Now before we get started, I’m going to say one thing: I don’t actually do drugs, heck I actually think drugs are for degenerate plebeians. However, I believe that from both a consequential and deontological standpoint, legalizing all of them—and yes I mean all of them, even the “hardcore” ones, will overall benefit society.
First I’m gonna make the deontological argument, mainly because it’s easier. While many have phrased my argument far better than I have, I’m gonna give a shortened version simply because honestly I think its the weakest link the argument chain. Essentially it boils down into saying “People ought to have the freedom to do what they want with their bodies, even if it hurts them.” But honestly I think this is too weak of a case, so I’m going to go on to the consequentialist arguments.
See the interesting thing is that legalizing all drugs actually reduces overall suffering compared to keeping them illegal.
Sounds crazy? Well you’re in for a huge surprise.
First of all, making drugs illegal have also been shown to be rather ineffective as drug deaths have only increased in the past couple of years with most ODs actually being from prescription painkillers. If people are given a cheaper, safer alternative to such painkillers like marijuana—which has been proven to be just as effective—they will flock to it. Which will in turn decrease the number of deaths.
But this a moot point compared to another effect of legalizing drugs. Why? Well you must first understand who supplies most drugs in America. The answer is of course drug cartels, massive crime syndicates similar to the mafia.
Of course if you’ve even slightly seen the news, you’ll probably know that they’re infamous for their sheer brutality, not only to snitches, rats and rival cartel members but to innocent men and women who get caught in the crossfire. The thing that actually allows these vile organizations to get this large and powerful is the revenue from the distribution of drugs so legalizing them would actually reduce the violence simply because the cartels lost their main source of income and in turn, their power. This would also reduce government corruption because there is one less syndicate around to bribe the cops. Why you ask? Because the cartels would have to compete with larger, even more powerful private corporations, which could supply a better product for a cheaper price as they have superior equipment that will allow them to produce more. It would also reduce the number of drug deaths and HIV cases. See one of the biggest ways HIV is spread is junkies sharing infected needles with one another. If large corporations took control of the trade, the needles would no doubt be sterilized and disposed of after consumption. Not only that but the drugs would be produced in clean, germ-free labs, greatly reducing the chances of infection or death. It would also greatly help the insurance industry as many companies would probably create “drug insurance” that will pay for the costs of rehab and such if the user gets addicted. And while there will probably be an increase in petty theft due to people stealing money for a fix, this is far better than people getting killed in the crossfire of a gang war.
The Patrician Plebeian 