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Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:03 pm
by betiko
BigBallinStalin wrote:
betiko wrote:
no, you haven't read my position corectly. what I said is that you really love chicken and right now given the price of chicken you can afford 18 pounds; if tomorrow price is divied by 10, you will probably buy 27-36 pounds of chicken. Also we are trying to see drug addicts as rational people, that's a fail!


Okay. Is a change in price the only thing that motivates people to change their current consumption habits?


it's not. but a lot of poor people buy little meat because they can't afford more, if they had all the money in the world there would be a break even point in their consumption. The break even point for drug users could be quite dangerous and excessive.
Other factors would be in the ballance of course, but after all rational factors would be difficult tu measure, but the more you consume the more you are addicted and so on.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:24 pm
by betiko
/ wrote:I am skeptical, drug laws did not always exist, they were created by societies with legal drugs for their own reasons. Until just several decades ago, one could legally buy opium and laudinum, highly addictive substances that can cause severe side effects. Opiod addiction has been well documented; the withdrawal symptoms are debilitating, and in some cases can lead to seizures, strokes, heart attacks, or even death. One cannot reasonably say these people can manage to budget themselves, and reasonably control their urges at these points on physical and psychological breakdown.

People naturally want to try new things if they're available, and while I don't really care is people want to try out a bit of booze, cigarettes, or pot; experimenting with hard drugs can have horrible consequences, so I don't to see a world where "you don't know unless you try it" is said causally about PCP.

I am also concerned about the production ramifications. If we are to compare marijuana to tobacco, then one should know that the tobacco industry facilitates mass deforestation to keep up with demands and turn a profit. Brazil alone uses an estimated 60 million trees a year in cigarette manufacture.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=3992

Additionally, with such a profitable industry, banana republic dictators and global corporations would likely be incentivized to allocate much needed farmland to drugs. European landgrabs in African nations are already destroying the livelihoods and environments of locals in order to secure a supply of biofuels; do we really need vast poppy fields to make the problem worse while the world struggles to keep up with food demands?
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0829-foe_ ... frica.html


well that's why I think there should be a huge government control and tons of money spent in prevention and cure of addicts instead of spending much more in drug wars.
Let's say your daddy tells you he'd be highly disapointed in you if you go to slutty's party and drink & drive on the way back and gives you all the reasons and examples around you of people who died or are in a wheel chair for doing so. He still gives you free will and all the elements to take the right decision. He will still support you if you end up in a wheelchair even if you didn't listen. He's just making you responsible.
Right now governments might not be doing all they can to prevent drug use, they are more into punishing drug users and dealers. Not sure it's a better method.
Also if societies have banned drugs it might be for a good reason, but doesn't mean the means put in place are the best solution, as you can see the entire system isn't working great.
Why would people try more if drugs were legal? do you think that there is that much people not doing drugs just because they can't find any or because they are unwilling to do something illegal?

by the way have you seen the film project nim? about the life of a chimp on which scientists conducted experiments in the 70s. At some point he got addicted to booze and pot, so getting high is not something only about human nature.

Otherwise the idea is not to increase worldwide production, but hopefully to get it decrease in long term..

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:34 pm
by BigBallinStalin
betiko wrote:
BigBallinStalin wrote:
betiko wrote:
no, you haven't read my position corectly. what I said is that you really love chicken and right now given the price of chicken you can afford 18 pounds; if tomorrow price is divied by 10, you will probably buy 27-36 pounds of chicken. Also we are trying to see drug addicts as rational people, that's a fail!


Okay. Is a change in price the only thing that motivates people to change their current consumption habits?


it's not. but a lot of poor people buy little meat because they can't afford more, if they had all the money in the world there would be a break even point in their consumption. The break even point for drug users could be quite dangerous and excessive.
Other factors would be in the ballance of course, but after all rational factors would be difficult tu measure, but the more you consume the more you are addicted and so on.


Right, a "break even point." In other words, there is some unknown quantity at which the felt uneasiness of not having a good is satisfied. Given a specific income, individuals allocate it and other resources among various goods at various quantities--depending on the prices of these goods and their proportional preferences for these goods. However their apportioning this income depends on the opportunity cost of each purchase. For example, if I wish to purchase $100 of cocaine (quantity = 100 grams), then my opportunity cost would be the value of whatever else I could have purchased with that $100 at the time of that decision.

The problem is that we do not know exactly the opportunity costs of these individuals, nor do we know their future changes in consumption given a price change. In other words, future subjective values can't be graphed. That's one of my points here, yet you presume that we do know.

Second, that "break even point" can already be attained by many individuals--even given a high price of the good they desire (e.g. cocaine in black markets). In order to afford the price, the individual would decrease expenditures in other areas (e.g. food, housing, whatever). So, this problem which you're concerned about is already occurring--even in the prohibition. One unintended consequence of prohibition is that these consumers will incur more costs (e.g. less food, housing, whatever) since they forego higher levels of consuming these goods in order to secure more income for paying that higher price of illegal cocaine.

