Legalization of Drugs: Lesser of Two Evils?

In the U.S., there is constant argument concerning the prohibition or legalization of drugs. Today, the US practices prohibition although many think that there should be a legalization of at least some, if not all, drugs that are currently considered illeagal. Prohibition basically relies on the opinion that the threat of incarceration will reduce the drug use and abuse in America. People for legalization of drugs feel that legalizing drugs will cause a significnt drop in crime, create safer environments, and will save money for the government not paying for drug courts, extra police, prisons, etc.

For Prohibition:

• Cracking down on drug suppliers with extreme legal consequences will reduce the cycle of drug use thus making the drugs more difficult to obtain and suppliers will stop selling because of the threat of incarceration.

• The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 instituted regulations on the manufacture of narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, chemicals used to make illicit drugs, etc. In limiting and tracking the drugs and ingredients used to make drugs, the government can track those selling and manufacturing drugs and manufacturers will stop producing due to the threat of incarceration.

• The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 instills criminal charges for abusers caught will illicit drugs. The government believes that if drug abusers are caught and face criminal charges that they will stop using.

For Legalization:

• By eliminating the criminalization of drugs, manufacturers and dealers will not be faced with the economic wind fall currently in effect for the black market selling of drugs. If there is no competition for sales, territories, etc., dealers will stop selling and streets will be safer because there will no longer be a business for the sale of drugs and there will be no gang/territory fights over drugs. They will be readily available and a market for them will no longer exist. Reducing or eliminating the profitablity will reduce or eliminate the black market for drugs.

• Because drug abusers will not be activly seeking a way to obtain drugs due to the fact that they would be readily available, crime rates would drastically drop. Abusers would not be shop lifting, burglarizing, robbing, mugging, etc for money or products to exchange for drugs.

• The economic gain for the US would be great. Nationally, the US spends at least $10,000,000,000 fighting the war on drugs. Money put into drug courts, rehabs, prisons, extra police, etc. would be saved by legalizing drugs.

Other Points:

• Drug legalization would not actually reduce drug use, but decriinalizing it would help make things safer and save money.

• There is a huge organization called LEAP (Law Enforcment Against Prohibiton) where current and ex law enforcement people are gathering together to help decriminalize drugs.

• Drug sellers now have no fear of going to prison because the economic gain far out-weighs the consequences.

• Police agencies paid to fight the war on drugs many times turn to drug selling/trafficing because they are paid more to black market drugs than they are to stop them.

• (just an extra point) Over ¼ of the inmates in the US are there due to some type of drug charges. This does not include the number of prisoners there due to drugs (i.e. stealing for drugs or violence due to drug abuse)

Sources:

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/409/toohigh.shtml

The Office of National Drug Control Policy. "The Prohibition Strategy Can Win the War on Drugs." Current Controversies: Drug Trafficking. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LONE STAR COLLEGE SYSTEM. 20 Feb. 2010 .

Ostrowski, James. "Legalizing Drugs Will Solve America's Drug Problem." Current Controversies: Drug Trafficking. Ed. Karin L. Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1991. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LONE STAR COLLEGE SYSTEM. 20 Feb. 2010 .