# What if narcotics no longer relevant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 14, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722 "2007-10-14T22:26:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/1 "2007-10-14T22:26:19Z")
Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=440155). What if governments the world over suddenly made narcotics legal? What would be the economic effects world-wide? ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/2 "2007-10-14T22:46:27Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=440155). What if governments the world over suddenly made narcotics legal? What would be the economic effects world-wide? [/QUOTE] In history, there was a time when all narcotics were legal. What happened, is why we now have laws controlling them. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/3 "2007-10-14T22:48:16Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] In history, there was a time when all narcotics were legal. What happened, is why we now have laws controlling them. [/QUOTE] What happened? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/4 "2007-10-14T22:54:52Z")
Don’t you know? The evil, trecherous Negroes were seducing young, innocent white kids with their reefer and bee-bop jungle music. One hit of “reefer” and they were hooked. The next thing you know, Sweet Young Sally was hustling her ass on the corner to pay for her “heroin” habit, and Little Billy was holding up liquor stores so he could score another “joint.” It all came to a sad ending. That’s why we must remain Eternally Vigilant against the Evils of “Rock & Roll” music and “Those Kind of People.” ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/5 "2007-10-14T23:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] In history, there was a time when all narcotics were legal. What happened, is why we now have laws controlling them. [/QUOTE] And what have those laws gotten us? We still have narcotics addicts able to get whatever drug they are hooked on with a minimum of effort, while everyone else has seen our freedoms slowly eroded, while spending billions upon billions of dollars in a failed effort to keep people from putting “bad” things in their bodies. Not exactly a good thing for me.. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/6 "2007-10-14T23:56:18Z")
> [@](#): > > The evil, trecherous Negroes were seducing young, innocent white kids with their reefer and bee-bop jungle music. It’s not really fair to go blaming everything on the Negroes. It was the Chinamen who were running all those opium dens. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/7 "2007-10-15T01:08:28Z")
Well, just because you make narcotics _legal_ doesn’t mean they suddenly become _irrelevant_. I’m not sure legality is just some magic wand you can wave and suddenly everything changes overnight. Then again, maybe I don’t understand what you mean by “relevant.” ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/8 "2007-10-15T02:25:23Z")
Legal and taxed. Probably no more use than now and very likely less underage use. Less violent crime as much violent crime is associated with the illegal drug trade. Revenues generated could be used for treatment programs. BTW, I know the comment was made in jest, but you do know that it was the British who were the major drug trafficers in opium and other illegal substances? [The Opium War](http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHING/OPIUM.HT) was provoked as Lin Tse-hsü attempted to crack down on it and the English felt that their rights to illegally addict the Chinese were being trampled upon. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/9 "2007-10-15T02:48:33Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] And what have those laws gotten us? We still have narcotics addicts able to get whatever drug they are hooked on with a minimum of effort, while everyone else has seen our freedoms slowly eroded, while spending billions upon billions of dollars in a failed effort to keep people from putting “bad” things in their bodies. Not exactly a good thing for me.. [/QUOTE] Amen. Perhaps the most tragic consequence of making drugs illegal is the way it has criminalized our youth; particularly our young black men. Why in the world more folks don’t rise up and say it is absolutely idiotic to put young men in jail in some sort of misguided effort to control drug use, I cannot figure out. Wanna reduce crime? Change what’s illegal. It’s insane. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/10 "2007-10-15T03:38:01Z")
What if this sentence no verb? 😃 No, seriously, the War on Drugs is more about getting our authoritarian rocks off than about controlling the drug trade, which is probably impossible the way we’re playing the game. We’re not putting drug people in jail to get them to stop using or pushing drugs. We’re putting them in jail because it makes us feel like we’re doing something about a problem we don’t really want to work to solve. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/11 "2007-10-15T03:57:07Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] We’re not putting drug people in jail to get them to stop using or pushing drugs. We’re putting them in jail because it makes us feel like we’re doing something about a problem we don’t really want to work to solve. [/QUOTE] We’re putting people in jail because overracting about drugs has become a multi billion dollar industry in this country and if we stopped penalizing people for their own chemical choices the whole system would come crashing down. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/12 "2007-10-15T04:34:44Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] What if governments the world over suddenly made narcotics legal? What would be the economic effects world-wide? [/QUOTE] Then the poor distressed farmers of Afghanistan and Bolivia would find the price of their products severely depressed – but likewise the production costs. On balance, it would be better for them. And for everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/13 "2007-10-15T12:41:16Z")
