The drug users who harm others are the irresponsible ones. While it is completely possible for drugs to impair one’s judgment, so can alcohol, emotional duress, or an erection. Just as people make some extremely harmful decisions while completely sober, people can NOT make harmful decisions while intoxicated. Some people are able to make sound decisions; some aren’t. Some people speed and drive recklessly every day of their lives, putting the lives of those around them in jeopardy. Yet we don’t outlaw cars, we put the responsibility on the driver. That same responsibility should be put on the drug user. Someone walking through the park smoking a joint or someone walking around their basement tripping on LSD doesn’t affect me at all, so I don’t see why I should be compelled to prevent someone from doing something they want to do. That’s what personal freedom is. The health care analogy doesn’t really make sense here, not only because the gov’t DOESN’T have a national standard for health coverage, but also because a health care system comes largely from political ideologies, not personal compassion. If anything, the state of health care in the US has very little compassion, considering how hard it is for the extremely sick to receive coverage when they cannot afford it. Health care in America is viewed by those who run it as nothing more than a business that is used to make profit. But I digress.

Your statement about a tendency to become addicted after a single use is completely wrong. There have been government-sponsored studies that have shown that about a third of all Americans have smoked weed in their lifetime. By your logic, it would seem that a great portion of America would be addicted degenerates that wreak havoc on society. But this just isn’t true. A majority of drug users are able to use recreationally without ever feeling the impulse for addiction. It is a FACT that marijuana does not cause physical addiction, though it may cause psychological addiction with a few mild physical withdraw symptoms. And as for drugs as medicine, almost all drugs have unfavorable side effects (they’re on the side of the box if you haven’t seen them before). There are hundreds of treatments out there that cause birth defects or other adverse effects, but that doesn’t mean they should be outlawed. If they were, then no one would be able to receive radiation therapy because of the damage it could do to a fetus.

As with all things – gambling, sex, alcohol, food, shopping – irresponsible use can be damaging to a person and those around him. The key is EDUCATION and RESPONSIBILITY. Your arguments rely largely on unsubstantiated notions and slippery-slope logic. Educate yourself; it’s worth it.

In the end, however, the legalization of drugs might encourage people to trust the government…and look where that’s gotten us.

Myth 1) Drugs only harm the users. wrong. There have been countless people who have harmed another person because they were mentally impaired while under the influence of a narcotic. Even if drug only harm the user, aren’t we as American citizens and fellow human beings responsible for others action that might effect us. If you don’t agree think about health care, the government is not really supposed to be giving it to us,but we as humans have evolved into compassionate individuals that respect life, even if it is not ours. So in a way drug users are harming not only themselves, but every individual they come in contact with.

Myth 2) Drugs create health benefits. Although some drugs do have benefits, they are only effective when taken in moderation. Drug consumers have a tendency to become addicted with one dosing. Can you imagine a society were there are people addicted to the medication that is supposedly making them better, when in reality it is making them more sick. No, you can’t expect everyone to believe this, but tell me what happens when illegal drug are available to every person on the block? You will have children believing that all drug are good because the government allows them, you will have major birth defects because mothers are not able to subside the addiction while pregnant, you will have father and mothers beating their children because they are not in a stable state of mind, you will have utter chaos.

I can write many more myth about drugs, but if I haven’t convinced you by now then there is not point to continue. If we can trust people alone with drugs than maybe there should be some argument to allow them be legalized. But tell me all you parents do you really want you kid lock up in their room doing “Legal” drugs? All you so called friends do you really want a persons you know to be shooting up themselves in your bathroom? If you do then maybe should think twice about the cause and effect of legalizing drugs not just your personal opinion. Because in the end we all want what we cannot have even if its death.