Answering the Libertarian argument for drug legalization

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by Goooh

So why did you put a vote in place?

I wanted there to be a clear visual indicator at the top of every page that a significant number of those advocating legalization of cannabis in this discussion weren't too concerned with increased access by adolescents and that many were also not going to be content with marijuana, but also advocated legalization of all drugs.

A survey in an internet discussion forum does not reveal the positions of the general population, but it is a useful tool for revealing the positions of participants in the discussion.

It is also notable that in their letter for the actual exercise of legislative power, the forum participant(s) advocating that exercise say nothing about drafting a law for legalization with a lower age limit of 21 to restrict access to adults, nothing about keeping felony penalties for providing access to those under 21, nothing about a blood alcohol limit for drivers (say 5 ng/ml like legislation Washington and Colorado), and nothing about maintaining current restrictions on manufacture, importation, and distribution of other drugs. The actual legislation they are advocating opens the gate without any reasonable boundaries.

Current scientific information about marijuana has been summarized in the AAP policy statement “Marijuana: A Continuing Concern for Pediatricians.” Some of the significant neuropharmacologic, cognitive, behavioral, and somatic consequences of acute and long-term marijuana use are well known and include negative effects on short-term memory, concentration, attention span, motivation, and problem solving, which clearly interfere with learning; adverse effects on coordination, judgment, reaction time, and tracking ability, which contribute substantially to unintentional deaths and injuries among adolescents (especially those associated with motor vehicles); and negative health effects with repeated use similar to effects seen with smoking tobacco. - Legalization of Marijuana: Potential Impact on Youth