Of course, Leo Lyons question has been answered scores of times over the years here and even in this topic over the last day. He may disagree with the answers and the consistent science presented, but for him to pretend they don't exist is chronic dishonesty, terminal stupidity and/or severe drunkenness.O Really wrote: ↑Sat Oct 13, 2018 9:11 pmI'll have a go. First, I support de-criminalizing use of drugs, not legalizing. There's a difference. I support keeping restrictions on purchase and distribution of those products considered "controlled substances." But as billy.p has clearly stated numerous times, illegality creates a black market - always has, always will. And that creates criminal enterprises involving a lot of money. Criminal enterprises involving a lot of money get people killed.
An addictive user has a medical/health problem. If the use is criminalized, the user likely won't get help - and if I'm not mistaken it's even illegal for a health professional to help a user without turning him/her in. If you want to address the root problem of addiction and whatever leads to it, you won't be able to by treating it as a crime.
Just like the NRA slogan - when drugs are outlawed, only outlaws will have drugs. In fact, the best argument for not having severe restrictions on possession/sale of various firearms is the creation of a gun-running black market without much reduction in the availability of guns.
Same principle applies to controlled substances. If it's illegal, you can't control it at all, and you can't address root causes of addiction.
Considering ONLY the outcomes of prohibition---NO effect on "addiction, overdose deaths, babies born addicted to drugs", plus hundreds of billions wasted on the prison industrial complex, the Constitution shredded, LEOs corrupted, distrusted and hated, pushers and gangs enriched, near civil war in Mexico and the many consequent negative effects on the US, and the massive violence caused here by the black market...what is the advantage in not legalizing drugs, and why on Earth would YOU want to see addictive drugs kept illegal?