A question from reader Meagan:
Some drugs, like alcohol, are legal and regulated. Most states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, and some even allow it for recreational use. Others can be proscribed by a doctor and are strictly controlled. Still others are outlawed completely.
What would happen if all drugs were made legal? What would the ramifications and consequences be?
I can’t believe no one has attempted to answer this. It’s a great question! Years ago the Mayor of Baltimore, I don’t recall his name now, advocated the legalization of drugs. At the time, his comments seemed pretty persuasive to me.
That was probably 20 years ago, and not much has changed. I have reservations about legalizing marijuana for “recreational” use. I think it has a negative effect on the development of a young person’s brain. And there is the issue of how to keep people from driving under the influence.
And now we have an opioid epidemic, that is killing tens of thousands in this country each year. If they were legalized, would even more people die from overdoses?
So, I guess my answer is I just don’t know. I’d like to learn more about how drugs are controlled in countries like the Netherlands, and Denmark. I think they have de-criminalized drug addiction and treat it as a medical illness.
Thank you, Meagan, for asking. This reply is off the top of my head. I hope others will join in on this important question.