Often this seems to be a very sensitive topic to many. I'm here to break it down and ask why Anti-Drug laws exist in the first place.
As we all know, recreational use of drugs in general is outlawed in most civilized countries. When I ask why, people usually tell me it's because people get addicted to drugs, or the potential of overdose. I've also been told that drugs support gang violence and people under the influence are a danger to others.
In a world where the majority of people support the notion of free will, I wonder why recreational use of drugs are excluded from that. Shouldn't a person have a right to whatever they want into their bodies? If someone worked a full time job and wanted to get stoned after work, or do any drug inside their home alone, why is their laws against that? Nobody is harmed, and if someone really wanted to just sit home all day using, why are we restricting them from that?

As for gang violence involving drugs, that's only because there are laws against it. If there were stores selling recreational drugs, I'm sure people would shop there over a sketchy dealer in a bad neighborhood. It just doesn't make sense to me why there would be laws against recreational drugs. I just feel it's against what I believe to be basic freedom and free will. The fact that the government puts so much effort into containing the use of drugs and making propaganda about them is very sketchy to me, as if there's something they're trying to hide. When I was growing up, every year in class people would come in and tell us how LSD gives you terrifying hallucinations and that smoking pot once will make you a druggie for life. Addiction is determined by the user, not the drug. Again, becoming a danger to others when under the influence is also based on the user, not the drug.

There's some more specific things I would like to bring up regarding certain drugs that especially grinds my gears if this thread get's a good debate going.
Let me know what you guys think, there may be something I'm not considering.

You don't type in blue anymore?
Also while I do agree that some anti drug laws serve no actual purpose, I think some drugs still need to be illegal because you can legitimately harm other people or yourself while under their influence (even if that's on a person to person basis, that's pretty inconsequential since even the possibility is enough imo.) Like bath salts and shit, people should not be allowed to have unrestricted access to bath salts. If you want to smoke some weed or something more power to you

Quote from Drone

You don't type in blue anymore?
Also while I do agree that some anti drug laws serve no actual purpose, I think some drugs still need to be illegal because you can legitimately harm other people or yourself while under their influence (even if that's on a person to person basis, that's pretty inconsequential since even the possibility is enough imo.) Like bath salts and shit, people should not be allowed to have unrestricted access to bath salts. If you want to smoke some weed or something more power to you

I fully agree. Some drugs should be completely wiped off the Earth. There should be some kind of check list or a system of some sort to decide whether a drug should be legal or not. Atleast that's how I think our government should go about it. Maybe actual hands on testing and research, to see how consistently a drug can cause someone to lose control and become dangerous.

Addiction can't really be avoided imo. Even though how hard you try, another smoke/sip/sniff will never slip your mind.

I agree that some drugs that are illegal can't really harm the person, but some are really dangerous.

Again, I don't really understand how people are caught for drugs when drugs don't do much crime to other people BUT yourself.
I also agree to the "people decide what happens to their body" bit. When one person does drugs, he/she is already enlightened to what drugs do to a person. Unless that individual has shitty parents and has no education whatsoever and wants to hang out with friends more, then yeah.

Oh and ^, you haven't considered how the person was raised and how his education is, etc.
It also depends on the person's state of mind you know. If he is messed up, he could get addicted real fast.

But who am I to say those things. I don't even do drugs.

Quote from StickBoy111

Addiction can't really be avoided imo. Even though how hard you try, another smoke/sip/sniff will never slip your mind.

I agree that some drugs that are illegal can't really harm the person, but some are really dangerous.

Again, I don't really understand how people are caught for drugs when drugs don't do much crime to other people BUT yourself.
I also agree to the "people decide what happens to their body" bit. When one person does drugs, he/she is already enlightened to what drugs do to a person. Unless that individual has shitty parents and has no education whatsoever and wants to hang out with friends more, then yeah.

Oh and ^, you haven't considered how the person was raised and how his education is, etc.
It also depends on the person's state of mind you know. If he is messed up, he could get addicted real fast.

But who am I to say those things. I don't even do drugs.

All I'm saying is, it's the free will of the user to use the drug and become addicted. It's also the free will of the user to go to rehab if they truly want to quit. If someone uses a drug without any forethought, then that's only consequential to the person's stupidity. It's the same as saying if someone accidentally slices their leg open with a knife because they didn't know knives were sharp and could cut them. It's not the knife's fault, it's the person. What boggles my mind is this: Laws are in place for order so people don't harm each other. If someone is addicted to say, heroin, and they use it all day at home, I see no reason for it to be illegal. It's an argument of free will to me.

As stated previously, any drug that causes harm to other people (or significant harm to yourself) should be illegal. Meaning drugs like heroin and meth should be illegal because they harm yourself. It's the reason why you can't sell a gun that is rigged to explode in your hand (even if the consumer knows about it) because selling harmful products is illegal and immoral. Now, that covers selling it, but using the drugs... that's a whole different matter. I guess that should be legal? It's a complicated issue, for sure.

