by Kaitlyn Kean

Created on: October 13, 2011   Last Updated: October 14, 2011

Drug Use, Should it be legalized?

Imagine living in a developing country where there is no law against drug use. There is no prevention or treatment of any kind, and what results is addiction. The country would suffer greatly and have to pay the consequences for the government’s mistake. The use of drugs should not be legalized because not only has the market recently become stable, but the drugs themselves pose a threat to the security and health of the users, and the people around them.

Throughout the years there has been a movement towards stabilization within the world drug market, and not until recently has it been declared stable. The market has lost its upward momentum. This means that there is no longer need to worry about the growing problem because the cultivation, production, and consumption have all evened out. (Free Drugs).

Some would say that the prohibition of drugs causes violence and crime by unintentionally creating a black market for drugs. If drugs were officially recognized then structured crime would have been crushed. Yes, organized crime has the potential to be reduced, but the damage that this would have to the health of individuals and society as a whole would increase significantly.

Human trafficking is a huge problem, but should we legalize it to stop organized crime? No. Drugs are no different. In Mexico there has not been a notable difference within the country since they passed the drug law. This law states that it is illegal to sell or deal drugs, but ok to use them. This law only creates problems for the country because by decriminalizing the users, the dealers only become stronger, which in turn strengthens the Mexican Mafia. There have been over 12,000 deaths due to violence involved with drugs.

Another problem it creates if for those few who are trying to stop, it makes it difficult because by making the drugs more available, its harder to stay away and not come into contact with them (Mexico decriminalizes drugs). Another country that decriminalized the use of drugs is Portugal. The US is the country that has been leading the criminalization of drugs, and when they didn’t protest against Mexico’s decriminalization of drugs other countries saw this. By not taking any action, or making any statements, the US is slowly losing its power and grip in the anti-drug world. We have seen what legal drugs can do to a country through the example of China. In the late 1800s, Opium became a legal drug, and by 1900 over

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