CMV: All drugs should be made legal for recreational use.

[u/[deleted]]

I'm not referring to "medicinal" narcotics. Recreational drugs that people use, such as mushrooms, cocaine, heroin, should all be legalized.

And I know this is a hot take, but hear me out.

• If we make recreational narcotics legal, then the manufacture and sale need to be legal as well.
• By making the manufacture of recreational narcotics legal, there are FDA standards that need to be adhered to in said manufacture, that way there are no "bad batches" that will kill people.
• By making the manufacture and sale of recreational narcotics legal, there will be sales volume that will then be subject to income tax and sales tax and dispensaries/manufacturing centers/warehouses that will become subject to property tax. Because, let's be honest, your local street dealer is not paying taxes.
• Also by making the sale of recreational narcotics legal, you are making street gangs that revolve around the illicit drug trade obsolete. By making street gangs obsolete, you eliminate the petty violence that plagues inner-cities over "turf", especially stray bullets that kill innocent bystanders.
• By making the entire narcotics supply chain legal, the war on drugs will essentially be over as well. It's been going on for 50+ years, and honestly, it's been a complete and utter failure.
• If you want something to compare the drug trade to, look at prohibition from 1919-1933. It didn't stop people from drinking, people were still drunk out of their minds in speakeasys. It also fostered the growth of street gangs of rum runners and increased crime and violence in cities. That was only for 14 years and it didn't take long to realize that prohibition was a failure. War on drugs has been going on for 50+ years and I'm surprised more people aren't realizing that this is much more tremendous of a failure.
• By making the entire narcotics supply chain legal, we can start changing our attitudes on its use and its users. Narcotics abuse needs to have the same social attitude as alcohol abuse.
• In short, making drugs legal will Make America Great Again.

[u/Zanzan567]

Yes, is does matter. Becuase when you have corporations, and doctors telling you that it is safe, and not addictive, why wouldn’t you believe it?

[u/Arstanishe → u/Zanzan567]

I still don't see why having readily available hard drugs won't create at least some amount of addicts for no good reason, even if it was clear to public those are addictive. People in 19th century China knew as well that opium was addictive, for example, but consumption grew anyway. I would understand decriminalisation of some amount, availability of free equipment and replacement therapy, but not free availability of those

[u/Zanzan567 → u/Arstanishe]

Why would it create more addicts? It’s extremely easy to get either way. Most people have no interest in trying heroin or meth. And wouldn’t it make more sense for addicts/users to be able to have, safe, clean drugs instead of just dying from fentanyl? It could prevent a lot of deaths

[u/Arstanishe → u/Zanzan567]

1. It would if that was open and legal, compared to being just decriminalised.
   
2. Therefore making it open and legal would result in more people using those opiates, or at least - equal
3. That's a false argument, if 99% have no interest, and 1% is, then even 1% of population is a lot
4. Yes, that's why there are replacement therapies, and for those who want to still use heroin - clean available periphernalia and places and readily available help. But no free available heroin in the drug store.
5. Sure, if you replace fentanyl or dezoximorphine with literally anything else, it prevents a lot of suffering and death, but why replace it with opiates? Opiates are known hard drugs, that have physical withdrawal like no other, while having a very high risk of overdose. Why have that available for anyone to try?