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Comment by arcticbull | Hacker News Reader

> But you need some strong incentive structure to not start doing heroin in the first place.

You really don't. You seem like a straight-laced individual, if I told you heroin were legal in the US tomorrow would you go get some? I seriously doubt it. Anyone who wants it can already get it. Anyone not using isn't going to start due to legalization.

You know what legal thing I hear is fun but bad for you? Autoerotic asphyxiation -- but you don't see me hanging from the ceiling fan.

I urge you to research the Portuguese model, where all drugs were decriminalized to massive success [1].

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radic...

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I urge you to research the Portuguese model

Also, don't forget to mention that Norway is currently running a test program to give free heroin to its addicts.[0]

[0] https://www.foxnews.com/world/norway-to-test-free-heroin-pro...

That argument doesn't sound well founded. The booming marijuana industry and its popularity among previously non-pot smokers should've been your first clue.

Anecdotal, but I've found more people are simply willing to admit they smoked pot now that marijuana looks to be legal. People simply lied about it.

(1) Marijuana is not nearly as bad for you as tobacco or alcohol, whereas I think we all agree hard drugs are worse. This study from a few years back should put things into perspective [1]. I think it's disingenuous to compare a drug that's objectively safe to one that's broadly recognized as objectively harmful.

(2) As of October 2018 (shortly before legalization) 47% of all Canadians have tried pot. [2] Now that it's legal, people are just more willing to fess up to it. Again, it's nothing they couldn't get before if they'd wanted it. Further [3] shows that the percentage of people smoking pot in Canada did not in fact increase after legalization.

[1] https://www.vox.com/2015/2/24/8094759/alcohol-marijuana

[2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/587689/marijuana-consump...

[3] https://www.countable.us/articles/21403-statistics-show-cana...

From Statistics Canada: "For example, the vast majority (98%) of those who have never consumed cannabis indicated that they would not use in the next three months. In contrast, most daily or almost daily (93%) and weekly (84%) users thought they would continue to use in the next few months at the same frequency." [1]

[1] https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/190207/dq190...

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