With legalization, the price drops, and "the break even point" still remains, yet more income is freed up for other valuable uses (more food, housing, whatever). It isn't always the case that people would consume MORE of the illegal drug. We should also realize that the freeing up of more income enables consumers to not reduce expenditures on non-drug goods. It's an additional benefit, thanks to legalization.


And, the problems of addiction and misuse can still be addressed even with drugs being legalized. Certain drugs can become "over the counter," and/or new research into previously illegal drugs can allow for innovation. For example, maybe we could develop cocaine without the harmful side-effects---thanks to their production and testing being legal, as well as being open to a much larger market.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:58 pm
by /
BigBallinStalin wrote:
/ wrote:I am also concerned about the production ramifications. If we are to compare marijuana to tobacco, then one should know that the tobacco industry facilitates mass deforestation to keep up with demands and turn a profit. Brazil alone uses an estimated 60 million trees a year in cigarette manufacture.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=3992

Additionally, with such a profitable industry, banana republic dictators and global corporations would likely be incentivized to allocate much needed farmland to drugs. European landgrabs in African nations are already destroying the livelihoods and environments of locals in order to secure a supply of biofuels; do we really need vast poppy fields to make the problem worse while the world struggles to keep up with food demands?
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0829-foe_ ... frica.html


What is the future price and profitability of all illegal drugs?

Amazingly, you presume to know this, and that more forests would have to cleared to produce it.

Cannot lesser valuable agricultural lands be converted from whatever to newly legalized goods?

If the OP is correct, it's one of the largest industries in the world, do you think this would change if it were legalized?
Perhaps if the global farm industry actually used farmland in the most efficient manner possible, unfortunately it does not; farmland usage has steadily been increasing at a rate greater than population growth.
Afghanistan still has not obtained food security, but rather than doing what is logically necessary to help the country as a whole by using what little water they have to grow food crops, many farmers do what they can to ensure they themselves have money to feed themselves and their families by farming poppies to make opium.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/world ... -says.html

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:10 pm
by BigBallinStalin
/ wrote:
BigBallinStalin wrote:
/ wrote:I am also concerned about the production ramifications. If we are to compare marijuana to tobacco, then one should know that the tobacco industry facilitates mass deforestation to keep up with demands and turn a profit. Brazil alone uses an estimated 60 million trees a year in cigarette manufacture.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=3992

Additionally, with such a profitable industry, banana republic dictators and global corporations would likely be incentivized to allocate much needed farmland to drugs. European landgrabs in African nations are already destroying the livelihoods and environments of locals in order to secure a supply of biofuels; do we really need vast poppy fields to make the problem worse while the world struggles to keep up with food demands?
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0829-foe_ ... frica.html


What is the future price and profitability of all illegal drugs?

Amazingly, you presume to know this, and that more forests would have to cleared to produce it.

Cannot lesser valuable agricultural lands be converted from whatever to newly legalized goods?

If the OP is correct, it's one of the largest industries in the world, do you think this would change if it were legalized?
Perhaps if the global farm industry actually used farmland in the most efficient manner possible, unfortunately it does not; farmland usage has steadily been increasing at a rate greater than population growth.
Afghanistan still has not obtained food security, but rather than doing what is logically necessary to help the country as a whole by using what little water they have to grow food crops, many farmers do what they can to ensure they themselves have money to feed themselves and their families by farming poppies to make opium.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/world ... -says.html


Prices for illegal drugs, such as cocaine, heroine, etc. are high because the operating costs are high, risk is high, and blah blah blah. I think we can agree on that.

What happens when legal competition enters these markets? What happens when contracts can be resolved through courts instead of shooting people? What happens when entrepreneurs don't have to worry about being shot by police or their competitors for simply producing a certain good?

I'd expect the prices to fall because supply would increase, and demand would remain relatively the same--perhaps slightly higher, and maybe even revert back to normal. Still prices would fall. And, yes, the industry would undoubtedly change. Why wouldn't it--given the above outcomes?

Productivity in agricultural lands has been increasing, and prices allow consumers and suppliers to appropriate adjust their consumption, find substitutes, innovate, reduce costs/waste, etc., so I'm not worried about most of your concerns.

Price of poppy in AFG drops since the supply increases, thus the profitability of opium production decreases. This encourages production into more valuable/profitable uses of land--whatever that may be.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:11 pm
by betiko
/ wrote:
BigBallinStalin wrote:
/ wrote:I am also concerned about the production ramifications. If we are to compare marijuana to tobacco, then one should know that the tobacco industry facilitates mass deforestation to keep up with demands and turn a profit. Brazil alone uses an estimated 60 million trees a year in cigarette manufacture.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=3992

Additionally, with such a profitable industry, banana republic dictators and global corporations would likely be incentivized to allocate much needed farmland to drugs. European landgrabs in African nations are already destroying the livelihoods and environments of locals in order to secure a supply of biofuels; do we really need vast poppy fields to make the problem worse while the world struggles to keep up with food demands?
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0829-foe_ ... frica.html


What is the future price and profitability of all illegal drugs?

Amazingly, you presume to know this, and that more forests would have to cleared to produce it.

Cannot lesser valuable agricultural lands be converted from whatever to newly legalized goods?

