Resolved: The United States federal government should legalize all illicit drugs (bib, evidence)

Definitions

Definition of “illicit drugs”

Knowledge Center: An illicit drug is one that is illegal to have (for example, cannabis, heroin, and cocaine), and the non-medical use of drugs that are legally available such as pain killers and sleeping pills [1][2].

Decriminalization vs. Legalization 

Key Articles

If you don’t have time to read any other articles, read these.

Pro — It’s time to legalize all drugs (2020). This is a good general Pro article

Pro — All drugs should be legal (2015). This is a great first read on the topic for the Pro.

Con — Calls for the legalization of drugs ignore the science (2021). This brief article explains that legalization will not lead to regulation and that it will increase use.

Con — Marijuana Legalization Has Led To More Use And Addiction While Illegal Market Continues To Thrive

General

Articles on Illicit Drugs at The Conversation

Current Trends

Americans’ Spending on Illicit Drugs Nears $150 Billion Annually; Appears to Rival What Is Spent on Alcohol (2019). This article explains how spending on illegal drugs by Americans is increasing.

Heroin

Is There a Case for Legalizing Heroin? (2021)

Legalizing All Drugs Is Just the Beginning of a Compassionate Drug Policy (2021).  This is a great Pro article in favor of legalizing all drugs that contains an interview with a Columbia University professor.

Pro

It’s time to legalize all drugs (2020). This is a good general Pro article.

Study Reveals What Happens When Drugs Are Legalized (2021). This article argues that legalization of marijuana in some areas has dropped prices and reduced drug cartels.

Why We Need Drug Policy Reform (2021). This article has explained that the war on drugs has been a total failure.

Drug Decriminalization .  This article makes a general case for drug deeriminalization. It is an overview of all of the major arguments.

America’s war on drugs has failed. Oregon is showing a way out. (2020). This article is mostly affirmative but it has some negative evidence.

Don’t Legalize Drugs. Advocates have almost convinced Americans that legalization will remove most of the evil that drugs inflict on society. Don’t believe them.

Florida Lawmaker Files Bill To Decriminalize All Currently Illicit Drugs (2021). The title of this article is better than the actual article but it is included because it contains an example of a state-level bill to legalize all drugs.

Against Drug Prohibition. The title is self-explanatory.

An Economic and Moral Case for Legalizing Cocaine and Heroin (2014)

Pro — Marijuana

How marijuana legalization would benefit the criminal justice system. (2020).  This is a good article but it is specific to marijuana.

Pro — Mexico

Legalization Advocates Hope to End Mexico’s Drug War (2020).  This article talks about the failure of the drug war in Mexico, but there are a couple of cards that talk about how the US efforts to stop drugs imports from Mexico have failed.

Con

Calls for the legalization of drugs ignore the science (2021). This brief article explains that legalization will not lead to regulation and that it will increase use.

Overdose Deaths Surged In Pandemic, As More Drugs Were Laced With Fentanyl (2021).  This article isn’t great but it says that illegal drugs are laced with fentanyl.

Negative Health Effects of Various Illegal Drugs (2021). This article explains the health impacts of various drugs but it doesn’t link the harms to legalization.

How illicit drugs impact the economy  his article explains the economic impacts of various drugs but it doesn’t link the harms to legalization.

Con — Incarceration Answers

Why you can’t blame mass incarceration on the war on drugs (2017). The title is self-explanatory.

International

Additional International Drug Challenges