LEGALIZE IT

[yukoncpa]

[ QUOTE ]
Same here, just responding to someone whos argument consisted of "don't legalize harder drugs because people who do them end up on the streets begging for drug money".



[/ QUOTE ]

First, If you think it was I who was arguing that hard drugs shouldn’t be legal because people end up on the streets begging for money, you got it wrong. I only stated the fact. I drew no conclusions from the fact that people beg for money when they want hard drugs.

Now, my real question. Even if the government magically made all drugs legal ( which I support ), why would meth prices come down? Legit companies would sell pot, but no company in their right mind would sell meth. They would be subject to a nightmare of liability issues, and the upside of sales wouldn't be worth it. Where as selling pot, would also have liability issues, but since more people smoke pot, than smoke cigarettes, the upside would be worth it for companies.

[hmkpoker]

[ QUOTE ]

Now, my real question. Even if the government magically made all drugs legal ( which I support ), why would meth prices come down? Legit companies would sell pot, but no company in their right mind would sell meth. They would be subject to a nightmare of liability issues, and the upside of sales wouldn't be worth it. Where as selling pot, would also have liability issues, but since more people smoke pot, than smoke cigarettes, the upside would be worth it for companies.

[/ QUOTE ]

By that logic, why would anyone sell alcohol?

[Benjamin]

[ QUOTE ]
It concerns the ethics of the thing - how could the FDA reconcile the fact that industry was selling a dangerous and potentially lethal product?

[/ QUOTE ]

By admitting to themselves that many products and activities are dangerous and potentially lethal.

Tobacco is the most obvious one, but every person's life is fraught with danger.

[ QUOTE ]
I can't just pick up a capsule of potassium cyanide for personal use, either.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can pick up any number of products that will kill you quickly if you so desire. Guns are an obvious choice.

[CORed]

Well, if I were king, dictator, or whatever, I would have a category of recreational drugs, which would be regulated much like liquor is now, with licensed sellers and manufacturers, and taxed, at least enough to pay for the regulatory apparatus, and maybe enough to generate some net revenue. Also, I might require warning labels. If employers want to test for drugs, and not hire people who use certain drugs, that is their prerogative, likewise if insurance companies want to charge higher life, health, or car insurance premiums, or refuse to insure users of certain drugs entirely.

Also, as I stated before, drug users should be accountable, both criminally and civilly for their behavior while under the influence of drugs. This idea is not for the government to encourage the use of drugs, on the contrary, if they want to run PSA's telling people what the risks of drug use are, as they do now with tobacco, I can live with that. The idea is to acknowledge that some people are going to use drugs, and manage the consequences of that reality in a rational way.

I think the model of how we currently deal with alcohol is a pretty good model for all drugs. We might think the world would be a better place if methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin or alcohol didn't exist (not me in the case of alcohol: They will have to pry my beer bottle from my cold dead hand), but we can't legislate these substances out of existence, so we need to manage them in a rational manner. I agree that politically speaking, it doesn't look like this is going to happen any time soon. The government and folks like the Partnership for a Drug-free America, have done such a good job of brainwashing most people that they can't see that most of the problems related to illegal drugs are the result of the illegality, not the drugs.

[CORed]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It concerns the ethics of the thing - how could the FDA reconcile the fact that industry was selling a dangerous and potentially lethal product?

[/ QUOTE ]

By admitting to themselves that many products and activities are dangerous and potentially lethal.

Tobacco is the most obvious one, but every person's life is fraught with danger.

[ QUOTE ]
I can't just pick up a capsule of potassium cyanide for personal use, either.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can pick up any number of products that will kill you quickly if you so desire. Guns are an obvious choice.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just chug a bottle of antifreeze. That'll do the trick.

[PairTheBoard]

[ QUOTE ]
Marijuana vs. cancer = old news

http://www.webmd.com/news/20000228/m...y-brain-cancer

[/ QUOTE ]

This apparently breakthrough research on treating cancer is about 7 years old? What's the followup on this? More recently they've discovered it works for some Lung Cancers as well as Brain Cancers? This should be Huge news. Have they been allowed to research this on humans? If so, what were the results? If not, why the hell not?

PairTheBoard

[ShakeZula06]

[ QUOTE ]
First, If you think it was I who was arguing that hard drugs shouldn’t be legal because people end up on the streets begging for money, you got it wrong. I only stated the fact. I drew no conclusions from the fact that people beg for money when they want hard drugs.


[/ QUOTE ]
You're right, you didn't state that, I figured that's what you were implying.
[ QUOTE ]
Even if the government magically made all drugs legal ( which I support ), why would meth prices come down?

[/ QUOTE ]
It's on a black market. They have to spend a lot of money defending themselves from police knocking down their doors. If they get caught dealing they're screwed by current laws. They also don't have access to legitimate arbitration and courts, which usually leads to more violence. They also can't operate in the same effecient manner legitimate businesses can (ie, you don't see sneaker dealers selling shoes on strett corners do you). All of these not only drive up costs and in effect prices, but also the risk associated with dealing. Since there's more risk involved (a) On average more intelligent people move on to legitimate businesses, leaving less intelligent people with on average less efficient business models and (b) those that do participate want more money to make up for the added risk, passing those costs on to the consumer (Would you rather make $50,000 doing something legal or doing something illegal, how much more money would you have to be making to make up for the risk associated with doing something illegal?)
[ QUOTE ]
Legit companies would sell pot, but no company in their right mind would sell meth. They would be subject to a nightmare of liability issues, .

[/ QUOTE ]
What liability issues?

[yukoncpa]

[ QUOTE ]
It's on a black market. They have to spend a lot of money defending themselves from police knocking down their doors. If they get caught dealing they're screwed by current laws. They also don't have access to legitimate arbitration and courts, which usually leads to more violence. They also can't operate in the same effecient manner legitimate businesses can (ie, you don't see sneaker dealers selling shoes on strett corners do you). All of these not only drive up costs and in effect prices, but also the risk associated with dealing. Since there's more risk involved (a) On average more intelligent people move on to legitimate businesses, leaving less intelligent people with on average less efficient business models and (b) those that do participate want more money to make up for the added risk, passing those costs on to the consumer (Would you rather make $50,000 doing something legal or doing something illegal, how much more money would you have to be making to make up for the risk associated with doing something illegal?)


[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good reply and answered my question. I actually thought of this after making my post.

[ QUOTE ]
Legit companies would sell pot, but no company in their right mind would sell meth. They would be subject to a nightmare of liability issues, .


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


What liability issues?



[/ QUOTE ]

I was thinking of liability as a result in defects in marketing. You would have to be extremely careful marketing meth. Any improper instructions or failure to warn people sufficiently would get a company in big trouble. Cigarette companies have been routinely sued. Vendors of Alcohol are routinely sued. It’s just that there is such a demand for Alcohol and cigarettes that the financial reward is greater than the risk of law suit.

I’m assuming this would also be the case for Marijuana, but I’m assuming it would not be for meth. These are big assumptions on my part and I’m pulling them out of my ass. So maybe there wouldn’t be a problem.