Why We Shouldn’t Legalize Drugs
There is a lot of controversy over whether drugs should be legalized or not. Current federal laws prohibit the use, possession, and trafficking of numerous drugs, including marijuana. However, recently some states have passed laws or are considering passing laws that would legalize marijuana for medical use.
While illegal drugs may yield some medical benefits for certain patients, there are a lot of other factors to consider. Most illegal drugs are illegal due to their severe side effects to the body. Generally they are documented to cause brain damage, heart problems, and other physical and mental diseases. Many of these drugs are also known to cause addictions, as well. Doctors would have to determine if using the drug would be more beneficial than other known side effects.
Another factor to consider is that currently prescription drugs have become a rampant source of substance abuse. As the New York Times recently exposed, more people in the state of Florida die from prescription drug abuse than illegal drug abuse. From this we can see that in our current system, legalization of a drug does not take away its dangers or make it more controlled. Increased access to the drugs makes it easier for people to abuse them. Until the problems with prescription drug abuse are resolved, adding the current illegal drugs to the mix would be like putting more fuel on a raging fire.
It is important for these issues to be resolved before we can even consider the legal applications of currently illegal drugs to persons with serious medical conditions. With all of the serious illnesses in the world today, we should continue pushing for new alternatives in medicine. Discovering safer, more effective medications would help remove the need for drugs with dangerous, life-threatening side effects.
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August 5th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I complete agree to the statement that “adding the current illegal drugs to the mix would be like putting fuel on a raging fire.” If illegal drugs such as marijuana were to be legalized through prescription then the current epidemic that the US is facing on the abuse of presciption drugs would only be intensified.
As an addict I know from expierence that one of the easiest ways to get drugs is by breaking into the medicine cabinet. I could find anything I wanted opiates, muscle relaxents, sleeping aids, etc. etc. Adding marijuana to this mix would only make peoples problem worse or for the addict it would easier to get their hands on substances.
Even though many people especially addits/users don’t consider marijuana a problomatic drug, it is the “gateway drug,” atleast it was for me. All of my drug use started with getting high that first time. If marijuana was to be more easily accessible to teens than it will only make their problems worse.
Technology continues to improve especially in the feild of medicine, I dont see any reason why there would not be any new developments in medicine. New drugs are continually invented, old drugs that are addictting and cause problems hopefully one day will be obsolete.
December 16th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Seriously? I have been smoking for about five years now and I have yet to graduate to any harder, addictive substances. To be honest, I have no desire to either because I would hate to end up like you, Jack. I am not an addict, I have quit smoking several times to pass drug tests and experienced few symptoms of withdrawal save for a little difficulty falling asleep. But then again, I am an insomniac to begin with and cannabis seemed to help me with that. Also, need I remind you that so many of these miraculous prescription drugs were derived from plants? And how the hell would adding pot to this mix make things worse? It is a safer alternative to all the drugs you mentioned and if it is easily accessible, there is a good chance people would just stick with pot and see no reason to go any further. The medicine cabinet is full of harmful drugs and the reason so many kids get into it is because of irresponsible parents. LOCK IT UP OR PUT IT OUT OF REACH! YOU were the one who took those pills, YOU were the one who couldn’t control yourself, and YOU are the one who has to deal with it. It’s not as if cannabis talked you into it. Stop trying to tell everyone else what to do just because YOU can’t control yourself. That’s all I have for you Jack.
To the author of this article:
“Most illegal drugs are illegal due to their severe side effects to the body.” Then why aren’t so many prescription drugs illegal. And what about alcohol and tobacco. What about cheeseburgers? Abuse of the McDonalds dollar menu can have severe side effects on your body, and many Americans are addicted to it. Why haven’t we made that illegal too? And what about cheesecake? Tell me that can’t be detrimental to your health. GET A GRIP!
February 9th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
"But then again, I am an insomniac to begin with and cannabis seemed to help me with that. "
Then use the actual prescription.
"Stop trying to tell everyone else what to do just because YOU can’t control yourself. "
You have no idea what an addiction is, do you? It’s a psychological disorder, they simply can’t control themselves.
"“Most illegal drugs are illegal due to their severe side effects to the body.” Then why aren’t so many prescription drugs illegal. And what about alcohol and tobacco. What about cheeseburgers? Abuse of the McDonalds dollar menu can have severe side effects on your body, and many Americans are addicted to it. Why haven’t we made that illegal too? And what about cheesecake? Tell me that can’t be detrimental to your health. GET A GRIP!"
How you compare a cheeseburger (substanance) to a drug is simply pathetic. Precription drugs are legal because they cause more good than harm, unlike marijuana, depsite how many biased sites you Google tells you. Tabacco is not illegal because illegalizing it would turn into another Prohibition, as would alchohol. You apparently have no idea what history is, do you? And cheeseburgers or cheesecake do not cause the addiction, an eating disorder does so they will eat ANY food, not just cheeseburgers. Same thing with cheesecake.
February 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Not to mention that just because YOU have no addictive sensations to marijuana, Will T., does not mean that otehrs do not as well. Nor does this mean that no one does drugs by using marijuana as a gateway drug. You need to look at this through the MACRO level, not what you and your pothead friends think.
February 9th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
“Studies show that approximately 6 to 11 percent of fatal accident victims test positive for THC. In many of these cases, alcohol is detected as well.”
Nida research by the way.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
are you kidding me ? no drg should be legalized .. end of story. Drugs are bad mmmmkay?
April 26th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
“Tabacco is not illegal because illegalizing it would turn into another Prohibition, as would alchohol. You apparently have no idea what history is, do you?”
And the ban of marijuana hasn’t? How about organized crime profiting millions off it? How about the fact that there are currently more people in prison for minor marijuana charges than all violent crime combined? How about all the violence from Mexican drug cartels spilling over into our country?
“Studies show that approximately 6 to 11 percent of fatal accident victims test positive for THC. In many of these cases, alcohol is detected as well.”
THC can be detected in a user for months, well after the high has worn off.
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:51 am
The main reason Pot should not be legalized is because it would only take advantage of the already poor and would in turn be another money maker for the distributers. We do not benifit from the drug nor do we need the drug. If it were legalized it would be more easy for high school students to get ahold of. The only people I have met that want it legalized are the ones that have an addiction. You say you don’t but when you will sit here and defend it with remarks a 3rd grader would use you are addicted.
Reason 2) What will be next. This is a very narrow minded statement but something worth considering. By having it against the law and keeping it that way it shows order and strength but if you start allowing the drug it shows corruption, and a coiuntry that is too lenient.
English is not my first language so spelling is not my strong point.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
@Soner
“If it were legalized it would be more easy for high school students to get a hold of.”
It’s already easy for high schoolers to get it or anyone for that matter. If someone wants something, they will get a hold of it legally or illegally. Should we really punish them for it, use up our tax payer money to pay for enforcing it, and hold them in our prison system most likely effing them up beyond retribution?
“By having it against the law and keeping it that way it shows order and strength but if you start allowing the drug it shows corruption, and a coiuntry that is too lenient.”
Corruption and violence is the direct result of prohibition and that is exactly where we are right now. Corrupt government agencies (CIA) traffic drugs to raise money for wars, corrupt police officers often create a business out of stolen drugs, and violence ensues over territory to protect their market.
Why should it be illegal when there so many other harmful substances that are legal out there?
January 20th, 2010 at 11:20 am
k one question. why shouldn’t they be legal?