Yet another attempt to try to "put lipstick on a pig" (sorry - I couldn't resist) by postulating that the American economy would receive a boost through the legalization of all drugs, through decreased crime (unlikely), higher tax revenues from taxes placed on the now legal drugs (potentially), and - get this - increased worker productivity. Excuse me, but that's an outright fallacy.
Based on my own personal experience, when you're stoned you tend not to want to do anything but continue the high until you pass out. You don't want to study if you're in school, and you certainly don't want to work if you have a job - trust me on this kids. Increased productivity does not result from using drugs!
The only "increased productivity" I can foresee would be in farming, as farmers, ever conscious of which crops will garner them the most profit, would turn from growing food crops to growing pot, poppies for heroin, and coca plants for cocaine. But then again, that might not even pan out if farm workers turned to sampling their own crops, but that's not where I want to go here right now. My question is, if farmers abandoned even more food crops than they already have to grow corn for ethanol resulting in higher grain prices and more hunger worldwide, what do you suppose would happen to world food supplies? Human nature being what it is, eventually there wouldn't be any world food supplies - only drug supplies.
The thing that really gets me about these efforts to paint a rosy picture about legalizing drugs is that those who promote this idea claim that "... It's harmless anyway." However, that remains unproved. Not only is it unproved, it's an outright lie. Marijuana has a far higher tar and other carcinogen content than tobacco, for one thing, and although tobacco use isn't a good thing, it doesn't impair your ability to drive or operate machinery like marijuana does. Oh, and don't even try to convince me that heroin, cocaine and meth are "harmless", ok?
Could this happen?
How likely is it that street drugs would be legalized?
The possession of small amounts of marijuana has been decriminalized in 12 states, meaning offenders might get fined but won't be jailed or given a criminal record. Nonetheless, full legalization of marijuana is hardly likely. In a 2002 CNN/Time Magazine poll, 59% of respondents opposed legalizing marijuana, and 34% favored it. Although attitudes are getting more liberal, marijuana is not legal anywhere in the world.
As for other street drugs, don't even ask. The question of legalization is no more than an interesting academic exercise. [Emphasis mine]
Nevertheless, an "interesting academic exercise" used by some to try to get all drugs legalized. This would be one of the biggest disasters to ever befall not only America, but the entire world, should we decide to fully open this Pandora's box.
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