Should Drug Be Legalized?

I am certain in my belief that most students who have attended any university in the US have in one way or another been around drugs. However, whether or not they partook in them is debatable. They have more than likely made a decision: to do the drug, or not to do the drug. If they are like me, they did not do the drug, but continued to socialize with those that did partake. If they are not like me, they may have taken the drug and continued to socialize with those they are around. Drugs have become a large part of college culture, and more ultimately, human culture. The reasons vary as much as the reasons why people personally choose to partake in the drug of their choice. Peter De Marneffe states in his article “Decriminalize, Don’t Legalize”, that “people use drugs because they enjoy them; they find them fun and relaxing. If it is easier, safer, and less expensive to do something fun and relaxing, more people will do it and do it more often” (De Marneffe, 200). Currently, the US is dealing with drug prohibition (War on Drugs) which has become a topic of hefty discussion. As David Boaz states in his article “Drug-Free America or Free America?”, political entities have attempted to stop the use of various drugs since drugs were first used. He goes on to say the most familiar example to the American people is the prohibition of alcohol (Boaz, 194). In this position paper, I will do the following: I will define

Also, many scientific studies support the connection between drug use and crime. One study investigated state prisoners who had five or more convictions. It was found that four out of every five of them used drugs on a regular basis. With that being said legalizing drugs would definitely increase crime and social problems.

According to Kristof (2009), the legalization of drugs is another solution to drug trafficking. With drugs more readily available, at lower prices and higher levels of potency many law enforcement personal and politicians favor legalization of drugs. While other experts favor keeping drug production and sell illegal, but decriminalizing possession. Either way if it is legalize it must be regulated. According to Kristof (2009), the United States have inquired three consequences due to the failure of “The War on Drugs”, increased population in jails, empowered criminals and terrorists, and squandered resources that cannot be replaced. With that said, why continue down a road were the drug problem is not getting resolved. Before drugs were prohibited, usage levels were lower among cocaine and heroin users, and states with legalized marijuana have not seen an increase in consumption, according to Kristof

For many people, the thought of making drugs easily accessible for consumption by the masses may be frightening. After all, we have drug laws in place because they have the potential to be harmful. It also may not be difficult to imagine that it could very well be subject to failure due to a numerous amount negative externalities that may occur. Our nation has been engaged in a war on drugs for several decades now. The effectiveness of this war, however, is a topic that has continuously been debated. Some argue that universal legalization of drugs, an alternative that has never been tried, may have a greater benefits when compared to the present state of the war on drugs. On the other hand, the opposition believes that legalization would only pave the way for a vast amount of crime and many wasted resources.

Legalizing these drugs and having them on the streets, allows anyone, including young individuals, to easily be able to obtain these items. As stated by William Bennett, “Legalization on the other hand, removes the incentive to stay away from a life of drugs.” (548). Parents and guardians need to make a huge evaluation to whether or not they want to see some of these drugs on the streets permanently. During prohibition this nation made a huge decision to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol.

We should decriminalize drugs in the U.S. instead of legalizing them. Decriminalization refers to the lessening of criminal penalties of certain acts. According to De Marneffe, “… the legalization of drugs … [is] the removal of criminal penalties for the manufacture, sale, and possession of large quantities of recretational drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine” (346).

A controversial subject many Americans are constantly at battle over is legalizing drugs. Some experts have the opinion that drugs should be legalized for medical treatment, and for help with severe illness. Other experts argue that this will have a bad effect due to overdosing and addiction, and also the adverse affect on teens. I do not think that drugs should be legalized but they should allow people with serious medical conditions to use these illegal drugs. Legalizing drugs would only create and even bigger drug abuse situation, and especially for juveniles. Legalizing drugs would also create the question of what to do with criminals who are already incarcerated for this offense. There are surveys, which give statistics on crime, and how crime rates are affected by the use of drugs. For example, there is one survey called the “National

For so many years, there has been this unhealthy and corrupt use of drugs that has swept the Latin American nation into chaos and dangerous. Not legalizing drugs, would minimize harm. Two reasons are that the government should not give people the right to legally purchase what will do more harm than good, and also because if one can just overall focus on educating ,and providing better health programs, the public in a more intently matter, than addiction to drugs would decrease.

Legalization will not increase drug use. Ostrowski says that long-term trends in legal drug use suggest that there would be no substantial increase in drug use under decriminalization. As a society, we are gradually moving away from the harmful use of alcohol and tobacco. Alcohol consumption and death caused by alcohol have also been gradually declining as people switch from hard liquor to less potent formulations. Finally, use of marijuana has declined according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). As our society grows increasingly

There always seems to be debate on whether the decriminalization of drugs would be of great public interest. It is a very important and controversial issue that has many people wondering if legalizing drugs would be a right move or not. In the article, “Decriminalization Would Increase The Use and The Economic and Social Costs of Drugs” by David Mineta, Mineta argues about why drugs should not be decriminalized and how keeping illicit drugs illegal outweigh the possible negative consequences of legalizing these substances. Mineta himself writes that, “Our position is simple and evidence-based: both decriminalization and legalization of illicit drugs would increase their use, along with their associated health and social costs” (Americas Quarterly). According to Mineta the decriminalization of drugs will only allow more people to become addicted causing more health and social costs because seen as they will be more widely used. (Americas Quarterly)

Legalizing drugs in the United States would lead to great trouble for the country affecting all citizens. Legalizing drugs will cause chaos among Americans. Edmund Harnett a deputy chief and executive officer wrote an article, “Drug legalization: why it wouldn’t work in the United States.” Harnett is also involved in the narcotics division of the New York police department. William J. Bennett the director of the national drug control policy wrote a heavy article, “Drug Policy and the Intellectuals.” James Q. Wilson has a political science degree and is the author of many crime articles including, “Against the Legalization of Drugs.” Disorder is the last thing this country needs from legalizing drugs. The legalization of drugs is undesirable because it would ruin relationships, would harm the safety of everyone, and would promote violence.

Drug legalization in my opinion will provide positive outcomes; because drug prohibition has cause harm to the country; other countries such as Portugal and the Netherlands have already legalized drugs and have been doing well with drug legalization. Drug legalization will minimize HIV from spreading throughout the country. The United States has been against legalizing drugs for many years; and no positive outcome has occurred. In the other hand, drug lords have been getting more rich and powerful due to the black market for illegal drugs. The U.S. can benefit financially from legalizing drugs also, it can minimize crime because, drugs will no longer be control by the black market.

However, the most terryfying thing about all this is average age of drug users. According to NIDA – National Institute on Drug Abuse - teenagers first trie drugs at the age of 13 – 16 and the main reason for that is peer pressure. Presently, it‘s not very easy to get drugs for teenagers, but due to easy availability of drugs , if they would be legalised, they could get it from older friends, who would be able to get drugs legallly. If drugs would be legalised, danger to get addicted to drugs for young individuals would increase and that would be a disaster. Youth is the future of humanity, whereas drugs legalisation would destroy their future even before they start living. Drugs lead world to social and medical catastrophe.

“ We realize that drug addiction is a sickness, but it is also a crime” according to Pam Bondi. As we all know drug abuse is a big problem that is not often discussed. The reason we do not discuss it because we tend to hide things that cause a mad image or problem in our society. But the issue is much bigger. The legalization of drugs would improve many things such as how the government would have control over its cost and sales, the decrease of crime rates and the way we treat the people in our community who seek help.

I believe it is wrong to legalize any sort of recreational drug, no matter what sort of effect it has on the user and society. All drugs have a negative impact on the issue, whether it be short term or long term side effects. There are already serious issues