Should any narcotics be legalised and decriminalised? More and more states are acting to relax drug laws. In 2021, Oregon was the first state to decriminalise hard drugs like heroin and methamphetamine. Advocates say legalisation generates tax revenue, reduces the criminal justice burden, ends the war on drugs, and puts more of an emphasis on treatment and rehabilitation. That all sounds great, but does the more relaxed approach to legalised marijuana taken in some states have any down sides? In the US, 14 states and DC allow recreational pot, while marijuana for medical purposes is now legal in 35 states, and DC. New York has recently gone further; it has legalised recreational marijuana and will also expunge criminal records for anyone convicted of possessing pot in quantities below the new legal limit. Elsewhere in the world, Mexico recently joined Canada and Uruguay in legalising cannabis.
We spoke to Sally Schindel from Arizona, whose son Andy died by suicide and said marijuana addiction was the cause of his mental state. A Colorado pain medicine doctor, Ken Finn talks about the effects of legalised cannabis in his state.
Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, told us about misconceptions surrounding the narcotic industry and its products. We also hear from a former bud tender, Anne Hassel from Massachusetts who has seen inside the US pot industry.
Should Drugs Be Made Legal?
