Should Drugs Be Legalized In The United States

Should drug laws remain restrictive? Well as we learned in the chapter three power point "Globally, 4% to 6% of the world’s population between the ages of 15 and 64 (over 200 million people) reported using at least one illicit drug in the previous year (2010)." These statistics are striking nearly 200 million people across the world have used an illicit drug in the past year. It is logical to assume that number is likely even higher because some people do not want to admit to drug use. so if restrictive drug laws aren’t preventing drug use what is the point of keeping drug laws so restrictive?

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

Within the last 50 years, drug legalization has been a very hotly debated topic in the United States society. It almost seems that every "street drug" was once legal, but banned soon after its introduction in society. Illegal substances that one sees today were once synthesized and created by chemist such as LSD, ecstasy, methamphetamine, cocaine, and etc., and at some point used for medical reasons, however during many circumstances were deemed illegal by the government due to detrimental effects after prolonged usage. William Bennett's "Drugs: Should Their Sale and Use Be Legalized" targets the general American public into understanding the societal importance of upholding the nations

In the article “Drugs” by Gore Vidal the author claims that if the United States wants to stop most drug addiction, crimes, value of the product. Then they should simply make all drugs available and sell them at cost. The first strategy the authors addresses is that if drugs were to be available to everybody then it will stop most drug addiction. The author claims that if drugs were to be sold there would be regulations towards having this allowed. For example, the people who are mentally ill will not be able to consume the product, because it will attract an addiction towards them and that is what they are trying to avoid. For those who are not mentally ill will be able to use the product. The author claims that their will always be drug addicts, but at least their will be not as many as there were before. The second strategies the author addresses are that if drugs were to be allowed by consumers then crimes towards drugs will decrease, because it being allowed to use. The mafia and drugs dealers will not have any penalty towards them for having or selling drugs for it being not an issue to use hear in the United States. I agree with the author claims upon crimes not being an issue no more if drugs were to be allowed to use here in the United States. I think over the years there has been a numerous amount of people in jail for having and selling drugs and having them in jail is costing the American people allot of money. I believe the real criminals here are

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).

How an individual utilizes drugs is partially up to their culture, family, friends, peers, doctors, race, job, position in society, social class, and most importantly themselves. Drugs can be positive or negative, it depends on a person's demographics in society and personal views. It is true that illegal drugs are related to several negative components of society’s family problems, high prison populations, violence, health problems, deaths, homelessness and many other. To some people drugs are the only way, the only way to survive a life killing disease, mental health problems, physical health problems, depression, stress, and anxiety. It is true that drugs impact social problems, but if people changed their perspective on less harmful drugs and how they can help, there may be fewer problems that our society would have to worry about. Before 2010, sentencings for possession of crack, which is cheaper and mostly used by the poor and African Americans,  were much higher than the possession of cocaine which is predominantly used by the middle class and whites. “Drug laws criminalize the poor, especially people of color, who now fill U.S. prisons in disproportionate numbers” (Macionis, 248). Court fines and legal council are expensive and the average lower middle class family can not afford to pay these let alone the lower class. Poor Americans are almost certain to fall back into a life of drugs and crime when they are released from jail because there are few programs in place to help inmates successfully integrate back into society. Finding a job as a convicted felon is near impossible so many turn to selling illegal items to support themselves and their family. Enhanced policing and tracking in poor communities makes it easier for law enforcement to arrest new and repeat offenders (Macionis,

The use of drugs has been used by individuals for centuries. It wasn't until the late 60's and the early 70's that drugs begin to be banned in the United States. In 1971 Nixon declared a war on drugs, which is truly a war on minorities. “The war on drugs is a multibillion dollar public private venture that inflates the value of illegal drugs and its used to criminalize the poor people of color trapping them in a vicious cycle of addiction, unemployment, and incarceration.” (Seventhe general) The documentary explains that the war on rugs has never focused on taking out the drug lord leader and violent offenders. Instead the drug war focuses on the number of minority street arrest. "80% of people arrested between 1980-90 were arrested for possession of marijuana.” (Seventhegeneral) During an interview in the documentary a men stated "we don't control the pipeline of drugs and guns in our community." (Seventhegeneral) In other words, their is someone supplying the citizens with drugs and guns to sell. We have to question why this isn’t being looked at. If you truly wanted drugs off the street wouldn't your goal be to find the source? We know that in the 80's the CIA was smuggling cocaine in to U.S. neighborhoods. Which help lead to the crack epidemic and stricter more punitive laws against drugs. Clinton tough on crime policy lead to more Americans being incarcerated than any other presidential candidate has seen in

