I'm sure you've all heard long rants from a friend or acquaintance at some point in your life about the legalization or decriminalization of drugs. Or maybe it's just me who seems to run into people with opinions on the subject that are strong enough to warrant long, frequently repeated discussions on the subject. Even if you haven't been graced with one of these lectures, you've no doubt at some point passed by some protest on legalizing some or all drugs at some point in your life.

I have pretty strong opinions on the subject of drug legalization or decriminalization myself. I also think we should decriminalize drug possession, but for different reasons than most people. My reasons for supporting decriminalization have nothing to do with any desire to do drugs or belief that they're good in any way, but more with saving money. Plain and simple, fighting the drug war costs way too much money. America spends billions of dollars every year destroying crops worldwide and incarcerating people for drug use and possession. The funny part is, the "fiscal conservatives" in our government sit around all the time complaining every time a school gets more money for a playground or music program, but rarely does anyone hear a bit of complaint from one of these people about the billions of dollars that go into the drug war. How much lower could our taxes be if we weren't paying the salaries of the thousands of people who search the woods all over America looking for marijuana plants, or if we weren't paying for tons and tons of pesticides to eradicate coca plants from South and Central America, or if we weren't paying for the costs of arresting, processing, and sending through the courts every kid who gets caught with a joint in his pocket?

Regardless, one of the arguments frequently made against decriminalization or legalization of drugs is that if we take away the penalties for possession of drugs we'll see rises in the rates of crime, drug use, and disease transmission. Well, I found this article today on the topic and thought it was interesting enough to share: Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work?

I'm sure some of you want to know what my actual opinions on drugs and their legalization or decriminalization. Some of you may have heard them already, but regardless I'll give them again. To begin, I do not think drugs should be legalized. While some of them can be used safely in moderation, many cannot, and many people are unwilling to accept the responsibility to use them in moderation. While I don't like the "nanny state" mentality, I recognize that in the absence of personal responsibility, sometimes governmental authority must step in to encourage proper behavior. I do however think that there are more effective strategies at fighting and controlling the "problem" than those we are currently exercising. I think instead of incarcerating people caught in possession of drugs, we should simply take the drugs they are in possession of and fine them. It would be similar to getting a parking ticket or a traffic violation. This way we're actually taking money in instead of wasting it. I also think the rehabilitative measures mentioned in the article on Portugal are an incredible idea because they actually go after the real problem: the choices people make to engage in drug use and the reasons for these choices. I do feel very strongly however that employers, product manufacturers, and other people should be protected from the additional risks associated with drug use and drug users. For instance, if an employer wants to test its employees for drugs and fire them if they test positive, they should be allowed to. If an employee causes an accident at work, the employer should be allowed to demand a drug test and the employee should be held solely responsible for the damages should they be found to be under the influence of drugs. Likewise, if a company that produces prescription medications puts a label on their product warning against drug use while taking it, and a person disregards the warning, the company should be free from liability should someone disregard the warnings. Also, people should be protected from people who choose to do drugs and drive just as they are from those who choose to drink alcohol and drive.

This is just my opinion, and I'm sure it could use some minor refinements and modifications, but I felt like sharing. Any thoughts?