May 15, 2015 Imagine a place where people legally carried around any drug in their pocket— from marijuana to MDMA (ecstasy) to heroin. It’s a reality in Portugal, as long as you have less than a 10-day supply. In a 2012 interview with IPSnews.com the author of Portugal’s drug policy, Dr. João Castel-Branco Goulão said that while drugs are still prohibited, people can no longer be criminally punished for carrying them: “[P]eople are not prosecuted in court for it, and it doesn’t go on their police record. And they are no longer sent to prison.” Sure, if police find the stash, the individual is sent to a three-person committee made up of a lawyer, doctor, and social worker. The committee may recommend a small fine or treatment, but more often than not, you’re free to go: Image Credit: Transform Drug Policy Foundation These graphs show the policy may actually be the the key to solving any drug problems Portugal has faced. The UK-based Transform Policy and Drug Foundation notes that “rates of drug use haven’t skyrocketed like predicted”: Image Credit: Transform Drug Policy Foundation The graph below shows that more people ages 15-24 aren’t experimenting with drugs at all. Image Credit: Transform Drug Policy Foundation Furthermore, drug use by people ages 15-64 in Portugal has significantly decreased since 2001: Image Credit: Transform Drug Policy Foundation Overall, drug-related deaths have also decreased, something that the Transformation Drug Policy Foundation attributes to the treatment options that accompanied the decriminalization: “…it’s difficult to help and protect people when you’re simultaneously criminalizing them.” Image Credit: Transform Drug Policy Foundation HIV and AIDS diagnoses also started to decrease in 2001, when the decriminalization took effect: Image Credit: Transform Drug Policy Foundation Until 2007, the rate of drug use among students decreased drastically. Critics of the law have pointed out that in 2011, use among students again increased, but some attribute that to a change in culture: Image Credit: Transform Drug Policy Foundation According to drugpolicy.org, “more than $51 billion is spent annually in the U.S. on the war on drugs.” So, how would a similar policy work here? Presidential candidate Rand Paul has strong beliefs on drug decriminalization and has created a platform around it: “The main thing I’ve said is not to legalize them [drugs] but not to incarcerate people for extended periods of time. With Senator Leahy, we have a bill on mandatory minimums. There are people in jail for 50 years for nonviolent crimes. And that’s a huge mistake. Our prisons are full of nonviolent criminals.” Rand Paul’s strong stance in the war on drugs mirrors Portugal’s decriminalization efforts in that he believes communities, not the federal government, should provide treatment for addicts. http://www.ijreview.com/2015/05/312...-drugs-2001-7-charts-show-incredible-results/
May 15, 2015 But think about if everything was legal.the US could tax and regulate it, there for boost the economy. I mean it'd be funny as f--- if you walked down the street and saw this But otr Vancouver did this already
May 15, 2015 IMO cocaine and mushrooms should be legalized. Like ChanceTheRapper said, they can tax and regulate it. Cocaine - which is stronger, more addictive and more harmful - can be taxed even more. Legalizing cannabis and cocaine will strongly benefit USA's economy whilst crippling the Mexican/Colombian cartels and make Latin America safer.
May 15, 2015 I think the biggest concern would be how do you regulate that? I mean there's a breathalyzer for alcohol but with more serious drugs like cocaine, how would be able to effectively regulate that? Also, I'm not thrilled about the idea of people being able to purchase cocaine at your local Walmart, making it THAT much more accessible to kids. I'm all for decriminilization of drugs but legalization (with the exception of Marijuana) I'm really not thrilled with. My assumption is the number of DUI's and addicts would sky rocket.
May 15, 2015 Ecstasy and m--- can be detected too. I'm not thrilled with the fact that they even sell alcohol at pharmacies lmao wtf. As for your assumption, look at the stats in OP that disprove the common misconception that everyone will be high if drugs were legalized.
May 16, 2015 Uhhh those stats kind of support my point lol. I'm all for decriminalizing drugs, I said that in my last post which is what Portugal did. They didn't legalize drugs, they decriminalized them, there's a difference. Legalizing allows use of drugs with impunity, no jail time, no fine, no mandatory rehab classes etc. and the government can tax and regulate the drugs. Decriminalizing doesn't allow people to use drugs with impunity but you won't land yourself in jail if caught with a small amount. It differs from country to country but usually they'll issue you a fine/ticket if you're caught, some instances like in Portugal, you'll have to attend mandatory rehab classes in order to assist you in trying to get rid of your addiction.