If the OP is correct, it's one of the largest industries in the world, do you think this would change if it were legalized?
Perhaps if the global farm industry actually used farmland in the most efficient manner possible, unfortunately it does not; farmland usage has steadily been increasing at a rate greater than population growth.
Afghanistan still has not obtained food security, but rather than doing what is logically necessary to help the country as a whole by using what little water they have to grow food crops, many farmers do what they can to ensure they themselves have money to feed themselves and their families by farming poppies to make opium.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/world ... -says.html


well this is pretty straight forward. Accoding to the classic economist David Ricardo there is the theory of the comparative advantage. One country should specialize in what he does best. If it's opium in afghanistan and that it's run by taliban druglords and its traffic is illegal.... AND the opium money is reinjected in djihad and buying weapons (#1 economy) The comparative advantage is quite largely compromized by a few factors that could be solved by legalization and non-corrupted government control.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:34 pm
by /
betiko wrote:
/ wrote:I am skeptical, drug laws did not always exist, they were created by societies with legal drugs for their own reasons. Until just several decades ago, one could legally buy opium and laudinum, highly addictive substances that can cause severe side effects. Opiod addiction has been well documented; the withdrawal symptoms are debilitating, and in some cases can lead to seizures, strokes, heart attacks, or even death. One cannot reasonably say these people can manage to budget themselves, and reasonably control their urges at these points on physical and psychological breakdown.

People naturally want to try new things if they're available, and while I don't really care is people want to try out a bit of booze, cigarettes, or pot; experimenting with hard drugs can have horrible consequences, so I don't to see a world where "you don't know unless you try it" is said causally about PCP.

I am also concerned about the production ramifications. If we are to compare marijuana to tobacco, then one should know that the tobacco industry facilitates mass deforestation to keep up with demands and turn a profit. Brazil alone uses an estimated 60 million trees a year in cigarette manufacture.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=3992

Additionally, with such a profitable industry, banana republic dictators and global corporations would likely be incentivized to allocate much needed farmland to drugs. European landgrabs in African nations are already destroying the livelihoods and environments of locals in order to secure a supply of biofuels; do we really need vast poppy fields to make the problem worse while the world struggles to keep up with food demands?
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0829-foe_ ... frica.html


well that's why I think there should be a huge government control and tons of money spent in prevention and cure of addicts instead of spending much more in drug wars.
Let's say your daddy tells you he'd be highly disapointed in you if you go to slutty's party and drink & drive on the way back and gives you all the reasons and examples around you of people who died or are in a wheel chair for doing so. He still gives you free will and all the elements to take the right decision. He will still support you if you end up in a wheelchair even if you didn't listen. He's just making you responsible.
Right now governments might not be doing all they can to prevent drug use, they are more into punishing drug users and dealers. Not sure it's a better method.
Also if societies have banned drugs it might be for a good reason, but doesn't mean the means put in place are the best solution, as you can see the entire system isn't working great.
Why would people try more if drugs were legal? do you think that there is that much people not doing drugs just because they can't find any or because they are unwilling to do something illegal?

by the way have you seen the film project nim? about the life of a chimp on which scientists conducted experiments in the 70s. At some point he got addicted to booze and pot, so getting high is not something only about human nature.

Otherwise the idea is not to increase worldwide production, but hopefully to get it decrease in long term..
Fair points. Still I think more people want things if they know they can obtain them, even more so if the consequences aren't seen as too harsh.
You and most other adults have probably smoked a cigarette, or drank a beer, why? Partially because of the allure of the forbidden, or the curiosity of a new experience?
And why not try it? You can probably walk right into *insert french drug store here* and pick up a pack, you've seen people drinking and smoking, if they get to try it, why shouldn't you?
Now if cocaine was the same, people at the bar sitting there snorting up without anyone giving a second thought, you feel like the Mormon guy who never tried coffee, can you honestly say you wouldn't try it once?
Also what if cigarettes/drinking was as heavily banned as hard drugs, would you drive down to the seedy part of town, walk up to the guy in the trech-coat and sunglasses in the middle of night, follow him into an alley and ask him for a light out of curiosity?

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:54 pm
by BigBallinStalin
Since sex without payment of money is legal, can you can bring your girlfriend to T.G.I Friday's and bang her on the table?
( It's a family restaurant, sir.)

If you roll into a bar--extremely drunk, chances are you'll get kicked out, even though drinking alcohol is legal.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:06 pm
by /
BigBallinStalin wrote:
Prices for illegal drugs, such as cocaine, heroine, etc. are high because the operating costs are high, risk is high, and blah blah blah. I think we can agree on that.

What happens when legal competition enters these markets? What happens when contracts can be resolved through courts instead of shooting people? What happens when entrepreneurs don't have to worry about being shot by police or their competitors for simply producing a certain good?

I'd expect the prices to fall because supply would increase, and demand would remain relatively the same--perhaps slightly higher, and maybe even revert back to normal. Still prices would fall. And, yes, the industry would undoubtedly change. Why wouldn't it--given the above outcomes?

