# Legalization of ALL drugs, not just marijuana **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 3, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781 "2003-05-03T02:30:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/21 "2003-05-03T14:47:12Z")
Drugs _were_ legal once, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. There are good reasons why they are illegal now. There is no “magic bullet” solution to the problem of drug abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/22 "2003-05-03T14:56:42Z")
> [@](#): > > “They normally have no desire to consume rat poison or chlorine bleach.” Well, people have been know to sniff glue to get high, so there seems to be a “desire” to do so after all, as a substitute for unavailable drugs, at least. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/23 "2003-05-03T15:52:10Z")
Yes, but **robertliguori** was talking _specifically_ about common household substances which “far more fatal than any recreational drug” (his exact words). Certain glues can be intoxicating, but they are not more toxic than cocaine, heroine or meth. Hence, the mention of glue really isn’t relevant to the topic at hand. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/24 "2003-05-03T16:04:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\*The guy you know who makes moonshine: does he sell it, or does he just make it for himself and his friends? \*\* Yes, he does. I believe he charges about ten dollars a jug, but don’t quote me on that. Word 'round the campfire is that the stuff is brutal. Taste-tests from folk I know have compared it to a refreshing mix of turpentine and rubbing alcohol, with a curious hint of gasoline. Nevertheless, he enjoys brisk sales. > [@](#): > > \*\*Individuals making their own drugs for their own use will always be a problem, but if there’s a mainstream, regulated alternative to underground drug labs, the majority of users will go for that, undercutting the vast majority of the dangerous illegal manufacturers. \*\* Heroin and cocaine aren’t something you can usually whip up in the kitchen. There’s a somewhat complicated manufacturing process that would exclude most users from producing their own. I do wonder about, excuse the pun, force of habit. I always buy my shoes at Mike’s Shoe Emporium. Likewise, I wonder about the long-term relationships between dealers and their customers. Would someone who has always bought from Joe want to continue to do so because he knows Joe supplies a quality product? > [@](#): > > \*\*Cheeseburgers could be dangerous to your health if abused. No one tries to regulate that. \*\* I’ve never heard of a death ruled as an accidental ingetstion of too many cheeseburgers. Over the long term, yes, they can be harmful to your health, but drugs can do more damage more quickly. ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/25 "2003-05-03T16:15:08Z")
Where do you draw the line? Does the fact that some people eat excess fast food justify regulating/banning it? How are we judging people’s desire to take a certain substance, anyway? I mean, it seems to me that more people desire alcohol than heroin, and that’s legal. Actually, I’d like to hear a clear criteria for why some substances are unregulated, some are regulated, and some are illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/26 "2003-05-03T17:03:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Magiver \* > \*\*“ALL DRUGS” would include inhalants, Lysol, crack, PCP, etc… > > It would be impossible to sell anything stronger than marijuana because of the liability. It would be lawsuit heaven for anyone affected by the drug (not just the user). > > Even marijuana would be hard to sell because it would be regulated into something as potent as hemp. That would drive the user back to dealers. This scenario would play out for every drug.\*\* I don’t recall hearing of any successful lawsuits against the manufacturers of alcoholic beverages when people overdose on it. I could go spend $30 on some booze, drink it all, and almost certainly die of alcohol poisoning right now if I like. If I did that, I doubt my family would have much luck suing the distiller of Everclear. Consider also that the lethal dose of alcohol is not much bigger than what your average alcoholic might consume on a Friday night - I’ve almost certainly had a BAC of over .3% before, and .5% can kill you. But someone who might normally snort 1/10 of a gram of cocaine to get high could probably do ten times that amount with little risk of permanent harm (unless they had a heart condition). I don’t see how legalized drug overdoses could be treated differently legally than alcohol overdoses. It is not the responsibility of the manufacturer to make sure you don’t poison yourself with their products, as long as they warn you that they are potentially harmful (and with alcohol they don’t have to do that, even - the bottle might warn you not to use heavy machinery or drink when pregnant, but it doesn’t tell you that if you drink it all at once you might die). ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/27 "2003-05-03T17:38:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lizard \* > \*\*Drugs _were_ legal once, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. There are good reasons why they are illegal now. \*\* Mostly having to do with racism. ---
