I posted the article to expose SI to what is a unique opinion here where the demographic is majority libertarian or leftwing.
Here is my opinion.
Personally, I wouldn't care if marijuana were legalized. Course I don't care if it isn't either. It is close to defacto legal now. I don't believe the police go out of their way to make arrests for pot - and I know folks in law enforcement. Most arrests for pot seem to be of people stupid enough to break some other law (shoplifting, traffic) and have it on their person. It ends up an additional charge. Frankly, I figure this is just an additional penalty for being a stupid criminal in practical terms.
I have to laugh at the potheads on SI who post that pot is some wonderful thing that can cure alzheimers or asthma or cancer or whatever and can't ever hurt anyone for any reason. Just more evidence pot lowers IQ imo.
As for more addictive and harmful drugs like cocaine, heroin, meth, I am deadset against legalization. I believe legalizing these would increase the usage dramatically and cause a lot of harm to society.
But, some people may say, "so what if drug usage does explode? They're not hurting anyone but themselves." That might be true in a purely capitalistic society, but in the sort of welfare state that we have in this country, the rest of us would end up paying a significant share of the bills of people who don't hold jobs or end up strung out in the hospital without jobs
That argument can be used to justify any level of control up to a totalitarian level, in any country that has a welfare state.
The fact that the state forcefully intervenes, and takes money from some people to help others, doesn't morally justify further intervention and control.
Ah, but realistically and practically, the level of welfare state we have now is not going away. |