Productivity in agricultural lands has been increasing, and prices allow consumers and suppliers to appropriate adjust their consumption, find substitutes, innovate, reduce costs/waste, etc., so I'm not worried about most of your concerns.

Price of poppy in AFG drops since the supply increases, thus the profitability of opium production decreases. This encourages production into more valuable/profitable uses of land--whatever that may be.

Ah, I understand. I will concede the point of negative agricultural aspects of a legal drug trade (despite so many "legal" forms of slavery and exploitation being used in much of the world, a legal way to combat those problems is preferable.)

However, while I agree with betiko that a system of education and understanding is a great way to combat drug use, bans are shown to be effective against the socially negative effects of alcohol when implemented properly.
http://www.thecommunityguide.org/alcoho ... dHarms.pdf


Effects of Alcohol Bans in Isolated Communities
All of the studies that evaluated the effect of bans in
isolated northern communities found substantial reductions in alcohol-related harms with the exception of
suicide.

In the communities that instituted
bans, rates of harm indicated by alcohol-related medical
visits were reduced by 9.0% for injury deaths to 82% for
alcohol-related medical visits. One of
these studies found that the effects were reversed when
the ban was lifted, and found similar benefits when the
ban was then reimposed.

Two of these studies
suggest that bans on alcohol sales in isolated communities
led residents to decrease their use of other intoxicants. In
Barrow, Alaska, medical visits for use of isopropyl alcohol
declined during ban periods.An additional study qualitatively evaluated a Canadian Inuit community that overwhelmingly voted to ban alcohol in 1978. Although comparative data are not available from this study (and the study thus does
not meet review inclusion criteria), it is notable that
during the 3 years following the implementation of
this prohibition there were only five arrests for the
illegal possession of alcohol and, of these, four were
associated with a single incident. The reported reduction in alcohol consumption in general and among youth
in particular was linked with several societal benefits,
including improved mental and physical health among
community members, and a reduction in conflicts within
the community. The ban on alcohol sales was associated
with a reduction in the use of other substances of abuse
(e.g., inhalants) by youth.
...
Summary
The effectiveness of bans in reducing alcohol-related
harms appears to be highly dependent on the availability of alcohol in the surrounding area. In isolated
communities, bans can substantially reduce alcoholrelated harms. However, where alcohol is available in
areas nearby those with bans, travel between these areas
may lead to serious harms.



I still hold that if the sources of illegal drugs could be eliminated, it would have the best overall effect on society.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 1:15 am
by BigBallinStalin
Hey, that may be okay, but your position is only wishful thinking when it's applied to nearly everyone else. With me, I prefer the benefits and costs of living in a freer society, which would enable people to discovery their own solutions through trial-and-error. We have to acknowledge that the good intentions of public officials has caused an unnecessary, international war against black market buyers and sellers, imposed great costs on individuals by imprisoning so many people and by wasting their prime years, has induced an impetus toward more crime, and has forced those in the black market to enforce contracts through needless violence and death.

Given the consequences of the Prohibition Era, the ongoing repercussions of current prohibitions, and the inherent constraints of imperfect government, we must end prohibition and seek other solutions. That's the more practical and beneficial stance for society.
(If anyone disagrees, then they must justify all the unintended consequences. Good luck.)

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 6:17 am
by Haggis_McMutton
saxitoxin wrote:
Haggis_McMutton wrote:Government has no business telling me what I can put in my body. Government is not my dad.


Is your philosophy conditional or consistent? That is, does it only apply to people wearing tie-dye shirts named Sunchild? i.e. ...

    - Do you support legalizing marijuana?

    - Do you support legalizing pills made by Pfizer out of Bleach, Paint Thinner and Ginseng, sold for $1000 each and marketed as a cure for cancer?

This isn't a loaded question; I don't have an opinion either way.



Interesting point, but we're already flooded with homeopathic medicine, healing crystal dildos and what not so yeah, I'd support legalization of both.

The potential cancer cure would not get FDA approval and therefore, would probably not get used much except by rich fucks who want to blow their fortune on trying to live a couple years more (untill their descendants sue the company for enticing their rich parents to blow their money on false promises anyway).

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:18 pm
by saxitoxin
Haggis_McMutton wrote:
saxitoxin wrote:
Haggis_McMutton wrote:Government has no business telling me what I can put in my body. Government is not my dad.


Is your philosophy conditional or consistent? That is, does it only apply to people wearing tie-dye shirts named Sunchild? i.e. ...

    - Do you support legalizing marijuana?

    - Do you support legalizing pills made by Pfizer out of Bleach, Paint Thinner and Ginseng, sold for $1000 each and marketed as a cure for cancer?

This isn't a loaded question; I don't have an opinion either way.



Interesting point, but we're already flooded with homeopathic medicine, healing crystal dildos and what not so yeah, I'd support legalization of both.

The potential cancer cure would not get FDA approval and therefore, would probably not get used much except by rich fucks who want to blow their fortune on trying to live a couple years more (untill their descendants sue the company for enticing their rich parents to blow their money on false promises anyway).


FDA approval? Why would Pfizer, Merck, et. al. submit their drugs to the FDA approval process? If drugs were legal they could just put them directly onto store shelves and save themselves millions having to prove safety in clinical trials. I don't understand how the FDA still exists in this scenario.

