Bigthink - Idea Comments Feed

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:31:05 +0100

It should be lagalized. I thought up the idea while I was high! Just kidding...

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:42:51 +0100

I have argued this for years. It seems our society in America however, makes more money from the "war on drugs" then the legalization and taxation of drugs. Also, the subsidiary benefit of the "war on drugs" is further US corporate imperialism. Combine American Capitalism and Imperialism and you won't usually see change to a system that supports both.

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:18:48 +0100

that is the negative of pure capitlaism- is that drug makeers would use cheaper and cheaper AKA more harmful proccesses to make these "legal" drugs, there must be government oversight and right now our government has both thumbs stuck up their butts on things like gay marriage and patriots acts to be worrying about something as useful as this ...

and the people dont really care.... they can just as easily get a high off of legal things....

anyone ever heard that theory that units of over 150 create a disorganized structure-including humans?

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Thu, 01 May 2008 06:50:54 +0100

Thank you everyone for your comments.

I feel a bit guilty that I started this thread then neglected to participate.

I am not sure that we have arrived at a consensus, but it is good to see that the issue is out on the table.

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:35:20 +0100

Currently, the U.S. categorizes marijuana with heroin, PCP, MDA, ecstasy, GHB, LSD, Peyote, benzylmorphine, methaqualone, psilocybin, and a form of methamphetamine.

Cocaine and crack are listed as Schedule II drugs, which includes codeine, hydrocodone, methadone, opium, Oxycontin, and Seconal. There are medications that doctors can prescribe under certain restrictions. Methamphetamine is also, for the most part, a Schedule II drug.

Here are some of the problems:

Is marijuana as dangerous a drug as other Schedule I drugs? Is marijuana as dangerous as many Schedule II drugs?

In nations that do allow the use of heroin as a method of treating severe chronic pain, the heroin is usually fairly inexpensive, subject to purity standards (i.e., no added chemicals ranging from lactose to dried chlorine bleach crystals), and the use is very restricted. This runs counter to the idea of a "free marketplace", because it requires strict government regulation.

However, heroin in these nations, is used for people who are in severe pain and usually on their death bed, such as terminal cancer patients. In the U.S., we give these same patients morphine, often self-administered. The amount of heroin needed to relieve a similar amount of pain allows for that patient to be more aware of his or her surroundings and more alert.

Meanwhile, except in a few states that have allowed medical marijuana, it is illegal to use this marijuana for things like multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, nausea from chemotherapy and radiation therapy, migraines, and chronic pain.

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:03:48 +0100

Yes i agree that we should stay away. I myself would never do crack, and would not even go anywere near meth (meth is absolutley disgusting why not just drink gasoline and get it over with). But there is nothing obligating anyone else to stay away from the substances, is personal choice

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:01:15 +0100

That is not the current system though. If simplly smoking or bying pot, crack, or meth and not harming enyone in the process is a crime.

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:04:36 +0100

war is good in the sense a brushfire is good... it burns up everyones homes and kill a lot of things but in the spring everything grows back really green and strong.... do we need brushfires for mankind??

ok how about this- do what you want to your body but dont expect us to help you after you knowingly went against our advice for what you should be doing...and if you cause trouble we lock you up...wait a minute this is the current system!!

natrual home grown marijuana- ok

natural home grown tobacco-ok

meth, crack, cigaretts, other chemically enhanced drugs- no

if it kill lab rats maybe we should stay away....

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:50:32 +0100

No, it would not make things worse.
It would be an improvement. Bring the drug culture out of the darkness of organized crime and into the light, so it can be dealt with like any other problem.

War! Uh! What is good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again!

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:22:12 +0100

Ya they are getting care of smokers because of the insurance system. Fair enough tax smokers for the helth costs they incur. What kind of lives drug adicts live is irelevant, im sure its posible to do cocke and make enough money to buy coke. And if you dont have the money for drugs well then you cant do drugs.

As far as government assistance, im not a huge welfare guy in a sense i think there should be time limits on it. I think low income and unerprivelaged people should get all the help they need, place to live, car education, childcare, for 3-5 years, and after that if they dont either get a job or show somehow that they are on their way to doing so they are cut off completlly. This will be cheeper and more productive then funuling smaller amounts of cash monthlly for years and years. So drug adicts if they are not going to use goverment aid to contribute to society, should get no aid.

This way we discourage drug use without taking away their right to do as their wish with their own body.

On the practical side the fact that drugs are illegal is not stoping anyone from doing them, all we are doing is sending these people to jail paying for it and traning them how to be criminals. Instead as i said should go to discouraging drug use rather then outlawing it. Even if you dont agree with the ethicall aspect of my argument (but i hope you will). You still have to admit that the war on drugs is simplly not working people keep doing drugs, and cartels are imposible to stop because of the insane profits on the substances, you cant stop people from selling something that yields 1500% proffit no mater how much cops you have on the street. So its just a waste of money and life, because if we legalize drugs there wil be no dealers on th streets hooting cops. Drug dealers would be out of buisness if you can get your drugs at a store.

