I tend to agree that all substances should be legal, I'm just stumped when it comes to implementation. I'm sure most people wouldn't be too happy if a heroin or crack shop opened up in their neighborhood though. Should we allow the passing of ordinances preventing the operation of such shops? Should the selling be handled by designated shops at all?
Not all substances need to be legalized. There's no reason for the government to promote the use of drugs, however it should stay out of our personal choices as much as possible.
Borrowing from Portugal's drug policy, decriminalize possession of personal amounts of drugs and focus on rehabilitation.
I can see the point of only decriminalizing those few drugs, like meth, that are actually worse than alcohol. But really, shouldn't the government be encouraging people to be using marijuana rather than alcohol just from a public health perspective?
Should we allow the passing of ordinances preventing the operation of such shops?
Of course.
Lots of people don't want porn shops in their neighborhoods, either. Or casinos. So there are laws about where they can be located, what the storefront can look like, how they can advertise. Some cities ban them entirely, and you get a few of them set up right outside city limits.
I'd stay it works pretty well. People who want it know where to go, and people who don't want to see it don't have to.