(Maybe you want to maintain the FDA approval process but have like a Rave Exemption where therapeutic standards get waived if the manufacturer has a letter from a club promoter?)

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:30 pm
by Haggis_McMutton
saxitoxin wrote:FDA approval? Why would Pfizer, Merck, et. al. submit their drugs to the FDA approval process? If drugs were legal they could just put them directly onto store shelves and save themselves millions having to prove safety in clinical trials. I don't understand how the FDA still exists in this scenario.

(Maybe you want to maintain the FDA approval process but have like a Rave Exemption where therapeutic standards get waived if the manufacturer has a letter from a club promoter?)


I'm re-imagining the FDA as an organization that tests drugs and gives their approval to those least likely to kill you.
It would not have the power to stop Pfizer, Merck, et. al. from selling their drug but the lack of the FDA approval stamp would mean that people would be reticent to use it and, specifically, doctors would be liable if they prescribed a non-FDA approved drug over an FDA approved drug without good reason.

Of course it isn't necessary for this role to be taken by the FDA. You could have private institutions take on the role of the FDA in this scenario.

I can already see the commercials now "guy takes anti-hairloss drug, guy becomes bald overweight and impotent, big red cross is superimposed on image of newly suicidal guy, announcer says 'This can be you if you buy non [insert name here] approved drugs, is it really worth the risk?' end scene"

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:33 pm
by AAFitz
betiko wrote:
xeno wrote:I'm cool with it. At the same time I don't have kids that I'm overly protective of so what does my opinion matter. If they started selling heroin at your local cvs house moms all over the us would literally lose their shit


what's the difference, drugs would still be frowned upon by society, and I think your argument doesn't stand as I think kids would be a lot safer. If someone wants to do drugs he will always be able to find a way. Drug wars are a lost cause and this seems like the only solution.

Also, take morocco for example. I know Canabis represents over 10% of it's GNP and it's an underground economy. Wouldn't it be better if the government could manage those profits and reinvest in education, infrastructures or whatever?


You'd have to be on drugs to compare heroin, crack, and meth to canabis.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:38 pm
by AAFitz
BigBallinStalin wrote:Hey, that may be okay, but your position is only wishful thinking when it's applied to nearly everyone else. With me, I prefer the benefits and costs of living in a freer society, which would enable people to discovery their own solutions through trial-and-error. We have to acknowledge that the good intentions of public officials has caused an unnecessary, international war against black market buyers and sellers, imposed great costs on individuals by imprisoning so many people and by wasting their prime years, has induced an impetus toward more crime, and has forced those in the black market to enforce contracts through needless violence and death.

Given the consequences of the Prohibition Era, the ongoing repercussions of current prohibitions, and the inherent constraints of imperfect government, we must end prohibition and seek other solutions. That's the more practical and beneficial stance for society.
(If anyone disagrees, then they must justify all the unintended consequences. Good luck.)


You must not justify the unintended consequences in order to disagree. It is not the ban on drugs that is the problem, but the ineffective ban on them. What you would justify is many, many more lives destroyed by drugs that have no business existing in the first place. The fact that you are too shortsighted to see that it very much could be controlled better, does not justify your position, its just a cop out, and a ridiculously naive one at that.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:10 pm
by BigBallinStalin
AAFitz wrote:
BigBallinStalin wrote:Hey, that may be okay, but your position is only wishful thinking when it's applied to nearly everyone else. With me, I prefer the benefits and costs of living in a freer society, which would enable people to discovery their own solutions through trial-and-error. We have to acknowledge that the good intentions of public officials has caused an unnecessary, international war against black market buyers and sellers, imposed great costs on individuals by imprisoning so many people and by wasting their prime years, has induced an impetus toward more crime, and has forced those in the black market to enforce contracts through needless violence and death.

Given the consequences of the Prohibition Era, the ongoing repercussions of current prohibitions, and the inherent constraints of imperfect government, we must end prohibition and seek other solutions. That's the more practical and beneficial stance for society.
(If anyone disagrees, then they must justify all the unintended consequences. Good luck.)


You must not justify the unintended consequences in order to disagree. It is not the ban on drugs that is the problem, but the ineffective ban on them. What you would justify is many, many more lives destroyed by drugs that have no business existing in the first place. The fact that you are too shortsighted to see that it very much could be controlled better, does not justify your position, its just a cop out, and a ridiculously naive one at that.


Ramp up the effectiveness of the ban, and the consequences become more dire and/or the society becomes imposed under a more authoritarian government.
Acknowledging the limits of human behavior yet superimposing wishful thinking on it (e.g. better prohibition from angelic public officials) fails to alleviate the consequences--it only exacerbates them.

Regarding what I would allegedly justify: I've already dealt with this in detail from pages 1-3 or so.

Most importantly, I'm assuming we want to live in a free, democratic society. I imagine that Saudi Arabia is more effective in prohibiting certain drugs, so would you like Americans to live within a Saudi-esque United States? (Of course not, but you don't seem to realize the constraints of our givens, nor do you seem to realize the implications of accepting a more authoritarian government).