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:19:46 +0100

so drug addicts will get good jobs and get off government assistance once meth, heroin, cocaine and crack are legalized these people will magically gain control of their lives enough to tax themselves a healthcare plan, and afford the taxed drugs?

employers are already getting rid of cigarette smokers because they affect healthcare costs, you think drug addicts will get a free ride?>

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:06:16 +0100

Tax the drugs to cover the costs of treating any helth problems that the drug users may need to get treated for. It is as simple as that, if its insuficient raise the tax.

This way you are not being punished or paying for doing drugs. That is a right you have by virtue of being a thinking moral agent, but you are paying for the privalage of treatment were you to destroy your body with drug use.

I see absolutley no issues with that solution.

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:40:22 +0100

so universal healthcare(whichweallgettaxedfor) and people doing whatever they want with their bodies??

this should not describe america.... i never said anything about pot other than freshmen think theyre being brave and noble for discussing it.... but this guys is talking all drugs and that is another story

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:06:35 +0100

There have been quite a few ideas on this topic if you want to chek them out. There was actually a police chief on here who said that he suports leagaliztion because he has seen that the war on drugs i completlly usless and does not fulfill its function, so its not just colege pot heads jesse.

But back to the issue at hand. There are to sides to this argument practicall, and ethical. Lets begin with practctical, if we look at violent crime a good amount of it stems from drug distribution. So simplly enough if you legalize drugs and leginamate distributors could simplly import it or produce it themselves, so it would put all the drug cartels out of buissiness. The drugs would be subject to regulation by the government, so not onlly will they be taxed but they can also be monitored, so you dont get weed laced with opium or anything of that sort. While similar regulations coul aplly to drugs as do to alcohol, no public intoxication, no driving while under influence etc. Also a good percentage of the inmate population in this country are noneviolent criminals that did not do anything to harm anyone and simplly got caught ussing drugs, or dealing drugs (this leads to vioulence but thats not what most of them were booked for) so we could let all these users who have not done anything to harm anyone go and save some money on incarcirating them. Yes they are not going to be the most productive members of society but its beter to have them smoke crack all day and pay taxes on it, then have them learn how to kill properlly in prison, and then let them go all on the governments budget. Then there is the argument that drug use leads to people acting in a stupid manner and endangering others, yes that could be the case, but so does alcohol use, and its onlly a posibility not the rule. So take all the money that the goverment is saving on trying to confiscate drugs and fight gangs and cartells, and all the money being saved by not incrcirating noneviolent drug users, and put it towards enabling the police to prevent violent crime, i am absolutley certain that violent crime would dicrese dramatically if we were to legalize drugs in the prope manner. Another thing, no one really considers not doing drugs because they are illegal, its more of a personal; decision. So again if you want to prevent dru use dont make it illegal that only ads the forbiden fruit appeal, but rather take some of the money saved from the "war on drugs" and put it towards rehab programs, and drug prevention programs. When marijuana was legalized in Holland they saw a decrese in both pot and cocaine use if im not mistaken (someone can corecct my statistics if im wrong).

Now the argument from ethics. This one is rather simple, why should the goverment infringe on my right as a n individual to do as i wish with my body. What gies them the right to says we know what is best for you better then you do. This is really a political ideology question becuse some people do belive the goverment has the right to do this (I could go back to Kant and Mill but i wont). But if you belive that the goverment does have this right, then free speach is void, property ownership is void because if the goverment has jurisiction of your body they shure ass hell should have juristiction of your property. i could go on and on but i think my point is clear.

Comment on: Should illicit drugs be legalised?

Bigthink — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:18:52 +0100

so you expect a cop who has seen his comrades gunned down by user/sellers, or people who have been robbed for drug money, or famalies who have lost lives because of drugs to sit back and watch people smoke crack on the streets, and what of schools- should kids who are addicted be ignored and forgotten about as a byproduct... what do we do with all the criminals currently serving time for drug related crimes....

it is easier to ask a question than to provide an answer....

should drugs be legalized?
as opposed to-

here is how we will deal with drug legalization and the ramifications will be... we will deal with them by.... and the result should looking something like this... my proposal is realistic because.... and that is how we can legalize illicit drugs....

not to bash you personally i just am in college right now and so many freshman argue this point and it is so annoying to hear it for the thousandth time...although you do attempt to provide some information on how we will deal with this i think the majority of it is only backed up by saying it has worked for other countries... america has a much differnt make-up than most of those socialist countries... basically unless someone comes up with a realstic strategy, of which i can think of none... a moral or ethical reason as to why we should...i can think of none... or ven a utilitarain one... i can think of none... this idea of legalizing illicit drugs should be graded with an F by every proffesor who grades these reports, and should be thrown out of consideration of state and federal legislatures on the same basis as proposal to tax the rich and give to the poor... its not how this country works