Legalise & tax cannabis, cocaine & exctasy, anyone over 18, free of mental health issues & not in receipt of government benefits other than incapacity/disability benefit or a pension should be apply to their doctor for a drug entitlement card which would allow them to buy a set amount of cannabis, cocaine & exctasy each week from a pharmacist, anyone found selling on their drugs to others would lose their entitlement card permanently.
The liberal in me agrees with this. If a sane, consenting adult wants todo , then itās not the job of government to stop them, but provide a regulated & safe way todo it. So, Iād go one step further and maybe have some type place to go and use. Similar to the Chinese opium dens from the last century.
Cannabis smells, and I for one is sick of walking through our towns and cities smelling it, itās awful.
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History tells us that to ban something is to force it to go underground. While i have personal dislike for these drugs, it is far easier to regulate them and keep them safe if they were to be Legal.
This would remove criminal activities, especially if the economy is healthy and it removes the tax free price differences drug dealers presumably offer.
Secondly as Ackers suggests, the smell is god awful, and a place for people to smoke it would be appealing if it at least some how reduces it.
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I broadly support you proposed policy of legalizing and taxing drugs like cannabis, cocaine, and ecstasy under a regulated framework. However, I believe any policy that allows legal access to these drugs must acknowledge that habitual drug use can, by its very nature, impair cognitive function and judgment. Consequently, I suggest there should be a compulsory ādrug entitlement cardā for anyone who uses drugs. In other words, rather than simply giving eligible individuals the option to sign up, there should be a mandatory registration process for anyone who wishes to possess or consume these substances.
Additionally, there should be penalties for failing to register, or for abusing the system. A robust enforcement mechanism is essential to prevent misuse and ensure public safety. If an individual is found to be using these drugs without the entitlement card, or if they violate any conditions associated with it, they should face consequences.
There should be an easy to access āoff-rampā for anyone who wishes to leave their drug dependency behind. This would of course be funded by the tax collected from the sale of drugs.
The introduction of this policy needs to go hand in hand with the stamping out of illegal drug dealing. Police currently operate a policy of ālive and let liveā with drug dealers. Once a legal supply is available, those connected with illegal supply should be harshly dealt with, if their activities persist.
Given that drug use can adversely affect oneās cognitive and behavioural capacities, there should also be a limitation of certain rights and privileges for registered users to protect public welfare. This would encompass:
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Driving ā Operating a vehicle while under the influence of substances can pose a critical risk to public safety, and those who regularly use drugs may not be fit to hold a license.
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Voting Rights ā Temporarily suspending the right to vote could be justified under the argument that substance-impaired judgment might undermine the electoral process. Any suspension would need to be carefully weighed against civil liberties, but it is worth discussing as part of this broader regulatory framework.
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Parenting or Guardianship ā Individuals regularly consuming these substances could place minors at risk. By requiring additional scrutiny or a limitation on parental rights, the policy should aim to ensure childrenās welfare.
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High-Stakes Occupations ā Jobs critical to public health and safety: doctors, nurses, air traffic controllers, police and similar professionsāshould remain off-limits to those actively and voluntarily using drugs. This restriction would minimize risks that could arise from impaired judgment in high-responsibility roles.
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Location ā There should be limits on where drugs can be smoked/taken and where people who have recently taken drugs are allowed to be whilst under the influence.
In summary, while I support legal access to these substances in a regulated and controlled manner, it is essential to acknowledge the potential risks. To safeguard both the users themselves and the broader community, mandatory registration alongside a proportional limitation of certain rights and privileges would be necessary. By creating a strict framework with clear penalties for noncompliance, we can better ensure public safety and accountability for those who choose to engage in drug use.
I donāt support over-regulation in general but this is one area where precise regulation is necessary in my opinion, due to the runaway effects of reduction of cognitive functions and inhibitions when taking drugs.
I support your idea of legalising drugs in principle. However, there would soon be another black market in drug entitlement cards. How would a GP know whether you use cannabis and cocaine other than you saying so? If someone is caught with the drugs how would the police know where they came from? The war on drugs has been spectactularly unsuccessful. It has created gangs and county lines, has been no more successful than the prohibition laws of the past and is responsible for wasting millions of taxpayers money to pay for police drug enforcement officers. Make ALL drugs legal but use the money saved from enforcement to fund multiple national rehab centres. Then create policies (as with smoking) where society marginalises drug users while constantly offering a way out through rehab.Addiction is not a choice, its an effect and once in its grip, most would welcome the opportunity to get rehab but it is only available if you can afford it. So
- Legalise all drugs
- Make rehab freely accessible to all using the money saved from enforcement
- Use health policies and ex drug users to educate on the dangers of addiction, mental health issues and heart issues
Society accepts freedom to use one of the most dangerous and destructive drugs - alcohol. Yet is somehow pious over other drugs.
If you can use thumb scans to enter your smartphone, you can use thumb scans to buy drugs which should negate some of the fraud that might occur.
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The use of drugs testing should alleviate some of the concerns you raise, the set limit of drugs that people could buy means that you couldnāt be stoned all week, but you could have an amazing weekend!