All I'm saying is that after we acknowledge the limits of liberal democracy, the continued susceptibility of some individuals to irresponsibly use drugs, and the consequences of prohibition, then we must stop with the excuses, stop supporting the prohibition, and use more efficient substitutes (legalization, decriminalization, government regulation--but not prohibition).

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:21 pm
by saxitoxin
Haggis_McMutton wrote:
saxitoxin wrote:FDA approval? Why would Pfizer, Merck, et. al. submit their drugs to the FDA approval process? If drugs were legal they could just put them directly onto store shelves and save themselves millions having to prove safety in clinical trials. I don't understand how the FDA still exists in this scenario.

(Maybe you want to maintain the FDA approval process but have like a Rave Exemption where therapeutic standards get waived if the manufacturer has a letter from a club promoter?)


I'm re-imagining the FDA as an organization that tests drugs and gives their approval to those least likely to kill you.
It would not have the power to stop Pfizer, Merck, et. al. from selling their drug but the lack of the FDA approval stamp would mean that people would be reticent to use it and, specifically, doctors would be liable if they prescribed a non-FDA approved drug over an FDA approved drug without good reason.

Of course it isn't necessary for this role to be taken by the FDA. You could have private institutions take on the role of the FDA in this scenario.

I can already see the commercials now "guy takes anti-hairloss drug, guy becomes bald overweight and impotent, big red cross is superimposed on image of newly suicidal guy, announcer says 'This can be you if you buy non [insert name here] approved drugs, is it really worth the risk?' end scene"


OK, that's fair. And I agree, after the FDA was abolished, Consumer Reports would probably provide the same testing process, albeit on a voluntary basis and without police power.

Do you also support privatizing food inspection and (restaurant) sanitation compliance?

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 5:45 pm
by AAFitz
BigBallinStalin wrote:
AAFitz wrote:
BigBallinStalin wrote:Hey, that may be okay, but your position is only wishful thinking when it's applied to nearly everyone else. With me, I prefer the benefits and costs of living in a freer society, which would enable people to discovery their own solutions through trial-and-error. We have to acknowledge that the good intentions of public officials has caused an unnecessary, international war against black market buyers and sellers, imposed great costs on individuals by imprisoning so many people and by wasting their prime years, has induced an impetus toward more crime, and has forced those in the black market to enforce contracts through needless violence and death.

Given the consequences of the Prohibition Era, the ongoing repercussions of current prohibitions, and the inherent constraints of imperfect government, we must end prohibition and seek other solutions. That's the more practical and beneficial stance for society.
(If anyone disagrees, then they must justify all the unintended consequences. Good luck.)


You must not justify the unintended consequences in order to disagree. It is not the ban on drugs that is the problem, but the ineffective ban on them. What you would justify is many, many more lives destroyed by drugs that have no business existing in the first place. The fact that you are too shortsighted to see that it very much could be controlled better, does not justify your position, its just a cop out, and a ridiculously naive one at that.


Ramp up the effectiveness of the ban, and the consequences become more dire and/or the society becomes imposed under a more authoritarian government.
Acknowledging the limits of human behavior yet superimposing wishful thinking on it (e.g. better prohibition from angelic public officials) fails to alleviate the consequences--it only exacerbates them.

Regarding what I would allegedly justify: I've already dealt with this in detail from pages 1-3 or so.

Most importantly, I'm assuming we want to live in a free, democratic society. I imagine that Saudi Arabia is more effective in prohibiting certain drugs, so would you like Americans to live within a Saudi-esque United States? (Of course not, but you don't seem to realize the constraints of our givens, nor do you seem to realize the implications of accepting a more authoritarian government).

All I'm saying is that after we acknowledge the limits of liberal democracy, the continued susceptibility of some individuals to irresponsibly use drugs, and the consequences of prohibition, then we must stop with the excuses, stop supporting the prohibition, and use more efficient substitutes (legalization, decriminalization, government regulation--but not prohibition).


So the government would be adequate and efficient at regulating heroin, but not banning it. Its a ridiculous notion.

Either the government sucks or it doesnt. Youre saying it does, so it could never regulate something so volatile easily...

As far as living like an American vs Saudi-esque, its again ridiculous, because I dont get anywhere near drugs, so I would have nothing to fear about laws governing them.

I fully agree the current approach doesnt work, but legalizing them is not a valid approach, simply because the current one doesnt work.

If we wanted them gone, they would be gone. The main problem is, people dont care about drugs or their affects on people, unless its happening to their own kids...and then its too late.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 6:19 pm
by _sabotage_
The assumption that most of these posts make is that herion, coke and other drugs are not already readily available. They are, but it's just a matter of how we choose to deal with them.

In the current model, we provide a black market economy and a pork barrel economy, a reason for search and seizure, local and international policing and weapons deals, a means of generating covert funds and the generation and persecution of victimless crimes.

If you contend that they are harmful, so are a vast amount of legal goods. If you say they are addictive, so is conquerclub, if you say they ruin families, so does making a mother a single parent and giving a kid the stigma of a pop in jail.

