Opinions - If I was in charge and I had my way...

[Akewstick]

Its hard to have a black market when these substances are legalized. If their sales were taxed, part of that money could go towards tightening border security and keeping out smugglers. How exactly would this lead towards a coup, anyway? With the revenue generated by such an idea, more police could be on the streets (without having to be distracted by petty drug crimes), public works projects initiated, and other measures taken to ensure a happy populace. Thus, little chance of a coup or "getting chopped up by columbians", which is a statement that didnt even make sense to me. Drug lords would not likely see SWIM's country as much of a threat, for the simple reason that the country is not exporting drugs like crime syndicates are. Sure, their profits may have been lowered by not being able to import costly, inferior products, but even if they did manage to smuggle drugs in, it wouldnt do any good since the domestic drug manufacturers would be able to out-compete them in a free market. Unless this country actually WAS columbia, the drug lords would not have the wherewithal or power to go after an entire nation. SWIM doesnt know about everyone else, but he thinks its silly to have to pay so much for products of varying quality, unreliable supply, and dangerous methods used just to obtain some enjoyment for the weekend. Or does SWIY like paying out the arse for soapbar?

SWIY's statement that junkies and speed freaks would be lining the streets would probably be not true. Most heroin related problems are not from using heroin directly, its from its illegal status. Users would be able to hold down jobs to pay for their habit since the price wouldnt be exorbitant. Same goes for speed, although the capacity for meth to make people violent does make SWIM think that this drug might have to be regulated above all others...along with another popular, violence-associated, highly addictive drug...alcohol!

Well, SWIM was really just parrotting a very convincing point he'd heard made by someone else a while ago.

Maybe this is more like the argument he heard:

Imagine what SWIY's country's smuggling record would be like. There'd still be a blackmarket in all the other countries in the world who hadn't legalised drugs.

Imagine what the leaders of those countries would think about your country.

How long would it be before your country was forced to put so many restrictions on the sales of drugs (by other countries who were pissed that their all their gangsters had a place to get their hands on loads of cheap drugs, and all they had to do is get them through or around customs, which they have to do anyway) that they'd become unnavailable to almost everyone in your country?

If you didn't bend over and put all these restrictions on drugs, how long before America and most of western Europe invaded your country and you got blown up?