[alicewonders]

But let me ask you. Do you think there would be NO negative effects if cocaine, heroin, LSD, etc were legal?

Of course I don't. But there comes a point when we are losing more & more of our freedoms every day, it seems - with the reason being that the government has to "protect us from ourselves". Now, they want to tell us how much salt we can eat, what kind of light bulbs we can use, etc.

Where does it stop? I think that people that do things that cause harm to others, should be punished. But I don't think that that it's anyone's business what responsible people do - responsibly. Do you ever watch COPS? There are always going to be stupid, irresponsible people - no matter if their activities are legal or illegal - it doesn't stop the idiots.

I'm tired of living in this nanny state, it's not a Utopia, and it never will be.

[SoCal Pubbie]

It seems to me your issue, as it is with many, is not the War on Drugs per se but it's implementation. I'm not sure legalization would be doing more than trading one set of problems for another. Since it's highly unlikely that any politician would ever be in favor of legalization for minors, I think you'd see the same acts you abhor still happen with all the added issues of wider drug use on top of them.