Legalization of Drugs

The legalization of drugs is an issue that you are either for or against, there is rarely any in between. If drugs became legal, then there would be no consequences for taking them and would be easier to buy and sell. Those two main reasons are what scare most people, which is the reason why many think drugs should stay illegal. What most people do not think about is how the legalization of drugs can not only help the economy, but also bring more harm then good. For instance most crime in the Baltimore area is related to drugs because of self interest. Drugs being illegal keeps the cartels in business and makes the demand for them that much higher.
If you look back to the prohibition age, alcohol was in high demand because it was illegal, giving jobs to people such as Al Capone. If drugs were to be legalized, then we would not have so many youth being imprisoned for drug charges or violence related to drugs. This would free up jail space and save tax payers money.
In the race for Congress 2008 in Maryland’s fourth Congressional District, Michael Babula also believes that the legalization of drugs would be a benefit to the economy. His solution to the war on drugs would to make drugs a free market, so that it will reverse the demand of drugs. Babula does not think that incarcerating the youth will lower crime, but harm our youth from bettering themselves. He believes once drugs are legalized the cost of drugs will decrease, making it possible for drug addicts to get help because they are not spending all their money on drugs. Albert Wynn, another candidate in Maryland’s fourth Congressional district fails to mention the drug problem on his website, and instead focuses how to decrease crime, such as gangs. By not mentioning drugs, he is not addressing the whole problem with crime in the fourth congressional district; since many of these crimes are drug related. He wants to use funding to reduce crime and help get inmates back on their feet after they get out. Babula says that incarceration will not help inmates progress in society or help the future of crime. Throwing money at them will not help because we are not getting to the root of the problem. As for the other fourth congressional candidate Donna Edwards, she does not address crime and violence, but only domestic violence.
In Legalize Now! written by Toby Muse (Reason, Jun2005, Vol. 37 Issue 2) he writes about how legalization would not only create peace within Colombia, but between Colombia and the US. The country of Colombia is in a state of war within itself because it run by drug cartels. Drugs are destroying Colombia’s economy and the number of homicides has risen. Many of Colombians live below the poverty line and see drugs as a way to make any little money they can. In another article To Legalize or Not written by Eli Schuster (Newsmagazine, 2-24-01, Vol. 28 Issue 18) argues that it would be more beneficial to legalize drugs. The war on drugs in 2001 wasted about $2 billion, money that could have gone to funding education or healthcare. The Netherlands have legalized drugs for quite some time and that legalization did not lead to greater drug use, in fact the Netherlands’ heroin use is under the European average.
By legalizing drugs we see opportunity to stop the war on drugs because it has a negative effect our economy. The money we spend on the war on drugs could be put to other positive uses. The demand over time would decrease, making the need for fewer dealers. Would be dealers could find real jobs and maybe get an education. Crime would decrease because the prices of drugs would be lowered in effect to the demand decrease and supply increase. This change of demand would not happen overnight, but it would be a start and could be a beneficial and healthier economy.