All recreational drugs should be legalized. There are many reasons to support this statement. The arguments for legalizing drugs are: it is a person's right to use drugs, most recreational drugs are safer than tobacco products and alcohol, drugs are needed for medical usage, the money used to keep drugs illegal could be used on more important things, it will end violence, people not using drugs now would not use them if they became legal, the government will be able to tax drugs, there are too many prisoners in jail for using or selling drugs, there is a discrimination to minority groups, drug production and sale would be removed from criminal acts and police and court systems could focus on worse crimes, people that sell drugs could have better careers, and it will stop drug-trafficking. There is on going debate between prohibitionists and libertarians over the legalization of drugs. Most people say that it would be a lot easier to just legalize drugs.
It is a person's right to use drugs. The government should not have a say in what people do. "Anti-prohibitionists of a more libertarian nature assert that drug use is their right, and that government does not have the authority to regulate what an individual puts into their own body, especially if it does not harm or interfere with anyone else" (Debate, 4). If someone wants to use drugs, they should be allowed to, as long if they don't harm anyone else. Some people actually need drugs. It eases pain and someone could be addicted to it. Therefore, some people depend on drugs. Many people argue the side for individual rights. Two economists, Milton Friedman and William Buckley favor the legalization of drugs on these grounds. Both of these people are strongly for drug legalization.
"Anti-prohibitionists state that the legal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, are involved in the deaths of far more people than all illicit drugs combined, thus negating the idea that illicit and licit drugs deserve their current legal status" (Debate, 3).
