Legalise Drugs??

[Ishmael Arat]

Legalising drugs would be a disaster. Decriminalising the use of drugs makes a lot of sense.

 

[butchy]

Although it is an interesting argument, its never ever going to happen here is it

 

[barney]

Although it is an interesting argument, its never ever going to happen here is it

i ruddy well hope not, pig

 

[Crezhell]

Who said about drugs being freely available on street corners, shops? I think they should be free, but controlled.

Am I an anarchist. Far from it. I believe firmly in law and order. I'm right-wing in my views and a natural Conservative voter. However, I'm a realist, and it's no point taking a position which is not achievable. We are never, ever going to eliminate drugs via the criminal justice system and the police. They will freely admit it.

I know people who take drugs, (shit, there are posters on here who talk about it). I don't want to take drugs, I don't want my kids to take drugs, but if I wanted to get hold of drugs I'm sure I could within a day or 2.

Controlled by whom exactly, and HOW?...i mean what would a person have to do in order to get a prescription of these hard drugs?...prove they are an addict maybe?...and im guessing there would be a limit as to how much we would prescribe to these people? what if they want more? There will always be a black market for drugs, as there will always be people out there that will find a way of providing a better 'service' to addicts than the government could if drugs were legalised. Your argument poses far too many questions, and quite frankly is floored.

 

[butchy]

Your argument poses far too many questions, and quite frankly is floored.

 

[lost in london]

Because the price of drugs would be hugely inflated through taxes (as alcohol and tobacco are) and there will be people selling illegally at a lower cost.

What do you think these drug dealers will do once they have been ousted from the market? Go and work in Tescos on minimum wage? They'll simply move to other sectors of criminality like people traffiking.

Think of all the people who dont do drugs now because they have some moral fibre and want to be on the right side of the law (i.e the majority of the population). Do you really want to live in a society where drug taking is accepted. Kids born into this society would see no difference between a pint down the pub or a toot of crack down the cafe

I agree with your last para. I don't think drugs are as easy to get hold of as people make out. Many people are scared of the consequences if they get caught walking out of a dealer's house. If people could load up on coke or whatever at Boots before they hit the pub on a night out they would, and it's hardly going to make the world a better place is it? As people have said above, there are always going to be criminals and addicts costing the country millions, I can't see that legalising drugs will make that any better.

Just because alcohol is bad and legal doesn't mean we should legalise other bad things.

 

[barney]

how about we legalise knife and gun crime?

let's face it, half of them only do it to be cool and part of the gang..

if it's legal they might not do it...

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

I agree with your last para. I don't think drugs are as easy to get hold of as people make out. Many people are scared of the consequences if they get caught walking out of a dealer's house. If people could load up on coke or whatever at Boots before they hit the pub on a night out they would, and it's hardly going to make the world a better place is it? As people have said above, there are always going to be criminals and addicts costing the country millions, I can't see that legalising drugs will make that any better.

Just because alcohol is bad and legal doesn't mean we should legalise other bad things.

Not easy to get hold of...hmm

No-one is suggesting that anyone would be "loading up" with bugle from Tescos, All I am saying is that addicts who are registered with their GP or a clinic should be given class A's for free, perhaps under a supervised consumption scheme the same as Methadone and Buprenorphine.

If people want to take drugs they will so would you rather they got them from somewhere that could give advice and access to healthcare or in some pub bog off someone who has cut it with starch and f*** knows what else.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Controlled by whom exactly, and HOW?...i mean what would a person have to do in order to get a prescription of these hard drugs?...prove they are an addict maybe?...and im guessing there would be a limit as to how much we would prescribe to these people? what if they want more? There will always be a black market for drugs, as there will always be people out there that will find a way of providing a better 'service' to addicts than the government could if drugs were legalised. Your argument poses far too many questions, and quite frankly is floored.

How do you imagine this is controlled at the moment? Are you saying that as it is we are dealing in any way with the core issue?

 

[warsaw]

OK let's try 2 direct question here;

1. If you are an illegal drug user how would you feel about picking them up from your doctors, at the same or at lower cost than you pay now. Would you be delighted that you can now enjoy yourself legally, or would you feel that having to attend such a place would somehow lessen the experience?

2. And if you are not currently a drug user would you be likely to start if you had register and to collect them from your doctors?

Honest answers please!

 

[butchy]

Not easy to get hold of...hmm

No-one is suggesting that anyone would be "loading up" with bugle from Tescos, All I am saying is that addicts who are registered with their GP or a clinic should be given class A's for free, perhaps under a supervised consumption scheme the same as Methadone and Buprenorphine.

