What Is The Primary Reason Why Drugs Are Illegal?

Me & my friends were discussing what the main reason is as to why drugs are illegal. Here were some of the ideas:

1) They can make a person un-predictable.

2) They are addictive and therefore people will commit other crimes to access them.

3) They are damaging to the human body


Now i am sure there are plenty more but what do you think is the MAIN reason? I have read numerous threads that suggest it is because that drugs help people access a higher level of conciousness and therefore perhaps unlocking secrets that none drug users cannot access. I am sceptical although it is well documented that alot of well respected literary & artistic documentation was created by people taking hallucengens & mind altering drugs.

Just looking for some ideas?

Mod Edit: All Caps – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 7/21/2008 by Gools]

well for one thing they can kill you through overdosage.
They create problems for society.

What else..

because your government can't tax it and corporations can't make money out of it...

Yes but what is the MAIN reason? Im sure its not because they're bad for you. You can overdose on anything.

interesting point! Didn't think of that

Originally posted by beastamerica
because your government can't tax it and corporations can't make money out of it...

That argument makes no sense. If drugs were legal, they could tax it and corporations could make money off of it .

Because the governments of the world have always been in the drug business. They do not want competition.

To outlaw a plant - hemp - is the ultimate example of human insanity.
As to the chemical compounds that people concoct "in the kitchen sink",
well, if they kill someone they should be held accountable for murder.

Originally posted by nahsik
well for one thing they can kill you through overdosage.
They create problems for society.

What else..

first, whether they can kill you or not is not a good enough reason for them to be illegal. look at everything that is legal that can kill you as well. nope....... plus, who is anyone to say what i can and can not do w/ MY body. i don't need protection from myself. this is a lie and a cover up.

second, DRUGS do not create problems for society. people create problems for society.

the fact that they ARE illegal is an example of ppl making problems for society.

if drugs were able to be legally obtained, no doubt the # of crimes would go down. after all, most crimes that are committed when involving drugs is bc ppl are trying to obtain the drugs, not bc they are on the drugs. lol

that or bc they are on the drugs and that in and of itself is the crime according to the bogus laws in place. most ppl arrested on drugs are not arrested bc they were being a menace to society, but just bc they were taking executive action over their own body by taking the drug.

overdose happens mostly bc ppl are not educated on what can go w/ what and in what doses etc. they are not educated on it bc we are told that drugs are bad, mmmmkay?!! that is all we are teaching our children.. that is all that is meant to be taught in america bc ppl die if they are not educated to the full extent.

drugs are illegal for the major reason of bringing in money. the money that is made off of ppl taking drugs illegally far exceeds what would be made were they legal. ppl having to pay fines etc and the money coming in to fight "the war on drugs" which is actually a "war on the ppl" not drugs.

drugs should be a personal choice. crimes against others while on drugs is what should be targeted, not the actual taking of drugs.

they are raping us by making drugs illegal. do i advocate taking drugs? some i do (were they legal that is). i think smoking marijuana is better for ppl that being on anti depressants and/or pain meds that are far worse for your body and mind than the natural substitute.

regardless of my personal feelings towards other types, the personal consumption of them should be left up to the individual's discretion.

tell ppl "no" they can't do something and more than likely, as was planned, they will do it and will do it irresponsibly.

the war on drugs is

you are so right in everything you have said. I am interested to know then why you think they are illegal? Interesting point about crimes committed by people who want to obtain drugs & not by people on them.

Originally posted by Briles
I am interested to know then why you think they are illegal?

because crime brings in money. because if they are illegal, all the ppl need to know is that they are bad. if ppl believe they are bad, then when they try it (bc at some pt, most will) and like it, they will be acting irresponsibly due to not being educated on proper usage. when they are not acting responsibly, they mess up. when they mess up, they will be set straight w/ multiple fines. if they do happen to act responsibly w/ the drugs, then they will still be slapped w/ multiple fines. if drugs are bad, we must fight them. fighting them means money. like i said, crime brings in money!

also, if drugs are illegal, the pushing for more dangerous substances, such as alcohol (not good alcohol, but the cheap crap most ppl drink), antidepressents, chemical pain pills, etc will be accepted by a publiic that seeks to escape reality. money and control..... this is why they are illegal.

Prohibition causes criminality, if water were to be made illegal and the business of it handed over to unscrupulous profiteers overnight it would become a dangerous substance and inturn cause a rise in crime figures as gangs fight for control over it....thereby increasing the demand for more police to tackle the problems... and "ANY man willing to sacrifice freedom for security deserves neither".

Be rest assured it is not because the goverment has your best interests at heart.

Well, keep in mind that not all drugs - in fact, most drugs - are not illegal. You can drink beer (a depressant), smoke a cigarette (nicotine), eat a candy bar (caffeine), and pop certain kinds of pills freely (containing who-knows-what).

These drugs are all "mind-altering", which kind of blows a theory in the idea that drugs "open your mind", eh? Can't remember the last time I had a wicked-awesome revelation after eating a Hershey's bar.

Anyway, I think the ban on certain drugs in America genuinely stems from the perceived social harm following their use. Some drugs - like the ones that I mentioned above - are more or less benign; drinking a beer doesn't turn you into a raving sociopath. Smoking crack does. Hence the ban on crack.

reply to post by Kontagion


haha good point about the hersheys bar But surely marijuana doesnt turn you into a raving sociopath, nor ecstasy nor ketamine?

[edit on 21-7-2008 by Briles]

You can't say "drugs" without specifying what you are talking about.

