... Why are we not going down the more sensible road by decriminalizing drug possession including marijuana, cocaine and heroin ... Cigarettes are a drug that has catastrophic consequences to the wellbeing of a person and his life expectancy ...
I think you'll need to decide which side of the decriminalisation argument you are on, and whether you propose decriminalising use as well as possession.
Is it your argument that you regard certain drugs as being less harmful than tobacco products, and that these other drugs do not have "catastrophic consequences to the wellbeing of a person and his life expectancy"? If that is your argument then I would certainly like to see references to supportive evidence.
Is it your argument that the importation, sale, supply and use of drugs such as "marijuana, cocaine and heroin" be licenced or regulated in some way by the state, such that they only end up in the hands of "appropriate people", however you might want to define "appropriate people"?
If that is your argument then I can only conclude that you believe the regulations and restrictions governing the importation, sale, supply and use of drugs such as prescription medications, alcohol and tobacco work sufficiently well such that these substances :
- Are never used by minors
- Are never smuggled or traded illicitly
- Never cause social problems, assaults or criminality
- Never cause acute or chronic health problems or death.
If that is your argument again I would like to see references to supporting evidence.
Incidentally some of the commonest drugs smuggled into Ireland are tobacco products and it would appear that this is as lucrative a venture as smuggling other drugs. Possessing smuggled tobacco products has not been decriminalised and I don't hear any calls for such decriminalisation at the moment.
I'm afraid I see as much merit and insight in arguments for decriminalising the sale, possession and use of drugs currently classified as illicit as I do in arguments for the rescinding the current drink-driving legislation.