Legalize All Drugs

Creator's Syndicate ^ | June 18, 2008 | John Stossel

[devere]

The other day, reading the New York Post's popular Page Six gossip page, I was surprised to find a picture of me, followed by the lines: "ABC'S John Stossel wants the government to stop interfering with your right to get high. The crowd went silent at his call to legalize hard drugs".

I had attended a Marijuana Policy Project event celebrating the New York State Assembly's passage of a medical-marijuana bill. (The bill hasn't passed the Senate.) I told the audience I thought it pathetic that the mere half passage of a bill to allow sick people to try a possible remedy would merit such a celebration. Of course medical marijuana should be legal. For adults, everything should be legal. I'm amazed that the health police are so smug in their opposition.

After years of reporting on the drug war, I'm convinced that this "war" does more harm than any drug.

Independent of that harm, adults ought to own our own bodies, so it's not intellectually honest to argue that "only marijuana" should be legal -- and only for certain sick people approved by the state. Every drug should be legal.

How could you say such a ridiculous thing?" asked my assistant. "Heroin and cocaine have a permanent effect. If you do crack just once, you are automatically hooked. Legal hard drugs would create many more addicts. And that leads to more violence, homelessness, out-of-wedlock births, etc!"

Her diatribe is a good summary of the drug warriors' arguments. Most Americans probably agree with what she said.

But what most Americans believe is wrong.

[devere]

Bill Buckley is gone, but now John Stossel has taken up his most controversial cause.

[Rca2000]

America, I miss you.

[The Worthless Miracle]

Please government - protect me from myself.

[marktwain]

Bill Buckley is gone, but now John Stossel has taken up his most controversial cause.

---

Both Bill and John are right. The drug war has done enormous harm, much more than the drugs would ever have done if left legal.

[donna]

Nothing will change - except the government will tax it. It’ll still be illegal for children and the war will continue.

[yooling]

Why shouldn’t marijuana be legal? I think that the do-it-yourself aspect of the drug worries the Washington overlords too much. They won’t be able to tax and regulate it. The government hates it when people can do what they please without some sort of “supervision”.

[Dr. Sivana]

Before we make heroin OTC, why shouldn’t we start with penicillin and other prescription drugs, why should ONLY narcotics and hallucinogens be freely available?

You can believe in state regulation of certain types of drugs without buying into the whole war on drugs thing.

[itsPatAmerican]

The government can’t waste time and money protected the stupid from their actions. War on drugs is a waste of my money. If someone is dumb enough to do drugs they’ll be dead in 5 years...no need to lock them up and make me pay for their prison for 15-20.

[corkoman]

Ok all drugs but not antimicrobials.

Resistance to antimicrobials can affect others having nothing to do with the use by an individual.

So go ahead and decriminalize all others but keep the antibiotics restricted to those who have a positive culture.

[SJSAMPLE]

“Drug Enforcement” is too big of a racket for the goobermint to end it.

Federal, state and local police are making too much money “holding cash” that was confiscated from drivers without any crime being committed.

The drug war has greatly expanded every sector of law enforcement. Jobs.

[DaveTesla]

Yeah that will help.

Just imagine the next flight you take the aircraft engines were worked on
bu a heroin addict and the pilot was mainlining heroin the night before.

Imaging your car being built on an assembly line full of hallucinating crack addicts.

I already think the cable company smokes crack, this should
improve their service!

Drugs will bring economic ruin and destruction of the family.

Evil will not disappear but should we stop fighting it as well?

What a bunch of nonsense.

[WVKayaker]

[DaveTesla]

"After years of reporting on the drug war, I'm convinced that this "war" does more harm than any drug."

I bet if John could get a glimpse of the future after wide spread drug use destroyed the prosperity, families, sons and daughters of America
He would change his mind.

[marktwain]

“Just imagine the next flight you take the aircraft engines were worked on
bu a heroin addict and the pilot was mainlining heroin the night before.

Imaging your car being built on an assembly line full of hallucinating crack addicts.

I already think the cable company smokes crack, this should
improve their service!

Drugs will bring economic ruin and destruction of the family.

Evil will not disappear but should we stop fighting it as well?

What a bunch of nonsense.”

---

Not one tenth the problem that alcohol was and is.

[Mojave]

Why shouldn’t marijuana be legal?

The voters don't want it legalized.

[corkoman]

I bet if John could get a glimpse of the future after wide spread drug use destroyed the prosperity, families, sons and daughters of America He would change his mind.

That would be right now - today we have what prohibition has delivered.

Are you in favor of continuing to do what you identify makes for a bad outcome?

[corkoman]

The voters don't want it legalized.

Oh yes they do - Over a dozen States have voted for decriminalizing pot despite threats by the feds. What are you referring to?

[Libertarianize the GOP]

I wonder if he would support the legalization of the so called date rape drug, some people use it to get high but if it were readily available its misuse would likely skyrocket?

[Does so]

Why shouldn’t marijuana be legal?

The voters don't want it legalized.

Where it's legal, it's "not strong enough".

[wintertime]

Every drug should be legal.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Except antibiotics!

Inappropriately used antibiotics causes germ resistance to the drug. That has **serious** and deadly consequences for the rest of us.

