The argument that if you legalize drugs it will reduce crime is about as silly as you can get.
Will they legalize ALL drugs?
A. No.
Therefore, those that are still illegal (the really nasty ones) will still be on the black market and that’s where the crime will shift to.
Also, if they did, this would create a new market for new synthesized drugs such as this one, each with its own “hangover.” There’s no such thing as an artificial rush without consequences.
B. Yes.
Criminals will turn to other crimes. Drug crime does not occur because drugs are illegal. They occur because CRIMINALS want to make a fast buck. That means engaging in illegal activity that is high-risk and therefore high-profit. If all drugs are made legal (which will never happen), then those CRIMINALS will turn to another crime. They won’t suddenly run out and get jobs based on LEGAL activity saying, “Whew. I’m so glad they finally legalized drugs. I was really getting tired of making all that money and living the life of a gangster. Now I can finally get my GED and become an accountant!”
Can you imagine being the poor lawyer who has to defend a product liability lawsuit on Krokodil? "Well, yes Your Honor, my client's product did rot the plaintiff's flesh, cause gangrene, and premature death, but the plaintiff in this case was warned in advance..." Even conventional heroin has too much liability to make it defensible in court.
So drug producers and suppliers will still have to operate in a black market, so they can remain anonymous to their customers and thus free from liability. Legalization will change nothing.