[QUOTE=Chief Pedant] Amen. Perhaps the most tragic consequence of making drugs illegal is the way it has criminalized our youth; particularly our young black men. Why in the world more folks don’t rise up and say it is absolutely idiotic to put young men in jail in some sort of misguided effort to control drug use, I cannot figure out. Wanna reduce crime? Change what’s illegal. It’s insane. [/QUOTE] Yes, and making stealing illegal has caused more of our young people to be criminalized, as well as assult, murder, fraud, and any number of crimes against society. Do you really think making drugs legal would prevent crime? Alcohol is legal and look at the damage drinking does to not only the drinker, but to the innocent people they kill on the highways. More than half of the injury auto accidents involve drinking. You are young and you want to do drugs recreationally, you don’t care if you injure yourself and others around you, you just want your fix. Sure people will do drugs illegally as well as steal, kill, and so forth, should we just throw in the towel and start carrying guns again. Drugs were made illegal because of the damage they do to society and individuals. Government not only has the right to protect innocent victims from drug crazed addicts, it has the obligation to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/14 "2007-10-15T13:53:28Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] Do you really think making drugs legal would prevent crime? [/QUOTE] Of course. Violent crime stemming from distribution would cease, and theft and violent crime needed to finance exorbitantly priced habits would drop significantly as well. Alcohol is legal and look at the damage drinking does to not only the drinker, but to the innocent people they kill on the highways. More than half of the injury auto accidents involve drinking. [QUOTE=lekatt] This is true, and it is unfortunate however we’ve tried having alcohol be illegal in the past and we basically ended up with the same problems we have today concerning illicit drugs. Regulated consumption with stiff penalties for causing public harm are far more sensible IMHO than draconian enforcement upon the production, possession, and distribution of such. I’d rather be on the road with a guy who’s had 5 or 6 beers than on the road with a car full of dudes moving drugs and AK-47s. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=lekatt] . Drugs were made illegal because of the damage they do to society and individuals. Government not only has the right to protect innocent victims from drug crazed addicts, it has the obligation to do so. [/QUOTE] That depends on the damage to society and individuals you’re talking about. The posts upthread joking about racism and the like weren’t kidding. Do a little reading up on Harry Anslinger, the first “Drug Czar” in America and the “proof” that was used in legislating our current laws. Frightening stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/15 "2007-10-15T13:59:54Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] Yes, and making stealing illegal has caused more of our young people to be criminalized, as well as assult, murder, fraud, and any number of crimes against society. [/QUOTE] Those are all crimes against individuals. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/16 "2007-10-15T14:12:37Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Don’t you know? The evil, trecherous Negroes were seducing young, innocent white kids with their reefer and bee-bop jungle music. [/QUOTE] Marajuana isn’t a narcotic. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/17 "2007-10-15T14:30:56Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] Do you really think making drugs legal would prevent crime? [/QUOTE] It seems to have worked out that way in the Netherlands. Crime still happens, of course, but it’s not done by addicts to feed their habits. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/18 "2007-10-15T14:49:25Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Marajuana isn’t a narcotic. [/QUOTE] Tell that to the Gummint. I didn’t make it a Schedule I drug - they did! ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/19 "2007-10-15T14:52:40Z")
I royally screwed up the coding in my post above. I attributed my response to Letkatt somehow. I apologize for any confusion. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722/20 "2007-10-15T16:17:03Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] It seems to have worked out that way in the Netherlands. Crime still happens, of course, but it’s not done by addicts to feed their habits. [/QUOTE] I had a friend, he died, who regularly visited the Netherlands, he told a different story. He said drugs dealers were allowed to sell drugs openly, but only in certain places, like parks. If they sold them anywhere else they faced stiff penalities. Drug use was also limited to certain areas, and there were many other restrictions. It wasn’t a free market at all. England attempted to supply addicts free drugs, but that only increased the drug usage. Drugs are a two-edged sword that cuts in both directions. People do get addicted and many are addicted that claim they are not. Same with alcohol, if you drink more than 2 drinks, 2 ounces, a day you are becoming addicted. I wish it was different. But it is not. This world is sometimes a tough place to live, and I would recommend religion as a coping mechanism rather than drugs. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-narcotics-no-longer-relevant/422722.md?page=2)