The Need for an Open Debate on Drug Legalization

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By William K. Boland
2010, Vol. 2 No. 03 | Page 2 of 2 |
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Opponents might argue that the two are very different subjects and can not possibly be compared. However, by examining the black market and organized crime syndicates of Russia, it is clear to see that any substance, when prohibited, results in these increases in homicide rates and crime rates. The particular substance in question in Russia is caviar. As a result of the depletion of sturgeon populations in the Black and Caspian Sea regions, regulatory policies have been set up to avoid extinction of the species. However, with continued global demand for Russian caviar, crime and the black market have centered itself around the substance. Again, if this is true, why has the government not set up research to examine these scenarios and compare them with that of currently illegal drugs?

In conclusion, though the information existing on the subject of the legalization of drugs in America is compelling and eye-opening, the lack of U.S. government funded research on the effects of a move for legalization is a crime to the American public and leaves several major questions unanswered. And, it is this lack of information that leaves the legalization debate in a constant state of suspension with no possible motion in either direction. Surprisingly, though, it is this one issue that most involved in the debate strongly agree on with people from both sides questioning, “Why hasn’t this research been done?”


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As debates regarding the legalization of certain drugs rage on, cases of teen drug abuse continue to rise and create problems for both the affected families and the government.

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William K. Boland graduated in 2005 with a concentration in Cinema Television Production from University Of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA US.

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