As we all know, the simple truth is that drugs destroy lives, they steal away opportunities, they produce fatal overdoses, and death by criminal homicide. Therefore, deterring the use and abuse of dangerous substances should be the centre piece of any effort intended to reverse the rising drug trends. Despite these well-intentioned words, the reality of the use of drugs is hard to miss especially in our suburbs, metropolitan areas and schools. Some propose that use of drugs such as marijuana should not be legalized while others support the opinion that the legalization of such drugs can bring some benefits to the society. The debate on pros and cons of light drug legalization appears to be intensifying and despite the controversial arguments that have made, there will be a need to make well-informed discussions. The paper will examine various pros and cons of drug legalization and provide an informed decision on the suitable solution to the issue of drug legalization. The paper will demonstrate that regardless of which seedbed this arguments should be sprouting from, we should act to discredit those who promote positions without a basis in fact and aID credibility to those who have facts on their side.

There are various arguments that have been made in favor of the advantages of legalization of light drugs. Legalizing drug trade can generate sufficient revenue that will offset the cost of social ills that arise from drug aIDiction. Presently, the war on drugs originates from its price; it costs lives and money. View the drug trade from the macroeconomic perspective; it is a form of an underground economy that has deprived governments of their revenues, due to the fact that it is not subject to any form of tax. A new research by Mexican Institute of Competitiveness (MICO) on Mexico drug cartels has revealed that the government losses $46.5 billion of revenues annually in tax due to the prohibition of the drug trade. Legalizing the drug trade can generate revenue for the government. In aIDition, legalizing drugs can massively reduce the crime rates. Most violence crimes have been associated with the illegality of the drug trade. For example, many dependent users report to stealing in order to raise funds for buying the high priced drugs. Legalization can help to regulate the drug market by lowering the prices of the drugs and as a result, preventing the users from engaging in stealing so as to raise the money to buy the drugs.

However, legalization of light drugs has some disadvantages. There are those who consider drugs laws to be paternalistic; that the use of drug causes no harm to anyone and the state laws should neither intervene nor prevent them. Nevertheless, legalization of drugs, should it be marijuana, opiates, or cocaine, has been proven scientifically to cause physical, mental and health problem. An average user, for example, is unable to function well in the society. Moreover, it has been noted that drug users suffer from emotional problems that can afflict their families, friends and other members of society that are close to them. Theories see an epidemic on the legalization of drugs. They argue that drug users have a strong propensity to make others to starting using the drugs, especially if the habit is established among the leadership groups. For instance, peer pressure has resulted to an increase in the spread of the drug use among the juveniles. The risks associated with use of drugs among the children are well documented and they further prove that children are more likely to have poor physical, social, intellectual and emotional outcomes. For instance, a research that was done by Judy Howard and her colleagues at Chicago’s Northwestern Hospital in 2007 showed that children who were exposed to drugs while at the age of 7 encountered mental problems during their development stages.

Despite the pros and cons of drug legalization, one basic point of view against drug use is that supporting criminal penalties may not bring the problem to an end, or does licensing guarantee adequate control of the drug market. Instead, a more critical approach should be to impose criminal penalties to restrict commercial manufacture, sale and possession of large quantities of the drugs. The spread of drug use and drug abuse is on the increase due to the large production of these drugs and the readily available markets.

Bibliography

Kilmer, Beau. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2012.

https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=mO0CTJCZsiQC&pg=PA107&dq=pros+and+cons+of+drug+legalization&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fEoNVcXBI8XuUNStg-gJ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=pros%20and%20cons%20of%20drug%20legalization&f=false

Lyman, Michael D. Drugs in Society: Causes, Concepts, and Control. Waltham: Routledge, 2013.

https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=bRU4AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA384&dq=pros+and+cons+of+drug+legalization&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8koNVbXGC4G1UPa5gNAC&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=pros%20and%20cons%20of%20drug%20legalization&f=false

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