Does anyone really want to legalize heroin?

[Rich@CCC]

I started to ask this in a reply to Sensei's thread about heroin and other OD related deaths but decide it was a bit too much of a derailment from that serious topic.

Does anyone truly want to legalize heroin?

I see very good reasons to lift the ban on marijuana and REGULATE it's sale and use just as alcohol and tobacco is controlled. I can see no good reason to lift the ban on heroin or cocaine or their derivatives.

Is there really a large number of people who think legalizing addictive, debilitating drugs would be a good idea? Or, is this a case of reductio ad absurdum?

As is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, "If it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg..." Pot, IMHO falls into that category better than either alcohol or tobacco. Heroin, on the other hand is in direct violation of that libertarian view point.

To be clear, I'm not really an advocate for legalization of marijuana. I have no personal want for it, I just see the drastic punishment for the possession and use of something that is, arguably less dangerous than whiskey or cigarettes as an unnecessary expense and ridiculous on it's face. When there are people in prison for nothing more than possession of a few ounces of marijuana with longer sentences than recidivist criminals in for armed assault, I think there is a problem that needs to be addressed.


Let the flaming commence!

[03RN]

I do.

I don't smoke weed or use, or desire to use any illeagal drug. I'm a psychiatric nurse that deals with a lot of addiction. I see withdrawal every day.

I don't believe it's the government's job to dictate what people do with their body. The argument that heroin causes addicts to break the law and steal or kill is a non starter. Heroin is already illeagal and the addicts are already doing those things.

I do not believe making heroin, or other opiates legal would cause an increase of crime.

[TicTacticalTimmy]

WOW!

I can't beleive you Statist Sheeple want to take away my right to sell heroin to children! ITS NOT AN NAP VIOLATION IF THE CHILD CONSENTS

[t1tan]

Can’t legislate behavior, people will do what they want to do, legal or not. Why waste time and money when they’ll fuck up their lives either way. Potential punishment doesn’t deter people from using either way.

[JodyH]

I'm good with legalization.
I'm also good with Narcan only being utilized when there's accidental exposure.
IE: first responders can only administer it to themselves or another first responder. No more reviving overdoses.
With freedom comes personal responsibility.

[beenalongtime]

The heroin users do. Brought to you by the non defecating detective.

[BWT]

I’m in the don’t legalize it crowd.

I’ve dealt with family in addiction most of my life.

I think that certain drugs are very addictive and people make naive decisions.

I hold the same sentiments as Rich.

Personally, I don’t use any drugs or substances for recreation ever.

But, I’m of the opinion often if it doesn’t hurt others then okay.

That being said you’ve asked me what I think and I think drugs of certain types should be restricted. Heroin/cocaine would be some of them.

I don’t think weapons should be restricted in anyway though.

God Bless,

Brandon

[Casual Friday]

Opioid pain killers are legal so why not? Every person I've ever known who became a heroin addict started out taking pain pills and got addicted to them. Every single one.

[JodyH]

BTW: the root cause of our current opioid epidemic is government/medical/pharma incompetence and greed.
Grossly incompetent regulation is far more destructive than unfettered freedom IMO.

[Stephanie B]

I do. If people want to take drugs, let them.

We could fund a hell of a lot of drug-treatment programs with the money that we now spend on drug-eradication and drug-enforcement programs and agencies. Not to mention reducing the prison population and dropping the drug-related crime rates.

What I'd like to see are clinics set up where addicts could get maintenance doses.

But to do that, we have to get past two major obstacles. One is the puritanical view of "let the frakkers die" that is best exemplified by those who sought to make isopropyl alcohol and methanol even more poisonous during Prohibition. Second, there are probably a hundred thousand or more people who make a living from the anti-drug efforts. (Translation: Be skeptical if you read/hear DEA folks argue why legalization is a bad idea.)