Drugs of Abuse
Throughout the history of Mankind, the use and abuse of intoxicating substances has been fundamentally linked to culture, religion, and counterculture. The psychology behind the use of drugs is complex and varies from person to person and from drug to drug.
Some drugs occur so readily in nature that their existence cannot be prevented. Ethanol is constantly being produced through natural fermentation of fruits and grains, making its prohibition virtually impossible. Marijuana is easily cultivated and requires no processing before use; its production too would be impossible to ban. Most other drugs of abuse require some type of chemical synthesis which could be monitored, regulated, or prevented.
Any intoxicating substance, by definition, has an impairing effect on humans. That does not mean that such an effect is totally undesirable. Although many individuals lives have been utterly ruined by alcohol consumption, the substance is widely revered as having a valid social effect when used in moderation. Marijuana has similar effects with relatively low health risks associated with occasional use. Other drugs such as heroin and cocaine have no redeeming social value and lend themselves to addiction and fatal overdoses and for this reason have no place in our society. Those who have used LSD claim, often incorrectly, that the drug gives them great philosophical or artistic insight. Whether or not this is true, it does not seem to produce dependancy or have significant negative long-term health effects associated with its use.
Drugs of abuse can be dealt with in many ways. Total prohibition is one option. This historically has lead to a black market and organized crime. In addition, tremendous police resources are required to maintain the prohibition.
Some cultures have attempted to allow use of drugs such as heroin, so long as the user is registered as a "user" with the government. This labeling creates a stigma and thus the basis for establishing a black market where, for example, a registered user might be an agent supplying a covert user.
Legalization of drugs of abuse, for adult citizens, is the policy adopted by our world. Critics suggest that legalization increases use by curious but otherwise law-abiding abstainers who now lack a criminal deterrent to drug use. We find that through education and philosophical indoctrination we can minimize this effect. Further, by minimizing our expense of resources policing drug trafficking, we can promote social programs to limit drug use and assist users in recovery.
While use of these
drugs may be legal, production, promotion, and distribution of
these drugs is illegal. For this reason, no resources may be allocated
for such activities, other than to the official (government) agencies
that produce these agents in a safe and controlled manner. Misappropriation
of land, equipment and other resources for such purposes is punished severely
by our laws, as is engaging in production, promotion, and distribution
of these drugs, with banishment to the Penal Colony after conviction of
a first offense.