This is an interesting and age old debate.
I think you reallyhave to look at root causes of prohibition of drugs toget our answers and to see a path forward.
Marijuna - Proibition was progated by the alcohol and pharmaceutical companies at the turn of the century. They were looking to corner the market on articcficial happiness. To this this they demanized marijuana by labeling it as the devils weed. Do to the sentiment of the day (racism) most of the early propiganda was centred around use by african americans - the sentiment was that it would turn you into a crazed lunitic.
Cocane was a drug, centuries old in South America, when South American communist rebels became ivolved and started to gin serious capitalization by exploiting the american market place, the US government got heavily involved.
It was not long after the Cuba crisis and the thought of having well funded, well armed communists close to the US was not acceptable.
This being said, all drugs come with their risks and their harm. Alcohol, tabbaco, prescription pain killers etc. all have their place and uses in society (tabbaco - cerimonial uses for 100's of years -turned into a readily available killer), alcohol has benn used at ceriomies and social gathering for centuries - now the drug of choice for many law abiding citizens and pain killers - most are no more then pattened synthetic replications of naturally occuring substances that reap Billions in profits for multi national organizations.
The choice on weather society allows the legalization of certain substances should be a public debate and not one controlled by the government and powerful corperations who stand to loss Billions in profits.
There are some countries that we can look at around the world to see what happens with the de-criminalization of certain drugs - Portugal, Switerland, Netherlands etc.
I am not a user of any recreational drugs and avoid using any over the counter and\or prescription drugs in all but the most serious circumstances.
I feel strongly about issues such as these becasue government is suppose to represent the best intrest of its citizens and not the best interests of corperations.
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