Should drugs use be dealt as a crime in the country of your residence?

[Ghost14]

Re: Should drugs use be dealt as a crime in the country of your residence?

@CM

Illegal drug use and the economic recession--what can we learn from the existing research? - PubMed - There is your economic case study. You will have to pay for the full study but the conclusion is of relative importance in this discussion:

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/online/annual-report/2010/boxes/p24 - Europe is already working on the premise I pointed out. Economic recession leads to an increase in drug abuse. I gotta run to a meeting but to say these are my personal views is just wrong. As can be seen by the links above from a 20 second google search.

Your first two three sentences adheres to my point as well. The hardcore users who use drugs do not care of its legal or not. The addictive nature over rides common sense in this regard. And legalizing it will just provide a dangerous and addictive substance a market for more abusers.

As I previously asked what drugs do you want to legalize? Heroin? Opium? Cannabis?

Interesting. But this study takes all of the EU into account, including countries where they pursue what are, in my opinion, failed drug policies. The key difference in a country like Portugal, would be that the drug users who want to seek help have a place to turn to.

So to answer Southie’s question: drug use should not be a crime, but drug distribution should be.

As for your question: I think marijuana should be fully legalized, but other drugs such as heroin and cocaine should be dealt with as above.

@CM

No Southie. What it states is that due to the price/income relationship the full effect of drug use is difficult to predict. Meaning that drugs can be recreational as well as addictive. I am not sure the if the economists differentiated between addicted users and recreational users. But one thing they would have done is taken the affect of person income and the ability to purchase the drug vs its actual supply. In a recession the demand for drugs would increase. That could cause an increase in price. However those addicted to the drugs would still buy the drug due to their addiction rather than their ability to support their habit based on their income and other financial resources. The variable factors are numerous in this case due to the addictive nature of the product.

Of course I have yet to read the study so I can not say what they looked at. But generally put the full effect is not seen due to the relationship between the price and income. Due to its addictive nature. Addicts will still but the product regardless of their income.

Southie your question was should one legalize drugs. Not only government health policy. Then again you do not point out which drugs should be legalized either.

Again, we agree on this. Addicts will use regardless. However, those who start using should have a place to turn to for help. The real criminals are the drug lords. So again, drug use should not be a crime, as long as the government has treatment programs in place as well. This will free up law enforcement to target the distributors.

I am not advocating being able to go to Farah’s and buy cocaine. I am saying that should someone obtain cocaine illegally, they should not be prosecuted, rather, they should be treated.