Principle Arguments For And Against Legalizing Drugs Of Abuse

451 Words2 Pages

Principle Arguments For and Against Legalizing Drugs of Abuse For many years, people have gone back and forth arguing whether or not we should legalize drugs. After learning and seeing the results of Portugal going on 14 years of decriminalization of illicit drug use, we also argue whether or not the United States should follow in Portugal’s footsteps. Before one person can base their own opinion on the subject, we need to look at the principle arguments for and against legalizing drugs of abuse. To be more specific on the subject, we will focus on marijuana and cocaine. According to the Library Index, there are two main arguments that favor the legalization of marijuana and cocaine. The first comes during the prohibition when they first criminated the drugs. This caused an excessive increase on drug arrests. With this increase, more money is being spent on caring for the inmates rather than using the money towards a medical facility for treatment and prevention. The second argument states drugs is an action that was made into a crime (Legalization, n.d.). Many people agree for medical reasons, drugs such as marijuana and cocaine could be used …show more content…

Out of the ten facts, the strongest in my opinion is “We have made significant progress in fighting drug use and drug trafficking in America. Now is not the time to abandon our efforts” (Legalization, n.d.). While these drugs may help certain illnesses, they are also still bad and addictive. Once you become addicted to a light drug such as marijuana, it can lead to more harsh drugs such as meth. Using these types of drugs also brings up the consequence of the loss of the ability to make good decisions. With this being said, it can even go as far as neglect for a child, violence, and many health risks (NIDA,