**Author:** ![FudgeNugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@FudgeNugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FudgeNugget)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/28 "2003-05-03T17:42:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\*I disagree. When drugs are totally illegal, they are totally unregulated. If you’re breaking the law selling dope, there’s no incentive not to also sell it to children. You’re already breaking the law, right? Plus, you already have this huge mechanism in place to bring drugs into the country (or manufacture them domestically) and distribute them. If drugs were legalized for adults, this smuggling and distrubution system will collapse because there’s no profit in it. Legal dealers will be unlikely to sell to children, because the profit/risk ratio is too high; it’d be easier and safer to legally deal to adults. > > We can already see this working with tobacco and alcohol. It’s a lot harder for kids to get beer and cigarettes than pot and LSD, because most bartenders or convenience store owners aren’t going to risk their legitimate buisness by breaking the law and selling to minors. \*\* Although its difficult for kids to get beer and cigarettes, they’re still able to get it. All you need is to know a friend who’s over 18 that’s willing to get them for you, or if your parents have a couple of bottles or packs lying around, locked up or not, kids will be able to get to them. But if that’s less common in the US than I think it is, then it could be safer to have age restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![FudgeNugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@FudgeNugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FudgeNugget)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/29 "2003-05-03T17:54:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissa \* > \*\*I see problems with “quality enforcement” of legally-manufactured drugs as well, unless only a few certain suppliers can make/sell them. If anyone can manufacture and sell, it would be extremely had to trace back a “bad batch” to its maker. Hard to put a brand name on a powder. > > If only a handful of manufacturers and outlets are allowed, then there’s still be the incentive for street vendors to compete price-wise. Heavy addicts might not be satisfied by the dosage in what they can legally purchase, and would want stronger stuff. I know of a guy who still makes moonshine, though alcohol is legal. There will always be a black market. \*\* If the drug-manufacturing companies produce enough, it would be extremely cheap, maybe 5 dollars for a gram of pot? Illegally it would cost 20 dollars now; in the future, people who grow that at home have to spend the time and money to have enough to make any sort of good profit, and by the time those vendors have enough to compete with huge companies that grow acres and acres, they’d be a company themselves. And even though there will always be a black market, it wouldn’t be nearly as bad if all drugs were legalized. The dosage you’re allowed to purchase, as I said, wouldn’t be controlled, because the packaging would already contain information on the different dosage levels. If a heavy addict who’s already taking near-overdose levels according to that information on the package, and he wants more than his body can handle, then I say he’s an idiot. > [@](#): > > \*\* > > Can we protect people from the very-human failing of hedonism? Of course not. We can’t possibly control people’s sometimes self-destructive urges. We can’t rid our world of any and all substances which are dangerous. People will always want to take too much of a substance which gets them buzzed. > > But there are reasons why I can’t stroll down to CVS tomorrow and get myself a bottle of OxyCotin or morphine. These drugs could be dangerous to my health if abused. There should be at least some attempts to try to regulate their usage, and limit the potential harm they could do. > > A warning lable that lists the side effects won’t do a thing, in my opinion. The pack of cigarettes here on my desk warns that I can develop a host of ailments should I use the product. Nor would dosage instructions necessarily be adhered to. I occasionally take three aspirin, even though the bottle says to take two. > > This information is potentially only of interest to the novice, because a practiced user would already know how much they need to get high, and would ignore any lable that indicated he should use the drug below what he believes his tolerance level to be. He may be confused about the comparison of how pure the state-allowed drug is in comparison to what he’s used to. Unless he has a sophisticated testing kit, he may have trusted his dealer’s assurances that the drug he was used to was very pure, and might think there’s little difference. If he usually inhales three lines of the cocaine he generally buys and does the same with a higher-potency drug, he could die. Or, if he distrusts the potency lable, he may foolishly take extra to compensate. \*\* The amount of dosages labeled would be the truth, no sugar-coating or safety nonsense to mislead users into thinking they can triple or quadruple the maximum amount (overdose) to get high. No more lying with this recommended dosage crap, I’ve known people who take 8 pills instead of 2, and they’re still alive; we have to list ALL dosage levels. ---
**Author:** ![FudgeNugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@FudgeNugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FudgeNugget)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/30 "2003-05-03T18:02:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > \*\* > Eh. Not enough people use hard-drugs to want to repeal laws against them. Marijuana, _maybe_. The finest pervian flake? Never. \*\* Says who, not enough people use hard drugs? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/31 "2003-05-03T18:27:58Z")
[Switzerland’s heroin experiment](http://www.lindesmith.org/library/tlcnr.cfm) [Swiss Experiment Halves Deaths](http://old.smh.com.au/news/0108/10/national/national4.html) [Make Heroin Legal](http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0,2763,506559,00.html) [Dutch Drug Policy](http://www.lindesmith.org/global/drugpolicyby/westerneurop/thenetherlan/) ---
