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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!mmm!mrgofor
From: mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR)
Newsgroups: net.legal
Subject: Re: Drugs in America
Message-ID: <550@mmm.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 23-Feb-86 12:10:47 EST
Article-I.D.: mmm.550
Posted: Sun Feb 23 12:10:47 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Feb-86 06:28:18 EST
References: <2607@sdcrdcf.UUCP> <413@packard.UUCP> <1137@ihlpa.UUCP>
Reply-To: mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR)
Organization: none
Lines: 53
Summary: 

In article <1137@ihlpa.UUCP> strickln@ihlpa.UUCP (Stricklen) writes:
>> I personally believe that drugs should be legalized (after all
>> what right do I have to tell someone else how to lead their lives?)
>
>I disagree somewhat with your assertion.  If continual usage of a
>particular drug renders a person less capable or incapable of supporting
>herself or himself, various welfare systems, either federal or state,
>are likely to be called upon to take up the slack.  This is an unfair
>burden on the tax-paying populous, and their legislators should have the
>right to limit use of that drug.
>
>Steve Stricklen
>AT&T Bell Laboratories
>ihnp4!ihlpa!strickln

	Okay, fine. Then I guess what you're saying is that if the use
of a given drug does NOT render a person less capable, then it should
not be illegal. Now the question becomes: which drugs incapacitate users?
The burden of proof should be on the people making the assertion that
they do indeed cause a problem. So now let's hear some scientific evidence
to support the claim that these drugs cause "incapacitation of the ability
to support one's self." And, of course, it's no fair citing the price of
the drugs, because the price is set be virtue of the fact that the drugs
are illegale - actual production costs are extremely low.

	1) Marijuana and its derivatives (hashish, hash oils, etc)
	2) Cocaine
	3) Opium
	4) Heroin
	5) Tobacco
	6) Alcohol
	7) Tylenol :-)
	8) LSD
	9) Peyote
	10) Speed
	11) Barbiturates
	12) Caffeine

	It is my opinion that there are indeed some drugs that can be shown
to possess the detriments you mention, but that set of drugs is not equal
to the set of currently illegal drugs. 

	On top of that, you have the question of: is it USE or ABUSE that
causes incapacitation. If only ABUSE, why punish the USERS who use the
drug responsibly? ANY substance can be abused to the extent that it causes
incapacitation, although some lend themselves to abuse more easily. I guess
I would like to see some SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE supporting the illegality of
certain drugs, rather than the typically hysterical ravings we see now.


-- 
					--MKR
When you ain't got nothin' you got nothin' to lose.  - Dylan