefully lethal. LSD is powerful, but not lethal either. And I have no idea what the LD-50 of E is, but I suspect it’s rather high. The proposals don’t even match up that way. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/31 "2009-09-13T17:01:41Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > What does that have to do with anything? > [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > I think the point being made is that there is a law allowing one group of people to have in their possession highly powerful and purposely lethal products, yet another group of people are not allowed to have an ounce of cocaine or other product in their pocket. What \*\*Ivan \*\* said. I’m trying to understand the rationale for supporting one and not the other. If they are not commensurable, as you are suggesting, then it would suggest that the illegality of drugs is not based on a simple lapse in logic, but on a potentially well-reasoned believe that it poses considerable harm to society. Given that guns are legal, it would logically stand to follow that the expected problems stemming from guns is less than that of drugs. However, I find it hard to believe that this is true. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/32 "2009-09-13T19:01:45Z")
I fail to see how it logically follows. You could say the same thing about cars. I deny that the illegality of drugs is based on a lapse of logic _or_ a well-reasoned belief it poses considerable harm to society. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that part of the the reason, say, a relatively harmless drug like pot is illegal is because of racism. You see, people believed that it drove Mexicans crazy. (and black people as well.) Try looking up why things were outlawed in the first place. Wasn’t because of physical harm at all. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/33 "2009-09-14T03:36:45Z")
> [@Cagey\_Drifter](#): > > Guns, when used responsibly, can be a largely non-destructive (and some would argue positive) force in society. The same can be said for drugs. Guns can kill people, _some_ drugs can also kill people. Guns are legal while many drugs (marijuana, LSD, mushrooms, cocaine, etc) are not. So why are guns legal while drugs are not? And moreover, why are so many gun owners against drug legalization? Can their arguments logically be held valid towards guns and not towards drugs? I suspect there are probably more pro-drug/anti-gun people on this board than vice versa. It might be easier to ask them about their logic. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/34 "2009-09-14T05:53:07Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that part of the the reason, say, a relatively harmless drug like pot is illegal is because of racism. You see, people believed that it drove Mexicans crazy. (and black people as well.) > > Try looking up why things were outlawed in the first place. Wasn’t because of physical harm at all. I know why they were made illegal in the first place. But now we’re talking about why it is argued that they can’t be legalized. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/35 "2009-09-14T10:14:02Z")
… and that has similarities to guns how? I’d think it’s more like prostitution. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Krebbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@Mr.Krebbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Krebbs)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766/36 "2009-09-14T16:49:32Z")
Not speaking for **Cagey Drifter** , but I have long seen a correlation between drugs and guns. Basically, it comes down to our government not trusting us to use inanimate things responsibly. More accurately, just **certain** inanimate things. Worse yet, the law rarely makes much sense. For example: Weed - illegal. Cigarettes - legal. We all know by now why this makes no sense. Fully automatic weapons - illegal (unless you’re rich). Semi-automatic weapons - legal. Okay, this is harder for most people to grasp. Fully automatic weapons deplete a 30-round magazine **very quickly** - AK-47s shoot 650 rounds per minute. This results in a greater ammo expenditure than is necessary to murder unarmed civilians. Fully automatic weapons are basically good for room clearing and suppressive fire. Belt-fed machine guns (as opposed to assault rifles and submachine guns) are just plain awkward and heavy. Furthermore, full-auto isn’t exactly controllable, especially if you aren’t trained in its use. Even the soldiers in Vietnam wasted so much ammunition that the Army discontinued issuing M16s to regular soldiers in fully automatic - M16s are three round burst and semi, to this day. So why are fully automatics illegal when their semi-automatic counterparts are a-okay? For the record, I’m pro-gun and pro-drug legalization. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-drugs-and-guns-commensurable/509766.md?page=1)