[DaveTesla]

"That would be right now - today we have what prohibition has delivered."

Would you say if we repealed the laws against murder people would stop committing it?

[corkoman]

Yeah. Legalizing a vegetable is the same as allowing murder.

Clearly your superior argumentation tactics have overwhelmed mine. You win, I am seeing things in a totally different light.

[DaveTesla]

"That would be right now - today we have what prohibition has delivered."

Would you say if we repealed the laws against theft people would stop committing it?

There, is that better?

[DaveTesla]

"Yeah. Legalizing a vegetable is the same as allowing murder.

Clearly your superior argumentation tactics have
overwhelmed mine. You win, I am seeing things in a totally different light."

If someone sold your 16 year old daughter Heron (god forbid) and got her hooked
you would see things in a different light.

[Beelzebubba]

I bet if John could get a glimpse of the future after wide spread drug use destroyed the prosperity, families, sons and daughters of America He would change his mind.

---

The point isn’t that drugs aren’t bad, it’s that banning them doesn’t make the problem any better, and makes a host of other things MUCH worse.

[DaveTesla]

"The point isn’t that drugs aren’t bad, it’s that banning them doesn’t make the problem any better, and makes a host of other things MUCH worse."

My point was the legalization WILL make things much much worse.

Of course that is the problem with our actions.
We never seem to understand the future reactions that will occur from them.

Sometimes the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

[mirkwood]

[dljordan]

“The voters don’t want it legalized”

After years of incessant government propaganda it’s no wonder.

[DaveTesla]

The democrats would love to legalize drugs.

It would weaken America enough to implement their Marxist rule.
Most would be too stoned to notice what was happening.

[DaveTesla]

"After years of incessant government propaganda it’s no wonder."

Start your own business.

Hire a bunch of crack, heron and pot heads.

Send me a financial in six months.

[Mojave]

Oh yes they do

No cite, natch.

[Mojave]

After years of incessant government propaganda

Nonsense. Dope supporters are the most incessant spammers in existence.

[Mojave]

Obama and Soros love dope.

[Oztrich Boy]

Sometimes the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

eg the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914

[John 3_19-21]

I agree DT

BTW, once the government gets involved with all the new “legalized” drugs (I.E. taxes, dosage and concentration limits, etc.) Will society as a whole be the better?

Consider the two current legal government controlled drugs; tobacco and alcohol. How much more are the rest of us who don’t partake of these two drugs paying in insurance and taxes to compensate for the damage these drugs cause? How many of us are killed or sickened by them?
How could anyone believe that a government controlled “legalization” of more drugs be a good thing?

rant/off
JC

[DaveTesla]

I'll repeat my self,

Start your own business.
Hire a bunch of crack, heron and pot heads.

Send me a financial in six months.

Soros would love this....
Wait......
this is one of Soros plans to create a global Marxist government.

[DaveTesla]

"How could anyone believe that a government controlled “legalization” of more drugs be a good thing?"

Someone that has never had to deal with drug addicts and the results of their actions on drugs.

[IrishCatholic]

Thank you, I was wondering if that aspect would be brought up.
They want to legalize everything but don’t mind when everyone else has to pick up the cost of the impact. The hit would be huge on everything from crime to workplace use, to paying for the medical bills and housing bills for people who only want to get stoned.

[philman_36]

If someone sold your 16 year old daughter Heron (god forbid) and got her hooked you would see things in a different light.
If someone sold my 16 year old daughter Heron...

I'd tell her to kill it and grill it!

[DaveTesla]

Bravo!

Precisely.

[philman_36]

Start your own business. Hire a bunch of crack, heron and pot heads.
Would you heron's job be to "fly over the cuckoo's nest"?

[DaveTesla]

And if it was heroin?

[DaveTesla]

So I take it your pro drug legalization like Mr. Soros?

[sushiman]

” Most would be too stoned to notice what was happening. “

What’s their excuse NOW ?

[philman_36]

And if it was heroin?
If what was heroin? "It"? The product someone might hypothetically proffer my hypothetical daughter?
If it was legal nobody would be doing so as she could get it much cheaper at a drug store. And if it were legal she would have to present ID to purchase it from said drug store. And on the off chance that she would buy it then she has the right to do as she chooses, no matter how well she was brought up nor how much the government chooses to"nanny" her.

Besides, you didn't mention heroin until now. You said heron...and you even capitalized it!
Let's just talk birds since so much of your replies are flights of fancy.

[Mojave]

Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914

No longer in effect.

[John 3_19-21]

Or sadly, someone who believes that government can do no wrong.

[philman_36]

So I take it your (sic) pro drug legalization like Mr. Soros?
Even a broken clock is right twice a day. That he happens to agree with my personal stance on a particular issue doesn't align me with him in any way. (nice try though)

So I take it that you're a "the government knows what is best for you" type like the despots of the history past and "evil" is what you determine it to be?

[philman_36]

"Would you..." = Would the...

[DaveTesla]

So in essence you wouldn’t mind the government turning your daughter into a heroin addict?

You think the government should be in the heroin business?

You would agree to support this daughter and not the taxpayers because she could not get or hold down good employment.