Comment by jakamau | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jakamau | Hacker News Reader

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I agree that full legalization of all substances would be dangerous - but I would support decriminalization.

Why so punctilious on the distinction between legalized and decriminalized? Individuals would no longer risk felony convictions for consumption.

- Deaths related to accidental overdose would drop

- State and Federal agencies could still pursue "distributors"

- Reduce the stress on the prison and judicial system (I'll forgo my usual rant regarding for-profit prisons)

- Gives states the legal wiggle room for legalization socially acceptable drugs (i.e. marijuana)

- Could open up more avenues of research on substances that have otherwise been effectively blacklisted.

The execution becomes problematic in having everyone agree on what amount constitutes personal consumption (misdemeanor) versus distribution with intent to sell (felony). But I still believe it would be a step forward.

> - Deaths related to accidental overdose would drop

If you want to have any chance of achieving this one, the drug in question has to be obtained from a pharmaceutical channel rather than a black market channel.

That means legalizing sale in some way too, otherwise the drugs themselves will continue to be impure and unsafe.

Luckily the drugs that are the most problematic are already legal, they just require a prescription to obtain.

So in the short term the answer is to start treating the drug aspect of drug addiction as the medical issue that it is, and allow doctors to write prescriptions to addicts.

Then you'll have a much easier time providing them assistance finding a job, education, safe housing, and medical care for any underlying condition they might have, which most of them really, really want.

I think maybe the idea is not so much that the drugs would be safer but that people would be more willing to go to call an ambulance.

It’s very dangerous to purchase anything on the illicit market. I’d rather someone just have the effects of addiction and the drug itself to fight than also flipping the dice on their lives every time they use.

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