Drugs a moral issue?

I think drugs are a very moral issue.

Taking away an adult's free choice to use them is highly immoral.

 

Stop saying things that I can only agree with!

But, yeah if I want to take drugs, then that is my decision.

 

moral issues are human conventions and have no foundation in nature.

 

If you could relate that to the discussion, it would really help me out...

Rape and murder are also natural. Luckily, we have evolved not to find them socially acceptable, even though some people will still engage in them.

It's been a really long time since I posted the question, but I'm pretty sure it was not whether or not drugs were inherently "bad," but why users have such a negative stigma attached to them, seemingly regardless of whether they've found the right balance or not.

 

discounting Kant, in order to make a moral value judgment about an action, the action must directly, by it's very nature effect someone else in some way. I smoke a joint, happy, hungry, sleepy. what happens to the people around me? NOTHING. nothing changes in the other people when I smoke a joint. therefore, my joint-smoking is entirely outside of the scope of moral consideration.

but what about a heroin addict who robs a liquor store and shoots three people on the way out? well, what is it about a person that makes them morally culpable? it's the ability to think. can heroin think? no it can not. therefore, heroin is outside the scope of moral consideration. it's not the chemical's fault; it's the person.

 

But if we make that chemical illegal to protect them from how much they themselves suck, then it's ok, even though that law might make 3 people die in a liquor store, and hundreds of thousands die over the course over a nearly century long war on chemicals, from plants to fermented plants.

Republicans 1, logical people 0.

Also, you seem to be using logic. Maybe if we get tough on crime and lock you and your dangerous thoughts away with really dangerous people, you'll get safer for society.

Republicans 50 trillion, logical people 0.

(republicans also can't do math, if you look at the budget)

 

Heroin can't think, but it influences the thought patterns of the person it is in. Once you're hooked you're fucked, you can't think straight any more. Think of it as a form of psychosis, it's not, but it completely rewires your thought processes so that you keep needing it. When you run out of money and can't get your fix, what do you do? Run out and rob a liquor store, why shoot the people? Fuck knows... paranoia? Dunno, never taken heroin and never will because I know it fucks with your head.

Back to the main point:

People generalise drugs as all being bad because generalising is what people do best. We usually try to take the easiest option in life, unless you're after a challenge. Drug users take the challenge and find out for themselves, the rest of them aren't interested so the easiest option is to generalise.
It's more than that as well.
How many times have you heard something that you've never heard before and assumed it's true? Then you go and tell someone else and it carries on.
Psychologically we are also wired to always focus more on the bad sides, because too many people also say "Everything bad always happens to me!". It doesn't, it's just you pick up on it more because you take everything good that happens to you for granted. My opinion is that this way of thinking is the process of evolution - bad things stick out more so you don't do them as much, and therefore have a better chance of surviving.

There are probably looooads more factors, but if you combine these 3 you've got a pretty good idea of why everyone thinks the way they do.
Someone has a bad experience on drugs - it sticks out horribly in their mind, they tell all their friends and exaggerate the story. It sounds even worse so friends tell everyone else, and then everyone generalises all drugs as bad shit.

Of course, I could just be generalising as well! but hey, this is my shot at it.

 

Frankly, I don't see what you're saying.

It's simple: if you do something, you're responsible, unless someone ELSE forced you to take a drug.

Laws and "morals" are to protect other people, when you start protecting me from myself or simply keeping things from being done regardless of harm because you think they shouldn't be done, that is immoral and tyrannical.

 

That's what I was aiming at answering, forgive me if it's not very clear

 

well the answer to that original question is also simple:

Scapegoating and politics.

 

:iagree:

Look at what Gaddafi blamed the revolts on: junkies. No joke.

Personally I think that a lot of drugs were banned in response to the counterculture movement of the 60s. They couldn't control peoples minds, but they could control what altered it. Nowadays people just stereotype drug users, so there is public outcry from soccer moms when drug legalization is even mentioned.

The main problem is the inequality of the law. Just imagine in alcohol was never invented and was introduced today. It would never be legal. But because everyone uses it, no one dares touch it.

Whatever way you look at drugs, all the signs point towards legalization:

Moral issue: Since drug use affects no one but yourself, it should be your own choice on whether or not to use them. It's your own fault if you fall into a heroin addiction and rob a liquour store for money, as you should have been aware of the risks.

Economic issue: it takes the money out of the hands of criminals and into the hands of working people. Not to mention the huge potential of a hemp industry.

Social issue: Look at the example of Portugal. Theybenefitted from legalization of all drugs. And in my opinion, the world would benefit from a little physcedelic insight. It would make us better people.

A health issue: Again, look at Portugal. The massive amounts of money they spent on the War on Drugs went into rehabilitation and education. Drug use went up, but addiction and deaths went down. The same could work in other countries.

A criminal issue: What else can I say, other than it will destroy the single biggest criminal economy in the world, cripple countless gangs and take a huge amount money out of terrorism (Al-Qaeda’s opium trade, for intense).

It's fucking ridiculous.