I think I have come to the belief that many of our illegal drugs should be legalized. If the resources could be spent on educational programs and creating job opportunities then drug use would decline. These resources could be obtained by diversion of funds from drug interdiction and also from taxes on the legal sale just as cigarettes are. Even with enough tax to cover the cost of treatment for the long term health effects of the legalized drugs on their users the products would probably be cheaper than their current street value. That is not to say all drugs should be legalized. An evaluation criteria would need to be set up based on reasonable dose levels as compared to the lethality, toxicity, and physical or mental damage the drug causes. Not being a medical expert nor an expert on drugs I won’t pretend to offer a judgment on which drugs should be legalized. One of the major reasons given for making drugs illegal is that they are the cause for other crimes. I think that this is an invalid reason perpetuated by a government keen on increased law enforcement and possibly racial discrimination as well. If there was a correlation between drugs and crime then education programs and job opportunities would be a better solution.
Not that I in anyway condone the use of drugs. Personally I don’t think I need them.
