As a sib points out, it's unfair to attribute the destructive negative effects you're describing to the drugs themselves.
Think about it this way: the two main ways people are harmed in relation to drugs is via a) addiction, and b) the illegal drug trade. The latter only exists because of prohibition (ok, even if all drugs were legalized, there might still be an illegal trade, but imo it would likely be a b2b black market rather than street based retail, so the violence would still be significantly lowered). As for addiction, it's thornier, obviously many people are addicted to legal drugs, but the criminalization of addicts severely exacerbates many addicts problems: they don't seek medical help due to fear of legal repercussions, they're forced to interact with illegal drug dealers, they often hide their addiction even from their friends/family because of the social stigma attached to criminality.
> it's unfair to attribute the destructive negative effects you're describing to the drugs themselves.
I can't believe some of the responses. I have to ask you too, have you any real-world experience with addicts? Have you ever lived in a community with a drug epidemic? Neighbors, mothers, friends, family on heroine or crack?
Are you suggesting that making drugs like heroine, cocaine, amphetamines, crack, inhalants and others available to adults (let's say, 21 years and older) is a solution? People can't even control their fast food intake or alcohol consumption but somehow heroine wouldn't be a problem.
I've seen the damage this has caused, first hand, more times than I can recall - in the real world, in the inner-cities. I did not pick up my opinion in a trending topic.
I've talk to ex-drug users. Not a single one would ever do drugs again. I've seen families destroyed and not a single one effected would want (psychoactive) drugs to be a part of their lives.
Now if we're talking about marijuana or well-researched psychedelics (not psychoactive), that's a different topic.
Think about it this way: the two main ways people are harmed in relation to drugs is via a) addiction, and b) the illegal drug trade. The latter only exists because of prohibition (ok, even if all drugs were legalized, there might still be an illegal trade, but imo it would likely be a b2b black market rather than street based retail, so the violence would still be significantly lowered). As for addiction, it's thornier, obviously many people are addicted to legal drugs, but the criminalization of addicts severely exacerbates many addicts problems: they don't seek medical help due to fear of legal repercussions, they're forced to interact with illegal drug dealers, they often hide their addiction even from their friends/family because of the social stigma attached to criminality.