Drug Use In Socialist Society

[afitillidie13]

In a socialist society would drug use be illegal? And if so would this include all drugs or only hard drugs (excluding marijuana and alcohol)?

I think drug use (of anykind) should be legal in a socialist society (as it is a civil liberty), but that drug abuse should be illegal (in that it is damaging to society and collective rights).

[Stonewall]

I think it should all be legal. Drug abuse shouldn't come about in a socialist society as the causes wouldn't be around, however, even if they were, it'd be a personal matter.

[Mustufa_Black Cat]

Marijuana and some party pills should be legal, but I am not sure about hard drugs...its a hard one.

[P.O.U.M]

Ive become a rather anti-drug nazi lately. Theres so many ways that shit can fuck you over. And Ive seen more than enough scenario's happen to various friends and acquittance's.

Idealy I would like it to be a personal matter. But however, upon revolutionary change, much of the old crap from society will still be there. And I would prefer certain (crystal meth) drugs to still be unlawful. Of course, I would prefer a different handling of users than our current system. For those who create it though, those who profiteer off human life... well, let them have the same fate as any other aspiring bourgeois would in a socialist society.

I think drug use (of anykind) should be legal in a socialist society (as it is a civil liberty), but that drug abuse should be illegal (in that it is damaging to society and collective rights).

I agree with this. And alcohol and marijuana are often abused. In fact, I hardly know any marijuana users, 90% of them (and thats being generous) are abusers.

[Stonewall]

I'd have to disagree. For example,  Ecstasy, in pure form, actually can produce positive results for those suffering from suicidal depression and post traumatic stress disorder. Indeed, the FDA has actually approved limited distribution of Ecstasy for soldiers suffering from PTSD due to the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. It has also been used for rape victims and those suffering from suicidal depression in Europe. Most of the so-called “negative” consequences are the results of the impure Ecstasy that illegal dealers distribute. Impure E often contains more harmful chemical additives to make the drug addicting, even though it hasn’t been proven addictive in pure form. Indeed, John Hopkins researchers admitted that their publication of “holes in the brain” was not truthful, as they used other drugs in combination with E during the experiments. Psychedelic drugs could represent a revolutionary breakthrough in mental health, one that could solve many mental problems that people suffer from.

As for “problems existing under socialist society”, I beg to differ. Statistically, those suffering from depression [which can be caused by socioeconomic problems, relationship troubles, alienation, excessive stress, etc.] are far more likely than the general population to abuse drugs. As many of those problems would be erased under a socialistic restructuring of society, the causes of drug abuse would be removed, so the problem would dissipate. As for abuse of marijuana, once again, I beg to differ and I encourage you to research the situation in the Netherlands, where marijuana abuse has actually declined!

All drugs should be legalized, allowing for the State to regulate the production of chemical substances and ensuring purity and safety. By altering drugs and ensuring quality and purity, we can stamp out impurities and addiction and can make the product safer for those using it, while generating revenue for State investment in rehabilitative services and prevention. Basically, under such circumstances, drug use could actually spell the death of itself.

[zarathurstra]

i feel that drugs should be used only if they have a medical use or if they have to be legal put very tight restrictions on them

[igor_r]

In socialist society everybody would be happy without drugs.  ;)

[Volkov]

The legalizaiton or prohibition of drug use in socialist society would be determined by fierce research, debate, and voting in the democratic organizations of workers (they were called soviets in the USSR, before the Stalinist counterrevolution).  I believe that they will be more likely to be abolished when there are not problems for some to use drugs to escape realitiy, when there are not lumpenproletarians selling the stuff, no more of that fad, peer pressure crap from other people, etc. 

[Stonewall]

To each their own. I'd absolutely oppose anyone wanting to ban drugs.

[Zavalien]

In socialist society everybody would be happy without drugs. ;)

People will always use drugs no matter how happy they are or how great there life is. Even now people at all levels of society use drugs. It’s naive to believe that people won’t use drugs simply because they are illegal, why shouldn’t I be allowed to smoke marijuana if I want to, it’s my own personal choice and in a free society I should have the right to do so if I please. there dose however need to be laws governing the use of narcotics such as there is with alcohol like no driving dunk and not being drunk in public and so on. there is a thin line between use and abuse and you will always get people who don’t know when to stop, but the cancer to society is the conditions created when drugs are illegal think of alcohol in the 1930's (during prohibition) and today. By legalizing all narcotics you take power and control away from shady criminals and turn it over into  profitable and honest enterprise. Taking drug use out of the ghettos and in to a cafe will benefit society.  it’s wrong to deprive people of the medical benefits. Imagine having a surgery with out an anesthetic, same type of thing. There is a lot to be learned and a lot of people stand to benefit. It is clearly seen that there is powerful chemicals in narcotics which can have powerful vices over people but we need to stop being afraid of them and harness them for the betterment of society.

[Karl Belin]

Of course, the SALE of drugs would be illegal, and therefore, many of the problems that come along with it would be gone (i.e. pushing drugs, assassinations, cartels, etc.). We would see an overwhelming drop in drug abuse because the market for them would be totally erradicated. If people wish to grow/make their own drugs, that may be a personal matter. But, we cannot determine the will of the people before a revolutionary situation comes to be. It may be that the people vote to illegalize drugs, it may be that they vote to legalize them. I personally would vote against their legalization, but that is a matter of personal opinion and I would have room to express that opinion in a socialist society and get an echo, just like someone that wanted to legalize them.

[Green]

 If drugs are made legal and researched they will be less popular. Drugs and prostitution and what gangs run on, so if both of those are legalized then there will be less gang violence. I don't know about drugs like heroin and meth, because those are both so nasty. I would like to see pot legalized though.

[(Re)volution]

Well many drugs could be legalized and even studied for the benefit of the people such as marijuana, however drugs like crack, cocaine, heroine, and meth only serve to help destroy society. So resonable drugs should be legalized, however the struggle against the extreme drugs should increase tenfold. If we are to better society then things like crack can't exist to harm progress. Honestly its hard to look at drugs as a whole, being that the term is used to describe such a broad range of items. So the legalization would be in the hands of people, but I think the voting would be seperate for each product.