I've taken ecstasy once before (a lot of it, mixed with alcohol, as well), and am sympathetic as to the plight of many drugtakers. Things need to be controlled, though.

Things need to be controlled, though.

Out of interest, why?

Increase realistic education about the effects of drugs and drug addiction and the harm that it causes.

Increase treatment options and expand treatment availability to those who have the least means to afford it.

De-criminalize possession and personal use.

I do not do any drugs besides alcohol and tobacco, both legal.

Still, when I think about the very real possibility that BOTH will eventually will fall under the banner of illegal....I have to be against the violations of free will.

What is legal and illegal seems dependant on a time period. For example, marijuana was not always illegal. While most people think marijuana should be illegal TODAY but that really boils down to everyone being used to it.

Example: If today they made alcohol illegal, most of the same people who think it is ok for marijuana to be illegal would oppose making alcohol illegal. However, in a decade or two, alcohol would be seen as "should be illegal" by most.

I also need to point out that some legal drugs (prescription or not) are worse than the drugs that are illegal. Government being in bed with drug companies is directly linked to this.

A natural enemy of drug companies are herbal drugs, every year more and more herbal drugs become illegal (of course, it has been a couple of years since I looked into this so I can't offer stats).

In the end, I am against the selling of drugs to underage buyers. Parents should have the full power of the law to stop this.

HOWEVER, adults should be free to buy and take whatever they wish as long as they hurt no one else. I have no doubt that the war on drugs is unConstitutional, the federal government doesn't have the power to wage that war on it's own citizens.

I have no sympathy for anybody who destroys their bodies with impairing substances.
This includes drunkards, dope fiends, meth heads and cooters (people who huff gasoline).

My thoughts on this....sometimes I think why do not make all drugs legal? How can it be that you take a substance out of free will and get imprisoned for doing so? I for example see no reason for not allowing marijuana but allowing beer and tobacco. Or lsd when you can legally achieve a compareable intoxitation while smoking nutmeg. Legalizing would wipe out all dealers with one swift movement.

Is there really an argument against it? If you can buy the hard stuff legally are kids in danger to use it? Maybe a rule like in Holland would make sense. Allow people to consume in certain locations.

Btw the only drug I take is alcohol. I never smoked a cigarette or did anything harder.

Quote from Zuberi

I have no sympathy for anybody who destroys their bodies with impairing substances.
This includes drunkards, dope fiends, meth heads and cooters (people who huff gasoline).

Who cares about sympathy? What about freedom?

I've never taken any illegal drugs. I'm also teetotal and a non-smoker.

Teetotal? No coffee?

GARAK said: HOWEVER, adults should be free to buy and take whatever they wish as long as they hurt no one else. I have no doubt that the war on drugs is unConstitutional, the federal government doesn't have the power to wage that war on it's own citizens.

Damn right! The war on drugs is ridiculous. I for one, would love to see marijuana legalized. Why can't I smoke a J while others can legally suck down cancer sticks? It has to do with money, and no way does it have to do with people's health and safety. Otherwise, cigarettes would've been banned a long time ago.

Quote from Zuberi

I have no sympathy for anybody who destroys their bodies with impairing substances.
This includes drunkards, dope fiends, meth heads and cooters (people who huff gasoline).

I agree, and that also includes people who eat poor diets (trans-fats, excessive sugar, etc.). And that is why drugs should be legal and all children should be well educated in chemistry, biology, and nutrition, so that people can judge for themselves how to care for their bodies, rather than trust a government to do this for them.

Quote from MadShangi

Damn right! The war on drugs is ridiculous. I for one, would love to see marijuana legalized. Why can't I smoke a J while others can legally suck down cancer sticks? It has to do with money, and no way does it have to do with people's health and safety. Otherwise, cigarettes would've been banned a long time ago.

Because you can grow marijuana in your window sill. The government gets no tax money from that and therefore...they don't like it.

Marijuana can be used as medicine but you KNOW who stands to lose money out of that.

What people need to realize is that this isn't about "the drugs", this is about government power/corruption, power/corruption of drug companies and most importantly....your rights!

You don't wanna drink? No one will make you but if it is illegal...you will be not be allowed to.

In my youth I dabbled with a couple of ... substances.

But, I do have a horror story to offer.

I tried acid. I'll be honest - I loved it. Talk about a high... And watching fireworks (bonfire night), omg - the fire was jelly and the fireworks were like being in space flying at speed... Of course, being a sci-fi fan may have had some impact on that perception.

I tried Mary Jane quite a bit. It's odd really, because that stuff got me verrrry horny. I couldn't keep my hands off my missus when I'd had a smoke or two (or can/pipe). She was quite against it, she'd had a few, but wasn't keen on it. We went our seperate ways (unrelated to drugs). Years later I met up with her - and she was doing it every night without fail. I'd given it up long ago, for the record.

I tried butane too. I got caught doing this.

My foster parents went apeshit at me. My foster dad took me over to my mom's and made me tell her. That was shaming.

A year or so after I'd stopped using butane for a 60second high, my foster dad told me about a story he'd heard. The friend who got me using butane, who we'll call John, had apparently got too much one night.

He went down to a caravan park and hooked himself up to an external supply. He was found the next morning, monged out. I was told he had the brain of a 4year old. I was shocked, but not convinced. I'd been banned from hanging out with John for a while - and had no way to verify the claims. As time went by, I simply forgot about the story.

Then I started work in a garage/petrol forecourt on a night shift. One evening two guys came in to the shop. One was holding the other by his hand, despite being in their 20s. I recognised them both. One was John, the other was his younger brother.

My jaw fell open. John was right in front of me, but he was not there - his eyes were glazed. I spoke to him, "Hi John, long time.. How are things?"
He replied soemthing like "mmmmmmmmm heh..."
I don't recall what other things I said, but I tried to converse with him - but it was no use.. He was gone. I couldn't believe it. The story my foster dad had told me years prior seemed to be true. His brother was now his guide. I said to his brother, "I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say.

What did occur to me was, that could've been me.

To my own credit, I'd given up all forms of drugs (aside from cigarettes and coffee) long before this event. But had I let myself fall further into drugs, I could have been him.

Quote from Garak

Because you can grow marijuana in your window sill. The government gets no tax money from that and therefore...they don't like it.

Marijuana can be used as medicine but you KNOW who stands to lose money out of that.

What people need to realize is that this isn't about "the drugs", this is about government power/corruption, power/corruption of drug companies and most importantly....your rights!

You don't wanna drink? No one will make you but if it is illegal...you will be not be allowed to.

Exactly. And all prohibition has ever done was bring business to the bootleggers.