If people want to take drugs they will so would you rather they got them from somewhere that could give advice and access to healthcare or in some pub bog off someone who has cut it with starch and f*** knows what else.

So this service would only be available for addicts? Then that opens up a whole new market for those who are not yet addicts who have to buy illegally from dealers.

And what about recreational drugs like ecstacy, speed, ket, coke, etc. People arn't necessarily addicted to these drugs they just enjoy getting off their nut on a night out every now and again. Will they be prescribed these drugs over the counter too?

'Now run along sonny and have a good night. Oh no dont thank me thank the taxpayer'

And I dont really see the difference between your scenario and the one we currently live in where methadone is given freely to addicts. It would be the same but we'd give them the real thing

 

[barney]

How do you imagine this is controlled at the moment? Are you saying that as it is we are dealing in any way with the core issue?

what core issue? crime? monetary cost? social cost? morals?

it is not controlled well at all, but i dont think crezhell is suggesting it is. clearly changes need to be made, but not the decriminalisation of drugs.

 

[butchy]

OK let's try 2 direct question here;


2. And if you are not currently a drug user would you be likely to start if you had register and to collect them from your doctors?

Honest answers please!

No i would go to an illegal dealer. silly silly flawed argument

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

OK let's try 2 direct question here;

1. If you are an illegal drug user how would you feel about picking them up from your doctors, at the same or at lower cost than you pay now. Would you be delighted that you can now enjoy yourself legally, or would you feel that having to attend such a place would somehow lessen the experience?

2. And if you are not currently a drug user would you be likely to start if you had register and to collect them from your doctors?

Honest answers please!

1. If I was a heroin addict I would happily get a script from the Doctors

2. If I was not a drug user I would not see the point of starting.

 

[lost in london]

Not easy to get hold of...hmm

No-one is suggesting that anyone would be "loading up" with bugle from Tescos, All I am saying is that addicts who are registered with their GP or a clinic should be given class A's for free, perhaps under a supervised consumption scheme the same as Methadone and Buprenorphine.

If people want to take drugs they will so would you rather they got them from somewhere that could give advice and access to healthcare or in some pub bog off someone who has cut it with starch and f*** knows what else.

Suppose it depends what kinds of circles you move in, I have plenty of friends who I reckon wouldn't have a clue where to go for drugs.

And re the doctors: how do you prove someone is an addict not a chancer, and why give them Class As? Why not give them methadone or other non-addictive substitues?

 

[butchy]

2. If I was not a drug user I would not see the point of starting.

Maybe not you but why do people start then? You're not trying to say the only reason people start taking drugs is the very fact that its illegal and they think its cool? Thats an incredibly naive viewpoint. Is that the reasoning behind why you think drugs should be lagalised? What if you wanted a couple pills for a music festival or a line or charlie for a party? Not saying YOU would but you are not representative of the 60 million people that inhabit this hellish little island!

 

[warsaw]

No i would go to an illegal dealer. silly silly flawed argument

Trouble is your dealer is not there because he can't compete with government dealers giving them away for free or near. Surely that's the idea of what we are talking about ie eliminate the dealers.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

what core issue? crime? monetary cost? social cost? morals?

it is not controlled well at all, but i dont think crezhell is suggesting it is. clearly changes need to be made, but not the decriminalisation of drugs.

All I am asking is what then? as long as we all agree that there is little point in attempting to win the war on drugs by prohibition as that has clearly failed, what then?

The original article on the thread makes it clear, the man who was in charge of the war on drugs, who understands all the issues, who worked on anti-drug strategy for the Government,who is anti-drug use himself, has completely changed his opinion and now thinks that legalisation is the only viable strategy left to stop us spunking millions more up the wall on treatments that dont work, prisons overflowing with illicit users who dont want to stop using, and Police forces cracking under the strain of trying to contain it.

 

[barney]

Trouble is your dealer is not there because he can't compete with government dealers giving them away for free or near. Surely that's the idea of what we are talking about ie eliminate the dealers.

well there would be a dealer who could provide it cheaply for the kind of people who want a casual fix and who don't want to visit the doctors. there will always be a black market

 

[butchy]

Trouble is your dealer is not there because he can't compete with government dealers giving them away for free or near. Surely that's the idea of what we are talking about ie eliminate the dealers.

But if its only available to addicts on prescription and you dont want to go to your doctor it opens up a market for illegal dealers! You reckon a 25 yr old middle class insurance banker would go down to doctor for a free line of coke and line up with all the junkies?