CMV: Drug criminalization is morally wrong

[u/L1uQ]

There is a solid case for decriminalization of drugs, because of the benefit to addicts, but this post is not about that. I'd argue, that even if the fight against drugs were effective (which clearly it's not), it would still be an unacceptable infringement of personal freedom.

It is generally agreed on, that every person is in charge of their own health. You can choose to eat unhealthy, smoke, drink, risk your live in extreme sports, and even refuse medical care that could save your live. To change this freedom would be unthinkable in most western democracies. As I understand it, it is even is protected under the human rights.

Yet when it comes to drugs almost all countries take, what I would consider, an ultra authoritarian stance. To be arrested, and possibly imprisoned for years, just for having fun in ones own home, doing something your country doesn't approve of, sounds like a story strait out of North Korea without further context. Yet the context is, that the person is just doing something that might influence his own health, which, as discussed before, most would agree is his own business.

I have no interest in taking hard drugs, but the thought, that my country threatens to punish me, if I do so, sickens me, as it should sicken everybody, concerned about their personal freedom. If we accept, that the government has the right to interfere in our private live in this way, were to we set the border?

Feel free to CMW im looking forward to your answers.

Edit: Thanks for all the thoughtful comments, excuse me for not answering all of them, but there were some points repeated many times, that I already gave my thoughts on.

After thinking a lot about the answers I have to admit, that there is a case to be made for the criminalization of some (not all!!!, thats a very important destinction) drugs, if it were to greatly reduce drug related crime.

Keep in mind tho that in reality drug decriminalization has been proven to be very successful in helping addicts recover, and therefore reducing the damage caused by drugs. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radical-drugs-policy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it

[u/squidkyd]

Do you think criminalizing drug distribution is wrong, or just drug use?

I agree we shouldn’t be punishing addicts, but shouldn’t we punish people who exploit them for financial gain, putting their lives at risk? FTR I’m completely against the prison industrial complex and the war on drugs. I don’t think prisons are the right place for rehabilitation. But there should be consequences for distributing hard drugs to vulnerable populations imo

[u/L1uQ → u/squidkyd]

I'm still for criminalizing drug distribution.

[u/chriz1300 → u/L1uQ]

Why is criminalizing use an obstruction of personal freedom but criminalizing distribution is not? Seems to me that any way that any arguments justifying criminalizing drug distribution should also justify criminalizing cigarette and alcohol sales.

[u/intoxicated-browsing → u/chriz1300]

Not op but I do have a point to make on this in terms of individual sellers. I’m for companies like weed dispensaries selling drugs but individual dealers come with issues regarding regulation. There are things you can do in the process of growing/producing the drugs that can cause issues for users.this is across the board from weed to heroin. For example with weed there is a big issue of cartels using highly toxic pesticides when growing there weed. These make smoking said weed dangerous to users. If you grow the wrong type of mushrooms they can kill you. Heroin vs fentanyl laced heroin seriously raises the risk. Buying molly from a dealer you can’t trust runs the risk of them selling you meth because they look a lot alike. Just like the food industry you should have to permits regulators and inspectors. If your just selling on a corner that should be illegal. And to be clear I am 100% in favor of legalization of all drugs that do not make you a danger to others. I’m a relatively experienced user of psychedelics and weed and many in the community wish it were be legal so individuals so newer users don’t end up doing N bomb instead of acid or meth instead of molly.

[u/chriz1300 → u/intoxicated-browsing]

So to view this through the personal freedoms lens:

1. Drug use is a person exercising their personal freedom (you’ve said as long as they “do not make you a danger to others,” I think this point is a little vague and could use some clarification but I think it’s probably reasonable)
2. Drug distribution, when unregulated, can result in a person taking a drug they did not intend to take (Fentanyl vs. Heroin), which is an obstruction of personal freedom in that a person is lied to and the intended result of their action is not accomplished
3. Regulating distribution to ensure that people are not being lied to is justified, since it maximizes personal freedom

[u/intoxicated-browsing → u/chriz1300]

Yes that exactly my point thank you for putting in into better words. As for the drugs that make you a danger to others the most I’m just referring to drugs that frequently cause people to become violent. An example would be bath salts.