Legalizing Drugs will help the economy

A very important issue that really does not seem to get a lot of attention in this country is the failure of the war on drugs. This subject is something that makes Dr. Babula stand out over all the other candidates for the 4^th congressional district of Maryland, the legalization of drugs. In my opinion, this would be a terrific step forward for the U.S. economy because not only would it save our country money, it would prevent drug-selling on the black market and deaths as well. I, for one, am against drugs and the use of them. However, I feel that should drugs be legalized, the use and desire for the much more harmful drugs will die down. It will be a similar event to the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s, which led to illegal smuggling and higher crime rates. The legalization of alcohol brought the crime wave to a screeching halt, and a similar effect will occur with the legalization of drugs.

The main candidates against Dr. Babula, Donna Edwards and Albert Wynn, provide no answer to the issue of the war on drugs on their websites. However, Dr. Babula addresses the issue with great reasoning as to why it would help the economy. The black market affects the economy greatly, especially in the case of illegal drugs. All the money that the government invests into preventing harmful drug use is virtually thrown away because of cartels and the black market, where the drugs go for much more money then they are worth. Not only that, but these types of illegal movements lead to an increase in the crime rate, possibly even greater amounts of organized crime. Drug deals on the black market help increase murders as well. All of this shows that the war on drugs has had absolutely no positive effect on the country. It has had a negative effect at best, especially economically, where the U.S. government has spent 600 dollars a second on the war on drugs¹.

Dr. Babula’s solution to legalize all types of drugs will lead to a decrease in all of these harmful aspects on society. Just as it had been done for alcohol in the 1920s, the black market and organized crime will no longer exist and prices for drugs will fall to their lowest possible point. The government can then use the money that would be used for the war on drugs on other helpful aspects, such as helping end the war in Iraq. The decision to legalize drugs would be beneficial to so many aspects of, not just our country, but also places like Columbia who are in the middle of a civil war over the war on drugs. With legalization, these drugs can be produced without any harmful consequences on anyone. Dr. Babula can help address this issue in Congress and it will be extremely beneficial to the American economy. It is important to realize that the American economy is in an extremely weak state, in which the dollar has fallen in value to that of the Canadian dollar. Steps like these will help the economy rise again and bring the dollar back to its highest value.

¹Babula, Michael. “Dr. Michael Babula For Congress 2008.” 18 Jan. 2008

http://www.babula2008.com/index.htm

Journal Articles

-Block, Walter and Cussen, Meaghan. “Legalize Drugs Now!” The American Journal of Economics and Sociology. 18 Jan. 2008

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0254/is_3_59/ai_65348069

-Roe, Benson B. “Why We Should Legalize Drugs” 18 Jan. 2008

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Misc/roe1.htm