Re: [OT] All You Need Is Love

[Stuart Wyatt <loopersdelight@solostring.com>]

On Friday, May 23, 2003, at 11:38  am, Tim wrote:

> Holland has 40% less pot smokers per capita than
> America. And the lowest amount of hard drug users in
> all of Europe. The "taboo" idea of drugs in the USA
> causes more use and abuse. You have a fine system
> there.

Prohibition simply does not work. You only have to look at the US 
alcohol prohibition in the 30's to realise that all prohibition does is 
drive everything underground and makes gangsters rich without any 
reward to the purses of the government.

The same is true for narcotic prohibition. One of my favorite theories 
is to legalise EVERY drug, tax it, and make it available for purchase 
(with ID) from licensed pharmacutical shops. People will take whatever 
they want wether it is legal or not, and the risks of illegal drugs are 
great. If you purchase ecstacy, you only have some greasy dealers 
say-so that what you have purchased is actually MDMA and not some 
concoction of dangerous prescription tablets mixed with rat poison.

Imagine going into a shop, picking up a box of 'Saturday night buzz', 
reading the ingredients, reading the dosage instructions, the effects, 
the risks... then showing your id card to prove that you are over 18, 
being able to purchase this drug knowing that you are not playing 
Russian roulette with your life. There would be far less abuse, and far 
less danger if everything was legalised. It would also remove a HUGE 
amount of money away from the untaxable and uncouth underground.

The argument that 'the young will turn into addicts' is a load of crap. 
Its like saying that someone who tries their first beer will become a 
raging alcoholic drinking 2 bottles of vodka a day by the end of the 
month.... Sure some will... but some people have naturally destructive 
personalities.

Education, Availability, Legalisation...

I for one am happy that the UK is moving towards decriminalisation, and 
am sad that France is moving in the opposite direction. Maybe its 
another reason why I am moving back there :)

(By the way - I don't take chemicals other than a snort of coke every 
two years - so don't flame me Paul). I do however smoke about 1/8th of 
an oz of grass a month.

My 0.2c

- Stu