**Author:** ![FudgeNugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@FudgeNugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FudgeNugget)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/32 "2003-05-03T18:30:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*I’m not of a set opinion on this issue. I’m in favor of legalizing marijuana, and I agree that the drug war is a total tragedy and a failure that should end now. But that doesn’t mean I’m sure legalizing heroin and coke is a good idea. I really don’t know. > > As to this thread specifically: I don’t buy #3 and #4, and I don’t really go for #5 either. I think the research bans are stupid, but I doubt there’s much to be gained from these drugs medically. Banning them may be harmful, but these substances are also harmful themselves. \*\* Not necessarily research for medicinal use, but medicinal research in order to make the drugs safer to use. > [@](#): > > \*\* > How are you going to regulate the amount of drugs people will buy at a time? I can’t imagine that being enforceable. Increased purity for any drug will lead to increased potency, which _could_ conceivably bump up overdoses. > You’re also forgetting that, even in regulated use, these drugs ALL cause long-term damage. You may reduce overdoses, but increased use would lead to an increase in those problems in the long run. A major one, I suspect, since some are VERY addictive and VERY harmful. > \*\* If people decide to take drugs when they’re legalized, and get messed up because of them, then its no fault of the company, its the fault of the user. If a guy wants to kill himself through getting an OD or cancer or whatever side effect, that’s his choice, but preferably let him make that choice without throwing a brick through my window and grabbing all the money in sight to do it. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Also, different amounts of alcohol get people more and less drunk depending on body mass and such, and the same should be true of heroin and other drugs. One uniform standard won’t get everybody. People kill themselves with (legal) alcohol alone from binging. You can try and regulate the amount people buy, though again I can’t see how, but you can’t control how they use or abuse it. One of the major arguments in favor of mass legalization is that you can’t control what people do in their own homes, and that applies here as well. > \*\* We’ll have to figure out some way to set an averaged standard, but I’ve said before that this wouldn’t be a very good idea since people would ignore the recommended dosage and double/triple it, under the impression that it’ll give them a better high. > [@](#): > > \*\* > You’re also neglecting tolerance as an issue. People often do increasing amounts and OD because the same amount of, say, coke won’t get you off forever. You need a greater amount to get the same buzz, and people don’t necessarily want the SAME buzz, they want a better one. So regulation of the amount people can buy also falls apart there. > \*\* I suppose we could find a way to figure out how much you can take at each level of tolerance. \*\* > [@](#): > > Regulated how? DUI is already illegal, so that would have no impact. Driving drunk is illegal even though drinking is legal, and there are plenty of drunk driving-related deaths. > \*\* There are also driving-related deaths where THC (active ingredient in marijuana) is found in the victim. If alcohol were illegal, there would still be drunk driving related deaths. This sort of thing will always be around, but rules could be enforced to prevent driving under the influence of other substances; for instance, instead of just a breathalyzer test, we could have other on-the-spot testing for other substances. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Can you back this up somehow? I know the logic, but numbers or solid evidence of some kind would be nice. That’s my response to most of #4 as well - you need to back up what you’re asserting; I won’t rebut it since I’d just be repeating the above. > \*\* In my experience, kids find things they’re not supposed to do, all the more appealing to do; if you tell a kid not to go into a certain room in the house, he’ll get there eventually because of his natural curiousity as to what’s in there. Curiousity, and all that rebellious-teenager stuff would prevail if drugs remained illegal. > [@](#): > > \*\* > > This is an unbelievably horrible idea. Legalizing drugs is one thing, this is flat-out encouraging their use. Students can get high, smoke or drink in high schools if they know how to hide it (it’s not hard). It’s still disruptive since they come to class in an altered state. And needless to say, they _rarely_ learn anything under those conditions. If LSD is legal in schools, and a kid does some, he may be tripping for hours or the whole school day. I see that as a problem. I know how hard it is to keep kids from cutting, but saying “go ahead and cut if you want - and while you’re at it, do some drugs!” doesn’t strike me as an improvement. > > \*\* Remember, the choice to do drugs is up to the user. If a kid wants to do drugs during school, and knows it’ll mess him up, then its HIS FAULT that he’s going to fail the class. If something like LSD makes you more creative in art class, the kid would still have to consider how long the effects last into other classes. It’s all their choices, and as you said, its not that hard to hide drinking or smoking in schools. If you know the kid is high on crack, and he comes to class bouncing off walls and stuff, the teacher would have a much easier time saying “go down to the detox room, you’re disrupting the class” or whatever, instead of trying to tolerate it as simply a sign of hyperactivity or too much coffee in the morning. As for cutting class, that would still be penalized. School days would go normally, there would be no cutting allowed to do drugs halfway through the class. I suppose students could do it in the special rooms before/after school, or between classes in