Drug legalization of psychoactive substances Drug legalization of psychoactive substances
Drug legalization of psychoactive substances
Drug legalization of psychoactive substances
After you have studied the material covering psychopharmacology, post your views concerning drug legalization of psychoactive substances in the United States. For example, would you legalize certain psychoactive drugs or all types? Elaborate on the possible consequences of your decisions.
Study of Personality
Central to the ability to interpret and apply theories of human personality is our ability to understand scholarly research. Lecci & Magnavita discuss six methods by which personality can be researched.
For this assignment, discuss the method that you find most useful based on what you know so far, and explain why. Find a study in a peer-reviewed journal article that uses this method to study personality and discuss:
- The research questions
- How the authors used the method
- The results of the study
- Your reflection on what the study contributed to the field
Submit a 1,050- to 1,400-word (or 3-4 page) paper (excluding the cover sheet and reference page). The paper should have a minimum of two references in addition to the textbook.
After you have studied the material covering psychopharmacology, post your views concerning drug legalization of psychoactive substances in the United States. For example, would you legalize certain psychoactive drugs or all types? Elaborate on the possible consequences of your decisions.
Drug Policy In The United States
Drugs & drug policy evoke strong opinions. At stake is a mix of issues of personal freedom, public health, racial equality, public safety, costs, & large financial profits.
There are many vested interests and pressures on policy makers. Ultimately in a civilized society, good policy preserves individual freedoms, while respecting the rights of others likely to be affected.
In the case of psychoactive drugs, such as marijuana, there is an added layer because while people make a free choice to use a drug initially, a proportion of users suffer from a radically impaired ability to continue to make that rational choice- they become addicted (about 9% of marijuana users will develop a substance use disorder), and are at elevated risk for also suffering from additional mental illness, such as depression, triggered by drug usage. Substance use disorder then dramatically impairs quality of life, and with some drugs such as alcohol and opioids, can foreshorten the human lifespan by decades.
BELOW, FIND BRIEF OUTLINES OF THE SPECTRUM OF DIFFERENT DRUG POLICY POSITIONS RANGING FROM THE MOST, TO THE LEAST, RESTRICTIVE.
PROHIBITION
Most of us have heard the term “prohibition,” often associated with “alcohol prohibition.” Alcohol prohibition was enacted with the passing of the 18th amendment to the US Constitution and lasted for about fourteen years. The Volstead Act on which the initial amendment was based, banned the manufacture, sale, and distribution of all alcoholic beverages. Prohibition legislation was eventually repealed with the passing of the 21st amendment in 1933. This meant that alcohol was again legal. In most countries and the US, prohibition generally remains the primary policy position for psychoactive drugs that have the potential to be misused, cause intoxication, addiction, and induce harms.
PROs: Decreases accessibility to the drug
CONs: Increases criminality, incarceration, & black markets
DECRIMINALIZATION
Decriminalization is often confused with legalization. They are very different. Decriminalization means that if you are caught in possession of small amounts of a drug for personal use, you do not incur a criminal penalty. It is still illegal to use the drug. The penalty, however, is typically nothing more than a modest fine, such as $100. Multiple states have now passed laws decriminalizing the possession and use of marijuana.
PROs: Decreases criminality, incarceration, & black markets
CONs: Does not eliminate the cartels and criminal activity associated with the drug’s manufacture, distribution, and sales.
DE FACTO DECRIMINALIZATION
Often prior to passing decriminalization legislation, many states go through a period of “de facto decriminalization,” whereby no actual decriminalization law has been officially passed, but the existing criminal law prohibiting use is no longer enforced. It is an implicit recognition that decriminalization might be a potentially useful policy position, even if sufficient social and political will to enact it is currently absent.
PROs: Reduces criminality, incarceration, & black markets
CONs: Does not eliminate the cartels and criminal activity associated with the drug’s manufacture, distribution, and sales.
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