[The Don]

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If Heroin, Acid, Mushrooms, Pot, Crystal Meth, PCP, Crack, Cocaine, Opium, Mescaline, and every kind of painkiller/pill could be bought for super cheap at your local 7-11 by anyone of any age (pure free market), would addictions to these drugs increase or decrease? Low paying agricultural jobs are added and some executives get super rich. Is this better or worse for the economy?

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If people want to do drugs, they will do them regardless of the presence of state intervention. The reason people don’t do drugs is because they are aware of the adverse effects, not for fear of the law. Conversely, some people DO choose to do drugs and they should have every right to do so. These people aren’t just going to ‘give up’ just because the state illegalized them, they will pursue them regardless. This has been proven by the black markets. The legalization of drugs may increase addiction somewhat, not as much as you think though.

Regarding your second point on the economy, the positive effects on the economy would not only lie in the addition of a new industry, but the ceasing of one of the most wasteful of the government’s many inefficient campaigns.


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Legalize, and you create new jobs

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You could also create new jobs by legalizing murder for hire.

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Poor example. One is providing a product which people demand, the other is promoting the illegal use of force.

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we're not paying as much to keep so many prisoners alive.

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This doesn’t add to your argument, because likewise we could legalize drunk driving and not have to pay so much money to officers and lawyers and judges and jails that punish drunk drivers. That doesn’t mean we should legalize drunk driving.

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Again, different things. Drunk drivers hurt other people, against their will. Drug dealers are technically hurting other people, but it consensual. Likewise, the person taking the drugs owns his body, therefore he chooses what to do with it.