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Old 06-12-2010, 18:49   #10
Eric
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Re: Legalise "Illegal" Drugs?

Problem with criminalizing people's so-called vices (homosexuality was once seen as a vice) is that it doesn't work. For example, the Eighteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, popularly known as Prohibition did little except push up the price of booze, get rid of all quality control in its manufacture, and, amongst many other things, gave a boost to organized crime (although I'm not quite sure what "unorganized crime" is.) It was an idea so bad, that it was the only Amendment to be repealed by another Amendment, the Twenty-first. And the criminal groups whose genesis was prohibition, now control the illegal drug trade. Prohibition of any drug just doesn't work; the trade moves underground (and a whole bunch of tax revenue is lost) ... take, for example, the "Wars on Drugs" that several right-leaning American governments have waged.

Even in Kingston, any drug you may want to indulge in is available ... for a price, of course. And this is known as a safe, peaceful community. The two murders that occured in the city this year were both "drug related". That's two unnecessary deaths as a result of the illegality of drugs.

It's a commplex and difficutly question, one that should be considered, and thoroughly hashed () out in the political arena.

Problem I can see, as a regular toker, is that if, say, marijuana is legalised, the price will go up and the quality will go dowm

I'm not advocating no control whatsoever. The sale and consumption of alcohol is subject to many laws and regulations; and folks live with this no problem. Those of you who have visited Canada may have been surprised by the restrictive nature of some of these laws, esp. in my home Province. So, legaliztion, or de-criminalization does not necessarily mean chaos.
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