Should Illegal Drugs Be Decriminalized?
People generally feel very strongly about this question, one way or the other. The jails and prisons in the United States are jammed with people whose only offense was possession of an illegal substance. I’ve known people who went to prison for selling weed and came out gun-wielding bank robbers. It’s ridiculous and—the objection against legislated morality aside—it costs an insane amount of money, something along the lines of $20,000 per person.
Anyway, here are the arguments for and against.
For: Yes, Decriminalize Drugs Please
The money issue, for one thing. Obviously, the expense on police power, the day-to-day mechanics of incarceration, court costs, et cetera. The means are not justified by the end result because (reason #2) jail doesn’t stop people from using. Treatment stops people from using.
Then there are the residual costs. Spouses left to fend for their families with one income often turn to crime to do it and/or end up on state-sponsored welfare programs. Children with a parent in jail are statistically more likely to end up there themselves. Getting treatment for those arrested for drug use and abuse helps not only save their life but save the lives of their families as well.
I say legalize it and control it like cigarettes and alcohol. Tax it hard and use the profits to pay for the treatment. Drug addiction will never be eradicated but at least the government can do something to help treat it rather than pretend that it’s a crime rather than a disease.
Against: No, Please Just Lock Me Up
Okay, that was biased. There are a few arguments against legalization that make sense. Like putting effort into changing legislation so that rather than getting locked up for getting loaded you are instead sentenced to treatment. There are some programs like this. And they do work to some degree.
The dangers of drug addiction harm families as well as the person addicted. Children with parents who use are more likely to develop addictions themselves. Neglect and abuse are common in families where one or more parent is on drugs.
Physical health, too, deteriorates far more quickly when the organ systems are constantly bombarded with toxins. Kidney failure, heart disease and cancer are common developments. Overdose, seizures, coma and early death are common as are accidental deaths that occur under the influence. Communicable diseases like Hep C and HIV are commonly passed among drug addicts as well. It’s for this reason that those who are against decriminalization would like to explore their options before they just make it all legal.
Fine. In the meantime, one drug that is legal and also a treatment for drug addiction is Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Not as heavily regulated as other drugs for treating addiction, you can take Suboxone at home under a certified doctor’s supervision. Meditox provides you with the doctor and the prescription. No need to wait for the jury to come back with whether or not prohibition is legal.
For more information on both sides of the argument, check out Kailash Chand’s “Should drugs be decriminalised? Yes” and Joseph A. Califano, Jr’s “Should drugs be decriminalised? No“.
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