The issues that exist around drugs, from agricultural requirements, to substance abuse could be dealt with more effective were they legal. A branded product would create a consumer watchdog or at least consumer ratings, which isn't currently possible, so regardless of legislation, dangerous impurities would lower product demand, thereby creating a stable product purity.

Cannabis is a gateway drug to a second and third strike, to social discrimination, a police state and profiteering.

Almost all action taken against drugs to eradicate or criminalize them have had the opposite effect. Marijuana was a fringe drug when it was legislated against, now it is more common for highschoolers to take it than to drink.

Drugs will exist, we will not be able to rid ourselves of them and no one can say for sure that it isn't a good thing for people to have access to them.

The issue is how we can improve the consequences of having drugs in our society.

The current method has so many flaws besides the great expense and the fact that it is self perpetuating that it would be easy to improve upon if we stopped acting like we can decide right and wrong for others.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 9:06 pm
by BigBallinStalin
AAFitz wrote:
BigBallinStalin wrote:
AAFitz wrote:
BigBallinStalin wrote:Hey, that may be okay, but your position is only wishful thinking when it's applied to nearly everyone else. With me, I prefer the benefits and costs of living in a freer society, which would enable people to discovery their own solutions through trial-and-error. We have to acknowledge that the good intentions of public officials has caused an unnecessary, international war against black market buyers and sellers, imposed great costs on individuals by imprisoning so many people and by wasting their prime years, has induced an impetus toward more crime, and has forced those in the black market to enforce contracts through needless violence and death.

Given the consequences of the Prohibition Era, the ongoing repercussions of current prohibitions, and the inherent constraints of imperfect government, we must end prohibition and seek other solutions. That's the more practical and beneficial stance for society.
(If anyone disagrees, then they must justify all the unintended consequences. Good luck.)


You must not justify the unintended consequences in order to disagree. It is not the ban on drugs that is the problem, but the ineffective ban on them. What you would justify is many, many more lives destroyed by drugs that have no business existing in the first place. The fact that you are too shortsighted to see that it very much could be controlled better, does not justify your position, its just a cop out, and a ridiculously naive one at that.


Ramp up the effectiveness of the ban, and the consequences become more dire and/or the society becomes imposed under a more authoritarian government.
Acknowledging the limits of human behavior yet superimposing wishful thinking on it (e.g. better prohibition from angelic public officials) fails to alleviate the consequences--it only exacerbates them.

Regarding what I would allegedly justify: I've already dealt with this in detail from pages 1-3 or so.

Most importantly, I'm assuming we want to live in a free, democratic society. I imagine that Saudi Arabia is more effective in prohibiting certain drugs, so would you like Americans to live within a Saudi-esque United States? (Of course not, but you don't seem to realize the constraints of our givens, nor do you seem to realize the implications of accepting a more authoritarian government).

All I'm saying is that after we acknowledge the limits of liberal democracy, the continued susceptibility of some individuals to irresponsibly use drugs, and the consequences of prohibition, then we must stop with the excuses, stop supporting the prohibition, and use more efficient substitutes (legalization, decriminalization, government regulation--but not prohibition).


So the government would be adequate and efficient at regulating heroin, but not banning it. Its a ridiculous notion.

Either the government sucks or it doesnt. Youre saying it does, so it could never regulate something so volatile easily...


Your response belongs in the Accidental Strawmen thread. I'm not going to repeat myself, so if you're really interested in understanding my position, then you'll have to scroll down, drag your pointer to the bottom right, and peruse the previous pages.

Recognizing the limits of liberal democracy does not mean sub-optimal---yet better--substitutes by government should not be used (e.g. regulation).

AAFitz wrote:As far as living like an American vs Saudi-esque, its again ridiculous, because I dont get anywhere near drugs, so I would have nothing to fear about laws governing them.

In other words, you don't care about the consequences that government imposes on your fellow citizens, which is a morally reprehensible position. You're also insincere. Whenever you make any argument favoring government intervention to "help" people, I'll remember this quote of yours.

And it's not like steps toward a more authoritarian government would be magically contained within one sector (drug prohibition), so you should be concerned.

AAFitz wrote:I fully agree the current approach doesnt work, but legalizing them is not a valid approach, simply because the current one doesnt work.

I've addressed this in previous pages.

Also, if X doesn't work, I would suggest using substitutes. You would suggest more X. "It is not the ban on drugs that is the problem, but the ineffective ban on them."

How can you not realize that if something is illegal, one cannot seek redress through the courts regarding contract violations? Do you understand why drug dealers seek substitutes by shooting each other? "The problem is not the ban on drugs." Clearly, it is because the prohibition prevents buyers and sellers on that market from seeking legal redress; therefore, they will seek substitutes.

AAFitz wrote:If we wanted them gone, they would be gone. The main problem is, people dont care about drugs or their affects on people, unless its happening to their own kids...and then its too late.


Opa!, more wishful thinking! Already dealt with that, so direct your attention to my first post, and you'll find yourself in the wrong.

