Drop that Bong - Lesson One

I believe that we have no right to use force, directly or indirectly, to prevent a fellow man from committing suicide, let alone from drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

Thanks to Why Me for the heads up on the Colbert Report story. Earlier in the day, I was flipping through my new copy of Reason and came across an advertisement for a recently commissioned Zogby poll. The question was posed to 1,028 people. They were asked whether they'd be likely to use "hard drugs such as heroin or cocaine" if those substances were legal. The results were not surprising:

Ninety-ninety percent of respondents answered, "No." Only 0.6 percent said "Yes." The remaining 0.4 percent weren't sure.

Here is a position that where my colleagues Why Me and Pirate Eddie will often disagree with me. Regardless, this is an issue that often is never discussed with reason. The belief has often been preached that upon legalization, everyone will be running to their local CVS to stock up on mid-grade opiates. Yes, there are those who have already gotten in their cars. However, most people, as the poll suggests, will consider their environment and choose a reasoned approach.