I made a thread yesterday that turned into a debate about this subject and got locked, so I figured why not just make a thread for this debate itself. This thread is absolutely not intended to be about drugs or their usage, but rather about the effectiveness of certain policies in law.

Prohibition has a very low success rate in reforming people who are affected by these laws. As most of you know, alcohol was once prohibited in the United States, and it failed miserably. Later, certain recreational drugs were prohibited in the same way that alcohol once was. I know many people who have been arrested and jailed for possession of illegal substances, but I've never heard of a case of anyone quitting these substances because they got arrested. I'll explain why I think this is.

What is a law? What incentive is there to not break a law? I believe that there are two main factors.


So, rather than these laws providing incentive not to use or possess illegal substances, I feel that they instead only pointlessly punish the users. The only way that a law against drugs will stop people from using drugs, is if they believe in a third premise.


In addition to the fact that such laws punish people with little or no probability of making them change their ways, there are other dangerous consequences of prohibition. For one, they provide funds for illegal businesses. Street gangs and cartels make a very profitable business out of selling illegal substances, that would otherwise be profitless. Also, when such substances are illegal, there is a greater chance of the substances being laced or poorly made, which can lead to death, poisoning, or serious injury with such substances, that would otherwise not matter had the substances been for legal sale.

Thoughts, everyone?

Why the discussion? There was a big experiment with it in the USA. It didn't work. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Yeah, but a ton of people disagreed with me. I'd like to see their reasons.

I don't believe that prohibition actually works... Look at when then instituted it here in the US... What happened when they did it was everyone started going to underground bars instead to get their illegal substances... You can also look at the drugs that are illegal... Not many people are being stopped by the fact that they are illegal as they just do them anyway... I find that out of all the people I know of that do drugs about half of them do them BECAUSE they are illegal... It's human nature to be want to do something MORE because you are told you CAN'T do it... That's just my two cents...

Don't get me wrong though there are a few drugs I think should be legal but many that I understand the reasons for being illegal... Specifically I think that Marijuana, Cocaine, and Heroin should be legal but things such as Crystal Meth, PCP, LSD and other drugs along those lines should not simply because of how people change when they are on them... If drugs WERE legal the government could actually tax them and we would have fewer problems with the country not having enough money to function... It would also open up alot more jobs, legitimate ones specifically, that people are already doing illegally...

LSD is actually far less dangerous than heroine or cocaine, but I said my self that this isn't supposed to be about drugs so I'll shut up.

It works if the person being penalised believes it will work.
Like bungey jumping for the first time if you are scaried of heights, you will probably try to convince yourself that it is too high and that you will die if you jump, so if you never actually believe you can do the jump, you will never do it. But by believeing in yourself you may be able to take the plunge.
Basically it works if you make it work.

It would be daft to sit back and think someone can punish you and it would change your ways, but that punishment is there as a reason to stop what you are doing wrong yourself.
Locking someone up doesn't make them change but it gives them time to reflect and decide to change for the better or just wind up back in a cell. Because no matter what you think about the laws and punishment they will never change to suit your lifestyle.

Basically you control your actions and thinking.
- I think this holds some relevance here, in the sense of: Are you going to obey the addiction to hash and break the law or choose to change and fit in. I realise this could be put in reverse for a rebelious person.

Prohibition only works if the intent is to create a black market for whatever is being "prohibited".

This is basically the same as the topic that was locked yesterday.. We do not want any discussions on illegal substances and their sale or use on these forums.