Marijuana prohibitionists inevadebly introduce MJ users to harder drugs

Pozessed said:

People who advocate for the prohibition of marijuana and allow the current federal laws to exist are helping drug dealers up-sell more severe drugs and services. Any business that offers more than one type of product or service will up-sell their services when a customer is considering a purchase. It is a widely used form of marketing not only in legal business practice, but illegal business practice as well. Thus, all who oppose MJ legalization, are in fact helping introduce people to crack, meth, heroine, guns, chop shops, and any other form of illegal practice that may be offered by the black market.
I am not suggesting that legalizing MJ will put a stop to sales on the black market. The black market will always exist. But considering that marijuana is one of the most popular substances people purchase on the black market, and it is relatively benign, I think it is a safer alternative to legalize marijuana to reduce the number of people who are introduced to harder substances and more severe criminal activity.

What say you?

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Mr Person said:

That the "gateway drug" thing is proven false no matter which way the argument is made.

I think the position that it helps drug dealers up-sell is pretty speculative. I have never had someone who sold pot try to convince me to buy other things. I've never encountered the stereotypical "pusher", whom the government thinks might leap out of a bush and try to talk me into buying heroin. (I have heard accounts of heroin sellers trying to convince a cocaine buyer to try the product, however.)

I also went to college. I noticed that (1) people who were willing to try other things did so, (2) people who were unwilling to try other things did not do so (and nobody bothered them), and (3) nobody decided to try something else because they liked pot.



I do agree fully with legalization, but I really don't buy the angle that the general availability of marijuana on the black market somehow leads to people buying other black market things. Perhaps it had a grain of truth once: if your government tells you that you will rape and kill people if you get high, but then you get high, eat a pizza, and watch a movie, then you might be more suspicious about claims the government has made as to other drugs.

I'd also note the following: legalization can almost completely circumvent the black market if people are allowed to keep a number of plants themselves. I haven't tried, but it sounds a lot easier and safer to grow pot than it is to distill your own booze.


How much of a "black market" for booze is there? Well, virtually none, unless you count counterfeit wines at auctions. (Or, if you happen to be really worried about the dangers of some dude sharing his moonshine with his buddies in some Appalachian cottage).

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