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The De-classification Argument on Recreational Drugs, Clarified.

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Originally posted on Travel Asia - Travel Europe| Bangkok to Krakow.com

Photo from Flickr by ninacoco

Photo from Flickr by ninacoco

Whatever your personal opinions on drug use, it’s hard to deny that the debate over legalization and de-classification of recreational drugs is a hot topic. With the apparent success (both financially and socially) of legalizing marijuana in Colorado, there are strong arguments to be made for legalizing other substances too.

Arguments For Legalizing/ Declassifying Recreational Drugs:

  • The main argument for legalizing drugs (which is even stronger since Colorado successfully legalized Cannabis) is that legal drugs can be controlled for quality by the state, and become a taxable product. This could prevent avoidable deaths due to overdose or batches contaminated with chemicals like rat poison, or people picking toxic mushrooms.
  • Pro-legalisation lobbyists point out that in Colorado, the state raised $11 million in taxes on the sale of recreational marijuana in the first 6 months of 2014, all of which was reinvested in the economy and did not go to organized crime.
  • Drugs such as Cannabis and Psychedelics are less addictive than both alcohol and tobacco, which are both legal world-wide. Police in Nimbin (where Cannabis use is not actively prosecuted) acknowledge that alcohol causes more antisocial behavior than marijuana. And in Holland, where both are legal, there are very few problems linked to the use of legal drugs.
  • Prohibition has a poor track record when it comes to controlling substances- just look at alcohol and the popularity of the Speakeasy in the 1920s. Legalising these substances is the only long-term solution.
  • Finally, activist argue that police and court resources would be freed up for more serious crimes, were recreational drugs legal. Citizens who use drugs like cannabis and magic truffles for personal use also wouldn’t be criminalized, meaning as long as they don’t become violent or antisocial, they would be able to enjoy narcotics socially without fear of prosecution.

Arguments Against Legalizing/ Declassifying Recreational Drugs.

  • The main argument put forward against legalizing drugs like cannabis and psychedelics are that they are ‘gateway drugs’ to harder substances, including heroin or crack.
  • This is also the main argument against legalizing ‘soft’ drugs- that eventually all drugs would be legal. This might mean more people (including children/ teenages) begin to use hard drugs as they do not understand the consequences or affects.
  • The cost to the healthcare system could outweigh any income from taxes, as people would potentially suffer health problems caused by drug use.
  • Using drugs like cannabis and psychedelics can trigger serious mental health problems including schizophrenia. Although it is widely accepted that drug use doesn’t cause schizophrenia, if more people use drugs then it could trigger full episodes in people with undiagnosed underlying or dormant issues.

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