My opinion is that whenever you illegalise a drug, there could be someone who needed help from you (ie to deal with an addiction) and now daren't ask for it because they don't want to be punished.

Quote from Sea Beast

What boggles my mind is this: Laws are in place for order so people don't harm each other. If someone is addicted to say, heroin, and they use it all day at home, I see no reason for it to be illegal. It's an argument of free will to me.

People who abuse drugs have a tendency to behave in a way that damaging to society. Not just when they're under the influence, but their addiction might drive them to theft or violent crime to satisfy it when they can't get their fix.

Not that I think that means drugs should be illegal, but that's certainly a decent argument against your point if you can't think of one.

Quote from Skeletonxf

My opinion is that whenever you illegalise a drug, there could be someone who needed help from you (ie to deal with an addiction) and now daren't ask for it because they don't want to be punished.

That's actually what rehabilitation centers are.

There's this thing called Doctor-Patient Confidentiality, in which nothing you tell the doctor will be said outside of the medical room, unless it's directly relevant to somebody else's life, such as a threat to kill somebody or yourself. If the doctor does tell somebody, he will lose his job, and his career will probably end.

So if you know you have a meth problem, you can check yourself into a rehabilitation center, and as long as you make your payments and are honest with your doctor about your drug habits, the doctor can cure you, and nobody other than the doctor will ever know.

Quote from Sea Beast

As for gang violence involving drugs, that's only because there are laws against it. If there were stores selling recreational drugs, I'm sure people would shop there over a sketchy dealer in a bad neighborhood. It just doesn't make sense to me why there would be laws against recreational drugs. I just feel it's against what I believe to be basic freedom and free will.

Are you saying all gang members would shop for drugs in a civilized manner? I seriously doubt it, they would most likely just steal or rob from these stores anyway.

Quote from Sea Beast

The fact that the government puts so much effort into containing the use of drugs and making propaganda about them is very sketchy to me, as if there's something they're trying to hide.

I forgot to ask, but you're talking about the U.S goverment right? Because although there are some things taught about rec drugs that are inaccurate, for the most part the educational system got it right. I don't know how warning people of the effects of drugs can lead to skepticism, its not like showing the effects of drugs is a bad thing.

Quote from Captain Cook

That's actually what rehabilitation centers are.

There's this thing called Doctor-Patient Confidentiality, in which nothing you tell the doctor will be said outside of the medical room, unless it's directly relevant to somebody else's life, such as a threat to kill somebody or yourself. If the doctor does tell somebody, he will lose his job, and his career will probably end.

So if you know you have a meth problem, you can check yourself into a rehabilitation center, and as long as you make your payments and are honest with your doctor about your drug habits, the doctor can cure you, and nobody other than the doctor will ever know.

Still, to someone on the streets they might not know about that and even for people that do they might be a little scared knowing they have to trust the doctor so much. It would be putting your life in someone else's hands.

When you get arrested for drug-related crimes you get forced into going to rehab.

Quote from Captain Cook

When you get arrested for drug-related crimes you get forced into going to rehab.

That's known as decriminalisation (assuming forced rehab and no prison sentence) and I don't think that applies to all countries right now. Perhaps it should.

do you think first-time offenders get automatic prison time just for personal use? a fine + rehab and/or probation is usually the punishment unless you're caught dealing or something.

If relatively harmless drugs like cannabis, LSD, mushrooms, MDMA and the like weren't illegal and demonized, nobody would need to resort to buying cheap dirty meth, smoking fucking bath salts, or inventing untested and "legal highs" and other dangerous experimental/synthetic analogues.

In my opinion, the best way to deal with drugs is to research them, purify them, and make them available in a safe and perhaps somewhat controlled environment. A psychoactive experience clinic, where you can feel safe, be calm, and know that you aren't taking anything other than what you've asked for. With cozy beds, trip rooms, chill zones, and zen gardens. Educators, doctors, shamans, and trip sitters available, with medical experience and equipment on hand. Instead of going to church on a Sunday, you could go to the clinic and have a trip if you wanted to for a spiritual ayahuasca experience. If you have post-traumatic stress disorder, you could be sent to the trip clinic for MDMA therapy. If you've fallen into alcoholism, you can go and have some ibogaine. Once in a while you could go to experience properly measured doses of harder substances like heroin under clinical supervision if you're so inclined. An artist who needs inspiration could come and collect some acid to take home.

Of course, much of this would all be regulated. Maybe you can take home a certain amount of weed each month, and maybe psychedelics too once you're experienced. Other substances for use only under supervision might be further restricted; for example, maybe heroin would only be an option at a maximum of once every few years. The key is that these things are available readily and freely enough to satisfy people so that they don't need to take risks.

Other than that, education is key. Teaching people the effects of these substances on their body, and ensuring that they get the most out of every experience so that they don't need to repeat them too often, is best. You can trip 10 times in a grungy garage and get nothing good out of the experiences, or you can trip once in a proper set and setting and be transformed.