Illegal drugs are inevitable and are not going anywhere no matter how hard the United States fights. Reforming the United States War on Drugs would strategically bring money into the states and deplete the bank accounts of the drug lords. The United States abandon the prohibition on drugs and allow the government to control the shipment, production and distribution of drugs recommends The Latin American Caribbean. (Francis, J. N., & Mauser, G. A., 2011) If the United States Federal Government controlled the market place and brought in massive amounts of sources for taxes brining in a vast amount of money. By utilizing this strategy and approach the United States Federal Government would have a start to ending the war on drugs.

The United States must declare an end to the war on drugs. This war has filled the nations prisons with poor drug addict and small time drug dealers. It has created a multi billion-dollar black market, enriched organized crime group and promoted the correction of government officials throughout the world. And it has not stemmed the widespread use of illegal drugs. By any rational measure, this war has been a total failure.

The part of the government fighting the drug war could also focus on more important drugs like cocaine and heroin, instead of a drug that is proven to not be as harmful. In the 1930s, the American media spread numerous false stories that marijuana was an extremely dangerous drug and therefore marijuana and hemp were banned in 1938. It is clear that the ban on marijuana in the United States was unnecessary because most of the things we believe to be true about the drug were just scare tactics made up by the government at the time to get people to want to get rid of all drugs.

I, like the vast majority of people, disagree with proposition that drugs should be legalised. Accepting this act would be the same like taking money from people for killing them. We don‘t need legalisation, we need to fight against it, try to save people who are standing on the edge of a precipice, not to push them from it.

There has always been a close association between drugs and crime. Drugs have been seen as a way out of suffering in one’s life and so as long as there is suffering there will always be a market for drugs. The struggle to keep one’s self sane when away from a substance they need can cause them to do crazy and even violent things to others. Things like murdering someone because they did not have proper control of themselves is not something unheard of by any means. These people can been seen as both victims and criminals, as they were not in a sound state of mind when doing these actions, however them doing the actions does not mean they should get off scot-free. The users are only one side of the coin, the other is the drug dealers. The dealers do not have to be selling purely illegal drugs, they may be selling prescription drugs too, but in the pursuit of their own survival in a struggling life, they turn to selling substances to others. By doing so they can even amass a fortune, but this is still a crime, and what people will do to try to get all this potential money can span from robbing to murder. The articles I read from different media support the fact there is indeed a tie with crime and drugs, being that an increase of drugs on the street leads to more crime.

Drug use is part of human nature, but the unimaginable wealth involved leads to the corruption of the police, judges, and elected officials. There is no reason to have the government regulating what goes into an individual’s body. An extreme case of what we’re letting the government do is letting them take away our own self, an individual’s ownership over his own body. I think it’s in everyone’s interest to legalize all drugs, since this war is going nowhere, letting

The top 5 drugs sold in the U.S. sold are: Weed, Meth, Pills, Heroin, Cocaine. According to Frontline about $832 million a year is made in the black marketing of drugs. Even with this huge amount of income the government still doesn’t want to make the

Today in our modern society, many people believe that teen’s develop a mindset of having a clean system and to stay drug free. However, people are not able to foresee that the drug use in America has rising up tremendously. Studies have shown that drugs can not only have impact on your life, but also have impact on those who surround you and also can led to the absence of adolescence. It leads to bad habits and only brings evil deeds. The possession of drugs and the conspiracy sell is illegal in the Unites States. If arrest and put on trial due to drugs can mean serious jail time. According to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, people are considered to have a substance use disorder. (Live Science) The Live Science states “... people have strong urges to use a substance or can't control their use of it, or if their use impairs them in social situations or leads to risky behavior.” Members of society have needs when a drug is being in place into there normal day routine. The report also states that an estimated 27.1 million people in the U.S. used an illegal drug in the past month. (Live Science) The mass-production, sale and possession of illegal drugs should be banned in the United States.