None of the points brought up so far apply to marijuana, for instance. You cannot possibly overdose on marijuana, at least by normal means. You would pass out or throw up before being able to reach a dangerous level. It has been proven that marijuana is not physically addictive, although it can be as mentally addictive as reality tv is for some people. Or Cheetos. Marijuana is not damaging to the human body unless it is smoked. It can be vaporized and then it is harmless. Actually, it seems to reduce cancer risks, among other benefits. No one has ever died from marijuana use. As for unpredictability, I'd say a stoner is about as predictable as anyone can be. They do not tend to make quick decisions or movements.

On the other hand, you have something like meth. You can definitely overdose on meth. Meth is terribly physically addictive. It does horrible things to the human body, such as putting holes in the brain that can be seen when scanned. Meth users are very unpredictable.

Putting these two substances in the same category and then trying to decide why they are illegal is futile.

And what about all the legal drugs? Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, codeine, morphine, ritalin, adderol, oxycotin, xanax, etc. What makes these acceptable?

Actually, looking back on my list there, I think those are all drugs that take you down on Leary's 8-Circuit Model of Consciousness..link

Drugs that Leary said open your mind, or take you up a level of consciousness, would include marijuana, peyote, psilocybin, '___', '___', and..yoga. These drugs have the potential for abuse among certain people, but when used properly they can be therapeutic and beneficial.

So, I think that there are two reasons for a drug to be illegal.

1) The drug is too damaging to the population--heroin, coc aine, meth, etc. They may actually have our best interests at heart here, or perhaps they just don't want a ruined workforce.

2) The drug opens the mind of the population, and we can't have that--marijuana, psilocybin, '___', etc. Use of these types of drugs seems to go hand in hand with distrust of the government and deciding that mainstream culture is unacceptable.

Please, no anecdotes about how you know so and so and they ruined their life with marijuana or acid. I know so and so that ruined their life with alcohol, and I also know person x who drank a glass of wine every day and lived a wonderful, compassionate life, dying at 110. I know one person who ate food every day and stayed skinny, and I know someone else that ate way too much and ended up morbidly obese. You can't always blame the substance.

Originally posted by Kontagion
Can't remember the last time I had a wicked-awesome revelation after eating a Hershey's bar.

I don't know that I've had a "wicked-awesone revelation" while eating chocolate either. However, I know that eating a chocolate bar or a nice rich brownie certainly does make me happy. Here's something I found pretty funny about chocolate...I had no idea:

PsychoActive Food - Chocolate

Chocolate contains small quantities of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid found in the brain.

There are many other psychoactive chemicals found in chocolate on that page too. I'm surprised chocolate isn't a schedule I drug.

reply to post by aggadoo


I realise the question was a bit vague but that kind of re-emphasises the question. Your 100 percent right when you say marijuana and meth are not in the same league, but why then are they both illegal? The classification of drugs in general is a farce, but the stigma attacthed to all drugs is that they are ALL illegal. Although i get what your saying.

Originally posted by Briles
reply to post by aggadoo

 

I realise the question was a bit vague but that kind of re-emphasises the question. Your 100 percent right when you say marijuana and meth are not in the same league, but why then are they both illegal? The classification of drugs in general is a farce, but the stigma attacthed to all drugs is that they are ALL illegal. Although i get what your saying.

i agree as well, however, i think they should all be legal. if someone wants to take meth and destroy their body, then they should be allowed to do so. it is much cheaper for the rest of us in the long run. i know that sounds harsh, but hey, they are doing it anyway.

personal responsibility seems to have been chunked out the window a long time ago in this society. don't make me pay for the selfishness of others. i wouldn't expect ANYONE to have to pay for the crimes i have committed on myself.

[edit on 21-7-2008 by justamomma]

i agree as well, however, i think they should all be legal. if someone wants to take meth and destroy their body, then they should be allowed to do so. it is much cheaper for the rest of us in the long run. i know that sounds harsh, but hey, they are doing it anyway.

personal responsibility seems to have been chunked out the window a long time ago in this society. don't make me pay for the selfishness of others. i wouldn't expect ANYONE to have to pay for the crimes i have committed on myself.

[edit on 21-7-2008 by justamomma]

I know what you mean about it being cheaper, but i suppose the main argument would be that children would get access without really understanding the consequences. Do you think maybe then there should be an age limit as with tobacco & Alcohol?

Originally posted by Briles
Do you think maybe then there should be an age limit as with tobacco & Alcohol?

i think parents should start raising their children and educating them. until this happens, whether there is an age limit or not, just as w/ alcohol and illegal drugs alike, kids will still get their hands on them.

we need to quit expecting the gov't and schools, daycares and babysitters to raise and teach our kids and take their futures back into our own hands as the parents.

so, no. just as w/ alcohol, they will remain uneducated and continue to get them.

if anything, i think if a child gets their hands on drugs, the parent could be held responsible in some way for not tending to those in their charge. then maybe we will quit looking to age limits and the schools to raise our kids.

Originally posted by BlueTriangle

I don't know that I've had a "wicked-awesone revelation" while eating chocolate either. However, I know that eating a chocolate bar or a nice rich brownie certainly does make me happy. Here's something I found pretty funny about chocolate...I had no idea:

PsychoActive Food - Chocolate

Chocolate contains small quantities of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid found in the brain.

There are many other psychoactive chemicals found in chocolate on that page too. I'm surprised chocolate isn't a schedule I drug.

Hunh. Learn something new every day. I guess that's why depressed teenage girls are addicted to fudge cookie-dough ice cream.