Drug Decriminalization

The idea of drug decriminalization firstly stems from the prospect of which drugs are not inherently bad. Throughout history, drugs have been used for medicinal,recreational, and pleasureful purposes. Society has seen the impact of drugs in a person’s environment, vilifying an ever-present stigma to drug users and victims of addiction. This notion was furthered through the criminalization of such, conditioning the world to pair drugs with illicit activities; thus becoming an illicit activity. This essay aims to evaluate the true purpose of drugs- to see past their extremes, and to see past an end of misguided choices. It also aims to explain the true nature of decriminalization, and its overbearing positives not only on the population, but

To use a metaphor of junk food- if a child is prohibited from eating it, they will want to have it. If the child is able to eat junk food at any time, the interest and specialty of it will be lost. Furthermore, people will do drugs regardless of what laws are placed. There’s only a higher chance now that the law does not condone them. Others do drugs due to mental illness or dependence. It’s alienation caused by capitalist exploitation and atomized culture is what drives so many people to not only use drugs, but to become addicted to them. Utilizing the example of the ‘Rat Park’ by Bruce Alexander, if a rat’s environment actively meets both their social and physical needs, there’s no reason for the rat to choose the cocaine water over the regular one. In contrary, without the engagement and socialization, without the needs being met, the rat will resort to the cocaine water actively over regular water. Moreover, drug cartels cannot compete with government owned substances for free. This is how the government inadvertently funds them; the solution should be to remove the economy behind drugs. It sounds counterproductive to give drug addicts drugs, however cutting them off cold turkey isn’t the solution. It needs to be worked through as to why a person wants drugs in the first place. One can attempt to get drug users non-physically addicted repeatedly, however if there’s no effort to address why people do drugs in the first place- it won’t do anything. These people would go back to dealing drugs, and want to exploit them. The dealer profits, and only continues to try and get more addicted so they can profit further off of exploiting the mentally ill and the physically addicted.Instead of putting all the pressure on eradicating drugs, people's needs should be met. If they are engaged and part of a proper democratic community, it should be gauged as to how likely they are to use drugs- to a point