the special rooms if there’s enough time. But there should be a way to prevent kids from getting high in the bathroom after asking to go. > [@](#): > > \*\* > > As a general rule, it seems to me you’re viewing drugs as something you just turn on and off, not as something that affects your behavior whether you’re high or not. Your view of drugs pretends addiction pretty much doesn’t exist. You treat heroin and coke just like eating cheese, as if you can use it whenever you like and not use it whenever you like, purely at your discretion. > \*\* I’m well aware of addiction. As I’ve said before, the choice of using drugs is UP TO THE USER. If he gets addicted, if he ruins his life, if he wants to go to school craving his next fix instead of concentrating on his work, then that is HIS CHOICE. And as I said, its preferable for them to do it without illegal activity to get his next fix, and done within everyone’s knowledge so he gets the help he needs in case things start going wrong. > [@](#): > > \*\* > That’s because they’re addicted and are unable to function without them. You don’t get smarter from shooting up or getting high. Quite the opposite, as weed (for example) hurts your attention span and your short-term memory, among other things. > Some argue that drugs help their creativity, but even Hunter S. Thompson admits that when you’re wasted, you can’t even _type_ properly, and you mostly write crap that you can’t understand when you’re sober. And famous addicts like Miles Davis and John Coltrane both said they played better after cleaning up. It’s way easier to think of people whose lives and creativity have been ruined by drugs than those who’ve been helped by them. Syd Barrett, anyone? Jim Gordon? John Lennon’s “lost weekend,” or Clapton for much of the mid-70s? \*\* Some people feel marijuana makes you more creative. Hallucinogens like Ecstasy and LSD are generally said to create something like religious experiences, stimulants like speed make you feel on top of the world, etc., so it does have a positive effect on some people. As for the addiction thing, I’ve already stated my point about user’s choice. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Legalization might help here as it would hopefully remove the stigma. Then again, I’m concerned it would make people somewhat less likely to acknowledge they have a problem and get help. \*\* If users did drugs within everyone’s knowledge, those problems would be easier to identify and easier to get help for, instead of having, for example, the parents finding out 3 years after their child started. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/33 "2003-05-03T18:36:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Yookeroo \* > \*\*Mostly having to do with racism. \*\* Hey, _there’s_ a point! Why haven’t Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton jumped on this bandwagon? Legalize crack and heroin! We don’t want to deny blacks (or any other non-whites) their good time! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![FudgeNugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@FudgeNugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FudgeNugget)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/34 "2003-05-03T18:39:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by norinew \* > \*\*Flawed logic in the OP! People who become addicted to these drugs (and some of the drugs that you are advocating legalization of are **very** addictive) will not be able to support their habits with general paychecks, or with unemployment checks after their addiction problem gets them fired from their job. Do you think these people are going to just say, “Oh, shit, I’m outta bucks! Guess I’d better not get my heroin fix today!”?? No, they’re going to be desperate for their fix, and will do anything to get it. So, if they rob a liquor store or mug and old lady to get money and then buy the drug legally, how is this reducing crime? \*\* I’ve already stated my point about free choice. It would reduce crime because drugs would generally be MUCH, MUCH LESS expensive than if they were illegal; think about it, its a lot more difficult to come up with 100 dollars for a wrap of speed than 10 for a pound (or however much it costs for however much it is). Even if an addict has to resort to robbery to pay, it certainly wouldn’t be as common if drugs were legal. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Also, the idea of making these substances available to minors is incredibly bad! Yes, the kids who really want it are going to get it anyway, but a lot of kids are law-abiding, and don’t buy drugs. But if the drugs were legally sold to them, this wouldn’t be an influencing factor. Also, it is my understanding that children (partly because of their smaller size, I think) are much more easily addicted than adults. In legalizing the sale of these drugs, you may very well end up with a number of adults who only use casually, but I’d bet money you’d end up with a lot of addicted kids! Society would have to pay for their addiction treatments, the havoc they wreak, etc. So I don’t think this legalization would save society money in the long run. \*\* Less illegal activity would occur if substances were legally sold. True, plenty of kids are law-abiding. I doubt they’d turn to drugs if they’re legalized, because the law isn’t the only factor as to why they’re not doing drugs, they’ve also considered all the bad side effects and long term health issues that come with drugs. Those who do buy drugs will be subject to all its effects, so its their fault if they do it. Keep in mind, free choice. How would society be paying for addiction treatment? We already have rehabilitation programs, so that takes care of that. I said it would save society money because we’d clear up A LOT of room in prisons for more serious offenders. ---