"People don't care about drugs or their affects on people."
No, AAFitz, you don't care about that. Don't mistake yourself for "people" or the presumed "majority." Even if your guess is the primary problem, which it isn't, then you still have yet to recognize the constraints (which have already been mentioned), the fundamental causes (state-mandated prohibition), the consequences, and the failure of "more X" in alleviating the costs.

It is not the ban on drugs that is the problem, but the ineffective ban on them.
This excuse has been used for decades, and the costs of unintended consequences have only become exacerbated. Recall Reagan's War on Drugs.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 9:42 pm
by stahrgazer
AAFitz wrote:
betiko wrote:
xeno wrote:I'm cool with it. At the same time I don't have kids that I'm overly protective of so what does my opinion matter. If they started selling heroin at your local cvs house moms all over the us would literally lose their shit


what's the difference, drugs would still be frowned upon by society, and I think your argument doesn't stand as I think kids would be a lot safer. If someone wants to do drugs he will always be able to find a way. Drug wars are a lost cause and this seems like the only solution.

Also, take morocco for example. I know Canabis represents over 10% of it's GNP and it's an underground economy. Wouldn't it be better if the government could manage those profits and reinvest in education, infrastructures or whatever?


You'd have to be on drugs to compare heroin, crack, and meth to canabis.


Or simply uneducated, as most folks are.

Cannibis, in and of itself, is not physically addictive; THC, the "drug" in cannibis, is the only psychotropic "drug" (found to date) that isn't physically addictive. This means you can smoke the stuff forever and not have any physical withdrawals when you stop. Like other substances, however, (including ice cream) THC can be mentally/emotionally (psychologically) addictive - your body may not tell you, "you must smoke more" but because you like the buzz you want to smoke more (or eat more, if you're doing brownies, etc.)

In this regard, THC is actually "safer" than alcohol, because ethyl is physically addictive; and both are far "safer" than heroin, crack, meth, or "legal" oxycontin (codeine, which is an opiate, aka, a heroin derivative.)

NOTE: The discussion of THC/cannibis does NOT include "spice" - cannibis that's been treated with some other drugs to "make it more powerful."

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_marijuana_addictive

Note: while "wiki" itself is not an academically accepted source of information because it's not peer reviewed, my information on THC/Cannabis came to me FIRST from a college course in health sciences. I don't have the text anymore to quote it.

Personally, I don't think the gov't should care what a person chooses to put in his or her body. The FDA should stick around to provide information to those who want to know, on what it is they might be about to put in their body.

The "war on drugs" isn't working, other than to be a working excuse for bigger government, more officers, more prisons, and more dollars from fines. We could do the same thing by taxing and regulating, needing less government, less officers, less prisons, and replacing dollars from fines with dollars from taxes.

If one also included an overall law that say doubled the fines/penalties of any criminal act committed while under the influence - whether "prescription" or "over the counter" psychotropic substance, then the gov't would still get some revenue from fines. In other words, make drugs legal, just not let them be an excuse to commit real crimes. Plenty of folks would smoke some weed and never steal to do so, and those who want to inject or snort something? Fine, let them kill themselves, or fine and jail them if they commit a robbery or shoplifting to support the habit or hit someone when they forgot to hand over the keys because they've been using.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 9:50 pm
by muy_thaiguy
If you want weed so bad, go to Colorado. Legalized there. Just don't come up to Wyoming afterwards, as the Highway Patrol are really cracking down on that.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 9:57 pm
by stahrgazer
muy_thaiguy wrote:If you want weed so bad, go to Colorado. Legalized there. Just don't come up to Wyoming afterwards, as the Highway Patrol are really cracking down on that.


Driving to Wyoming having recently smoked weed in Colorado would fall under "driving under the influence" which I agree should remain illegal.

Smoke, sure. Smoke and operate a vehicle? Not any smarter than drinking six cocktails and getting behind the wheel, or taking your rx painkiller and driving.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 6:05 am
by Haggis_McMutton
saxitoxin wrote:OK, that's fair. And I agree, after the FDA was abolished, Consumer Reports would probably provide the same testing process, albeit on a voluntary basis and without police power.

Do you also support privatizing food inspection and (restaurant) sanitation compliance?


Sure, I guess that could also work.
Though as a transitory phase for both drugs and the other things the service would probably still have to be provided by the government(just without the enforcement that you can't operate without approval), before sufficient trust can be established in the new firms arising to do this.

I suppose a potential problem is that while services like healthcare and a justice system are provided by the government, privatization of these other areas might lead to the government incurring higher costs in the areas it still manages. Not sure how significant that would be.

Re: legalizing all drugs

PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 2:58 pm
by Nola_Lifer
stahrgazer wrote:
muy_thaiguy wrote:If you want weed so bad, go to Colorado. Legalized there. Just don't come up to Wyoming afterwards, as the Highway Patrol are really cracking down on that.


Driving to Wyoming having recently smoked weed in Colorado would fall under "driving under the influence" which I agree should remain illegal.

Smoke, sure. Smoke and operate a vehicle? Not any smarter than drinking six cocktails and getting behind the wheel, or taking your rx painkiller and driving.


Put this in your pipe and smoke it. :roll: :roll: :roll: Over 15 times the legal limit and still good to drive. :-$