The NewburyToday 2012 Legolympiad: Odysseus against Perseus, The Legalisation of Pot will reduce crime Options

[Simon Kirby]

The Games of the NewburyToday 2012 Legolympiad: Odysseus against Perseus

The proposition is: The Legalisation of Pot will reduce crime.

Arguing for the proposition is Odysseus, and arguing against the proposition is Perseus.

When the heros have completed their contest a poll will open in this thread, so please vote for the hero you feel argued their position the best. The thread will be open for comments then too, though please try not to comment until the debate has finished. Many thanks.

[Simon Kirby]

Odysseus says:

Most learned sources will confirm pot is just as safe, possibly safer than alcohol or tobacco. Its a perception issue, pot is categorised in the same way as hard drugs such as heroin and derivatives. No tangible evidence has been produced to show an absolute progression from pot to harder drugs. Sp then, as it appears to be safe and no more addictive than the soft legal stimulants, society would reap a massive benefit in legalising its use.

Not only in Police and Justice system costs, but also in Health care, where the effects of using impure product can cause damage. Additionally, at a stroke, it would eliminate a major organised crime channel. Some of the saved costs could then be redirected to better solve the issues associated with hard drugs.

Intangible benefits would bring back into mainstream society criminalised pot users; providing an even bigger percentage of the population who were law abiding. Further, the use of pot in pain relief would be a massive benefit. Who best looks after baby? Sister after a night on the Vod, or Gran, able to use her pain free hands after a legal dose of pot?

[Simon Kirby]

Perseus says:

I am not stricken with arthritis so the medicinal use for others is for clinicians to decide.
It would seem that there have been several recorded incidents of young male suicide over the last decades.
Often associated with heavy pot use, which would go along with the phrase,
which am repeating from another.
"I could solve the problems of the world, if I could only be bothered to get out of bed".

Legally available I am sure it would be perfectly safe, but there is always the crime market
which would be more attractive to vulnerables and street bullies. So perhaps there has to be
a general offence for dealing or using the drug at street level.

Goodness you just have to look at various EU scandals on the adulteration of wine and vodka
with ethanol. Accum wrote several books centuries ago."There is death in the pot"
Maybe he was right.