**Author:** ![FudgeNugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@FudgeNugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FudgeNugget)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/35 "2003-05-03T18:43:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MGibson \* > \*\* > He makes a very valid point folks. Look how badly they’ve been going after tobacco for the past 20 years. Now think how badly certain parties would go after manufacturers of cocaine or heroin. I don’t care how carefully the drug companies label their products. At best you’d have to accept a system where a doctor prescribes the drug. > > Marc \*\* There would be disclaimers stating that you can’t blame the manufacterer for bad effects caused by the drugs. ---
**Author:** ![FudgeNugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@FudgeNugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FudgeNugget)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/36 "2003-05-03T18:44:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by robertliguori \* > \*\*I reiterate my question: Plenty of household substances are far more fatal than any recreational drug. If we regulate out of a desire to protect people from themselves, why is this so? \*\* Many things are far more fatal than any recreational drug. If you drink enough water really fast, you can kill yourself; do you want to regulate that? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/37 "2003-05-03T18:46:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lizard \* > \*\*Drugs _were_ legal once, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. There are good reasons why they are illegal now. There is no “magic bullet” solution to the problem of drug abuse. \*\* The history of the drug war in the United States is a pretty interesting one. The “good” reasons they are illegal now involve a lot of hyperbole on the part Anslinger and others. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Yookeroo_\*\* > Mostly having to do with racism. \*\* While a lot of the earlier drug laws were especially designed to hit minority groups I think there’s a lot more to it then that. Drug laws didn’t stop at those that hit minorities they went on to encompass some of the most popular drugs consumed by white women. Opium in edible or drinkable form for example. Marc ---
**Author:** ![FudgeNugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@FudgeNugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FudgeNugget)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/38 "2003-05-03T18:46:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Optihut \* > \*\*Well, people have been know to sniff glue to get high, so there seems to be a “desire” to do so after all, as a substitute for unavailable drugs, at least. \*\* Then lets make them more available so we don’t have to have people using glue and other household products much stronger than the drugs they’re trying to substitute. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/39 "2003-05-03T19:05:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MGibson \* > > While a lot of the earlier drug laws were especially designed to hit minority groups I think there’s a lot more to it then that. Drug laws didn’t stop at those that hit minorities they went on to encompass some of the most popular drugs consumed by white women. Opium in edible or drinkable form for example. > > Marc \*\* True. I was thinking mostly marijuana/heroin/cocaine. (But I did qualify it by using “mostly” 🙂 .) My real point is that just saying that there were “good reasons” doesn’t make it so. Prohibition has done far more harm than good. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781/40 "2003-05-03T19:09:39Z")
> [@](#): > > If a guy wants to kill himself through getting an OD or cancer or whatever side effect, that’s his choice I don’t think this issue is settled, given the lawsuits against tobacco where the companies are being blamed (among other things) for the long-term results of their product. You can use these drugs within whatever ‘recommended dosage’ and still have the side-effects. And as another poster said earlier, it wouldn’t necessarily solve drug-related crime. > [@](#): > > I suppose we could find a way to figure out how much you can take at each level of tolerance. I don’t think this is that scientific. These things affect different people in different ways to begin with. At best, you might come up with general guidelines - and then probably get sued when someone died from following them. Tolerance isn’t a mathematical function, and even if it was, it would still increase - which leads almost inevitably to crime or OD, and would likely cause problems for the sellers. > [@](#): > > In my experience, kids find things they’re not supposed to do, all the more appealing to do Like I said, I understand the logic. I asked for some factual support. Do you have any? I know guys under 21 who drink way too much, but I know people of legal age who behave just as stupidly. > [@](#): > > so it does have a positive effect on some people. Being high doesn’t count as a positive effect of drugs, that’s what they’re supposed to do. Doesn’t mean they actually help anybody, given the (often immense) long-term harm. > [@](#): > > But there should be a way to prevent kids from getting high in the bathroom after asking to go. How would this prevent that from happening? Sounds like it would just move it to a different room. 😛 Maybe I misunderstood the school idea, I don’t know. It sounded to me like you were proposing a room on the premises where kids could just go and do drugs. > [@](#): > > If users did drugs within everyone’s knowledge Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s going to be with everyone’s knowledge. Porn is legal, but people don’t use it “with everyone’s knowledge.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legalization-of-all-drugs-not-just-marijuana/172781.md?page=3)