1 Drug Legalization Student Name ID# Drug legalization or liberalization involves decriminalization, which is to no longer criminally penalize users of certain drugs, whether selling or consuming or illegalizing the use and sale of drugs. Legalization is removing penalties and making the substances taxable by the tax authority and controlled by the local government. So, should drugs be legalized? The drug can be defined as an illegal substance used to derive or gain pleasure. These drugs include cocaine, heroin, marijuana, among others. On the other hand, it is a substance used to cure, prevent and contain illnesses used as medicine. We get that drug has two sides from the definitions, used properly as medicine and negative things like opium. However, the number of drug abuse cases and misuse increased over the years. For the past year, the topic on legalization of drugs was very heartened. According to National Institute on Drug Abuse found that in the year 2013, about 24.6 Americans of age 12 or older, estimated to be about four to nine percent of the population, had used at least one illicit drug. Is legalization a gamble we should try? Since from my perspective, the pros and cons of drug legalization are very persuasive. If drugs are legalized, the demand for such drugs will increase. When the penalties are done away with, and the price of such substances is reduced, the demand will drastically increase. Therefore, if drugs are legalized, the situation will be better and made worse since people will use the easily and readily available ones. Therefore, this paper will be a dialog between Linda and Martin on the pros and cons of drug legalization, mainly illegal drugs. Linda will be the protagonist, supporting the legalization of drugs, while Martin will be the antagonist against drug legalization and share my opinion. DRUG LEGALIZATION 2 Linda: Drugs should be legal because criminalization frightens users, causing them to avoid seeking help. Martin: I think it is necessary to legalize drugs because they are very harmful to those addicted to them. The dependence on the drugs will be quite high. As a result, their families will be affected financially since any amount they receive will be used to purchase the drugs without catering to other basic needs such as food. Socially how these people relate with their neighbors and families will be affected due to emotional imbalance and economically since they might not be able to retain their jobs. Linda: Don't you think until the drug is legalized when consumption and consumerism will be monitored? For example, don't you think marijuana has medicinal value in controlling epileptic seizures, treating inflammatory bowel diseases, and making people feel good (Guzman & Matthews, n.d.)? Martin: Almost all the advantages you have mentioned involve the component of marijuana, not the raw marijuana which people do sniff. It is the refined form, so the use of marijuana is very risky in the long run like those who use it may experience psychosis. That is hallucination, delusion, and loss of identity. Other users also experience intense anxiety, panic, fear, and increased risk of depression (Todd, 2018). If the drugs used are not illegal at all, then the users will not frighten them; thus, they will seek help. Linda: Prohibition of drugs has not eliminated the use of illegal drugs. People still use these drugs in hidden places. Martin: If at all drug is legalized, there will be an increased number of casual users, increasing the number of those who abuse drugs. As of now, the drugs' consumption is quite DRUG LEGALIZATION 3 minimal since it is illegalized. Imagine if the drugs were legal would we have a healthy nation? Linda: The fight against drug has cost the society not only abuse but also $ 16 billion from the federal government in 1998 to fight the drugs, $ 10.5 billion used to mitigate the supply, which includes enforcement of the law to interdict the border supplies, corruption damages to the poor and minority neighborhoods, do away with the black markets among others. Legalizing these drugs would increase tax revenue, and the government would use the money to improve our country. Let's assume the drugs are legalized, and there will be an estimated 46.7 billion annual gain from tax like that of alcohol and tobacco, the crowding in the jail will be decreased and might save the cost of criminal justice and housing of the said criminals, which is very expensive (Baum, 2016). Martin: The amount used is very reasonable since more drug abusers, users, and addicts will result in more health issues and, in turn, lower productivity of such people economically, and the economic benefits are not enough to convince people to support drug legalization. The risk associated with legalization is very high since it could lead to death and injuries, and increased users. Therefore, legalization will cause too much chaos. For instance, we experience way too much trouble on the side effects of the use of alcohol and cigarettes, such as abuse of alcohol and drunk driving, which cause destruction and accidents, among other side effects. So, what will be our situation when all these other drugs are legalized? Legalization might save the cost of criminal justice, which is very expensive, there will be tax revenue, and public health costs will rise. Linda: Don't you think that most legal drugs are more harmful than illegal drugs? Like alcohol and cigarettes? People are at risk of stroke, high blood pressure, liver diseases, suicidal DRUG LEGALIZATION 4 traits, pancreatitis, cancer of the moth, throat, liver, esophagus, lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, among others. There should be equal treatment of the drugs like these other substances. Martin: Your argument is weak since psychoactive drugs are legalized, which means it does not fall in the same category. It is very illogical to say that since alcohol and cigarettes have affected so many people, there will be a heavy toll on legalization, which should be acceptable. The reverse is more logical, prohibition on alcohol, cigarettes, and psychoactive drugs since they are all very harmful. Also, substances like heroin, marijuana, cocaine, and all the psychoactive drugs are very harmful. Thus, they have negative consequences to the users' well-being and addiction burden (McCarthy, 2016). Linda: Although your argument is also valid, I do think drugs should be legalized since it has been battled without success and the benefits it could bring to the economy. Conclusion The arguments for and against legalization are both very strong, valid, and should not be overlooked. The arguments for the legalization claim that it will stop the miseries that have befallen the drug users over the decades as they face the full wrath of the law enforcement offices. The drug users spend several years in jail due to drug related offences. The families and friends of these people undergo financial and psychological problems leading to depression and even death. Besides, legalization of the drugs will mark the end of the existing drug cartels as the business will be a legal one conducted by all interested entrepreneurs. Further, legalization of drugs will increase the revenue collection. Drugs such as alcohol and tobacco currently generate large amounts of revenues through taxation supplementing the government budgets. Inclusion of the currently illegal drugs in the list will add additional revenue to the current. The opposers of DRUG LEGALIZATION 5 drug legalization also claim that it will make life miserable to drug users as it will mark increased drug consumption. Besides, it will cause other drug related problems such as violence, accidents, and addiction. It is quite difficult to decide on whether to legalize or not. In both decisions, there will still be consequences. So, for now, we deal with our current situation. DRUG LEGALIZATION 6 References Baum, D. (2016). Legalize it all. Harper’s Magazine, 24. Guzman, A., & Matthews, L. Pros and cons of legalizing marijuna. McCarthy, J. (2016). One in eight US adults say they smoke marijuana. Gallup website, August, 8. Todd, T. (2018). The benefits of marijuana legalization and regulation. Berkeley J. Crim. L., 23, 99. 
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