Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Legalise drugs


If you tell me not to do it, I will. This is defiance. Something that is inherent in us as human beings. It is like a dare, “Catch Me If You Can!” If someone wants to do something, he/she will. Prohibiting it is merely a stimulant. Why do men chase women? They love the chase.

Prohibiting drugs works like a smoke screen. Drug use is mostly recreational before it becomes an addiction. There are underlying causes as to why people resort to drugs. Those are the factors that need to be addressed. Merely banning drugs does not tackle the root of the issue.

Currently, drugs are peddled illegally, casting a very wide, ambiguous net around whose primary beneficiaries are the people controlling the organised crime market. Drug profits run into millions (crores) of currency. Legalising drugs will at the least force drug traders off, paving the way for control and regulation of the market.

Due to the high costs of illegal drugs, violence has risen to unforeseen heights, forcing users to resort to crime to make money to access these drugs. Tobacco related crime is almost negligible in comparison, owing to its legal stature.

Holland is one country that has legalised the use of cannabis. For those who are unfamiliar with the literary connotations of cannabis, it is more commonly known as marijuana. It is astounding to note that drug usage in Holland is the lowest when compared to other European countries.

Ignorant and prejudiced policy-makers and media provide false information about drugs and its use. Myths and lies know no bounds as these ignorant buffoons propel them to suit their own ends. Legalising drugs could provide a platform for open and honest information.

People need to be given the option to use drugs responsibly. If they choose to kill themselves, let them. Ultimately, people make choices that could be harmful to themselves such as excess drinking, smoking, lack of diet care and exercise, pursuit of dangerous sports or excesses in different forms.

I strongly believe that legalising drugs would minimise crimes. Human beings love for mind-altering drugs is centuries old. Regulation merely makes it more intoxicating, boosting the need to break the law.

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