Legalization of Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legalization of Drugs - Essay Example However, before entering to the discussion about whether these drugs need to be legalized or not, it is necessary first to understand what drugs are. According to Gottfried, (2010), drugs are chemical components that are taken by individuals and have effect on how body works or functions. However, not all drugs are unsuitable. Medicines are legal drugs, but they help fight diseases and help the body function better. Nonetheless, some drugs are illegal. These are drugs that are addictive and have negative effects on human beings. Rationale of society and drugs The issue of legalizing drugs draws mixed reactions because different cultures have different views regarding the use and significance of these drugs. For example, some societies believe that the use of some drugs like marijuana has some spiritual significance attached to it (Gottfried, 2010). Cultures like Rasta movement popularly practiced in Jamaica believe that using marijuana is holy and has no harm using it. They believe t hat since marijuana is herb created by God and has the capability to make one feel high, should be legalized. On the other hand, some people highly believe in use of these drugs as a recommendation from traditional medicine men and women who recommend them to their patients. example, â€Å"Marijuana, is said to have important therapeutic effects and its seeds are highly nutritious† (Gottfried, 2010, 28). However, this has been met with considerable controversy. â€Å"Marijuana has been said to relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms occasioned by such illnesses as cancer and HIV/AIDS† (Aquino, 2005, 1). ... It is crucial to note that even if some researches indicate such importance of marijuana, it should be only used under directions of a qualified medical practitioner. Proponents’ of view on legalization of illegal drugs Proponents of legalization of illegal drugs argue that legalizing drugs is the only solution to win the war against these drugs. It is true that the war against illegal drugs is an expensive undertaking. According to Worth, (2010), it involves expensive training of police officers and other agents in the war against drugs. In fact, proponents argue that the government can make large sums of revenue from the sale of these drugs instead of wasting a lot of resources to fight the same business that would otherwise benefit it. They believe this is the war the government can not win because dealers of these drugs invent new strategy to evade police arrest every new day. At the same time, they claim that if these drugs are legalized, many people will make money by in volving themselves in the drug business. Charles, (2008) noted that â€Å"this goes hand in hand with the idea that drugs encourage and attract criminal activities† (43). To counteract this, the proponents of legalizing these drugs argue that people engage in criminal activities due to unemployment and idleness (Gottfried, 2010). It is surprising how they argue that drug use is a personal decision, and it involves the life of the user. They argue that those that take these drugs have personal benefits accrued from these drugs. Some cite the importance of leisure, which is obtained from these drugs, and they argue that â€Å"all people have a right to choose the kind of leisure to have from the available choices†