I think the question is based around whether you treat people like adults who are responsible for themselves or children who need to be protected. Weve seen too much of the latter recently from governments.
The dividing line is probably an age limit.
Along with an age limit (higher age limit for stronger drugs?) maybe some standardised labelling to represent the risks of illness and addiction etc.
At some point peole have to be free to make their own decisions. Even if they are bad ones.
Laws would still be in place regarding driving or operating machinery or looking after children under the influence of drugs.
Its a tricky one but if you want freedom, you have to accept responsibility.
I appreciate the argument that, ideally, adults should be free to make their own decisions, even poor ones, so long as they understand the potential risks. However, from my personal experience of living alongside individuals deeply addicted to drugs (including cannabis), Iāve seen first-hand how damaging severe substance abuse can be, not only for the users themselves but also for everyone around them. In some cases, people who are heavily addicted appear about as capable of self-governance as someone struggling with mental health issues; they simply arenāt fully in control of their actions or decision-making processes.
While there may be āhigh-functioningā individuals who can manage their habits to a point, much like some alcoholics, others become a serious liability to anyone in their immediate sphere, from family members and coworkers to unsuspecting bystanders. This loss of control is why I believe the state needs to step in. There are parallels to how we address the behaviour of criminals or individuals with serious mental health problems: when someoneās capacity to make responsible decisions is impaired, and their actions begin to harm the people around them, intervention becomes not just a public responsibility but a moral imperative.
In my view, addiction goes beyond a simple matter of āpersonal choiceā once physical or psychological dependency takes hold. If someone is addicted, they canāt fully exercise their free will in the way a sober adult can. Therefore, the notion that people should always be left to ātake responsibility for themselvesā doesnāt hold up in these cases, because their addiction literally compromises that capacity for responsibility.
Ultimately, Iām not advocating for an overbearing system that strips every adult of their autonomy. Rather, I believe we must differentiate between casual, controlled use and genuine addiction, once an individual crosses that line, effective intervention, treatment, and support should be readily available. In this respect, I see state involvement as a protective measure, both for those suffering from addiction and for the broader community.
I personally I dont think they should be illegal but they should be unthinkable. It should be socially unacceptable to take them, not illegal, similar to drink driving nowadays vs a few decades back.
I dont think now is the time. Drug dependency gambling etc are all up because of a malaise in the culture.
If the country was moral, strident and confident this would not be an issue. But this will be used as an escape from the current hellscape that the political establishment has created. And I dont believe that granting an escape from reality is what is currently needed we need instead to improve reality so people dont wish to escape it.
If it was legalised it should be only for consumption in certain buildings similar to the cafes in the netherlands, who are allowed to refuse service in a similar way to a bar.
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Over 15 years ago my local sunbed salon used thumb scan to access your account. I donāt know why we donāt see more of this.
Why would we want to perpetuate the demise of peoples lives. The mega industry that robs lives, and gives millions to various countries who produce these life changing, addictive and damaging products.
Cannabis is a gateway drug to other addictive substances and is in itself more harmful than you appear to think. I do not agree that we should perpetuate the old way of thinking, I do not agree.
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This topic is almost irrelevant. In these times, Iām more interested in avoiding mass murder than recreational activities. Its a way to avoid real issues that matter to the world.
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I do apreciate why you might think that but weāre able to multitask.
I think this kind of issue is still something that should be explored but is low priority all the same.
I mostly want it legal so it can be regulated to help reduce violence. IF it is a something that causes rage like some studies suggest.
Peter hitchins goes on and on about it.
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If I need a rest from the real world, Iāll go and multitask on a few nice easy things.
I agree that people should be left alone to grow and smoke their own. Itās also good to avoid the gangs that capture the trade. But, it is pretty much like that if you keep to yourself with your own stuff, so thereās no real problem.
If you have been āmulti-taskingā lets see some of your other tasks. Some of them might be more relevant to the lives of common people
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Totally disagree to make drugs legal.
For it to become socially acceptable is a demise to future generations.
We already have a growing number of society with āmental health issuesā no drug will cure these problems faced on a day to day basis - it either numbs the pain or is an escapism, humanity should be evolving we become better equipped at dealing with what ever comes our way.
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I recomend you look into the prohibition of alcohol in america.
While it gave birth to motorsport and gave us amazing movies, it helps greatly teach how simply banning the thing does not solve the problem.
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Legalising cannabis is one thing, but cocaine and ecstasy? Certainly not.
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The reality is that much of the crime in the western world is perpetuated by those needing money for drugs that are ridiculously expensive because they are illegal. Legalising drugs and making them affordable will massively reduce crime and smash many gangs who use the supply of drugs as a major revenue stream. The reason that the Mafia became so strong in the US was prohibition.
The fact is that people will,take drugs, or drink readily available alcohol, whether legal or not.
Cannabis & Cocaine are the drugs of choice for posh people. I donāt really care if posh people have the right to get high or not. I care about the cost of booze, the national drug of choice. I think protecting pubs and making it more affordable is far more important than making party drugs and stoners socially acceptable.
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