Portugal decriminalised drug use 14 years ago. Now The country has 3 overdose deaths per million citizens, compared to the EU average of 17.3. If our government made a study of their success, we could have much more sensible laws.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/portugal-decriminalised-drugs-14-years-ago-and-now-hardly-anyone-dies-from-overdosing-10301780.html

Now we need to get our elected officials to take notice. The general public needs to read this , too.

Prohibition did not work in the USA - it fuelled the rise of the Mafia.
People don't take drugs because of the thrill of illegality any more than they drink alcohol because it is a legal drug and therefore OK.
If cannabis, for instance, was sold in shops by knowledgable dealers then buyers would know whether they were going to get a mild relaxation or the much stronger hit you get from skunk. Just like they know how strong the different drinks are in a pub.

The current approach isn't working so it's time to try something else. Taking illicit drugs out of the hands of gangs would remove a large swathe of criminal behaviour and, as Cosafina says, the govt could levy taxes on them.

I also reluctantly agree. I heard a policeman talking on the radio, he said that as soon as they catch and imprison a drug gang, another steps into place, there are always several out there jostling for place as the top gang, and usually there are deaths of gang members until the next top gang is established, so he felt guilty knowing that everytime drug dealers are caught it led to more deaths and did nothing to stop the supply of drugs. There are so many dealers out there you simply cannot stop them.
The only problem with legalisation is that it will be difficult to protect young people and children - assuming that there would be a minimum age, there would still be those trying to make a living out of selling them to underage children to get them hooked, and then be regular cistomers until they are of age.

I totally agree with this message too. I'm always hearing cries of "but if you legalise them, everyone will think it's OK to take drugs". Utter nonsense. The reason some people don't take drugs is not because they're illegal (which doesn't seem to have ever stopped anybody from taking them) but because they don't want to.
The "war" on drugs could be compared to Prohibition in the States - a complete waste of time that just allows criminal organisations to grow rich.
A friend of mine has recently written a memoir in which he recounts the tale of an American he met who had funded his way through college by buying cannabis in Mexico and selling it in the States to friends who wanted to buy it, or in jazz clubs. He said it was fine for years until the government started their War on Drugs, which only served to push the price higher - until organised crime got interested and started moving into the market. And they wanted to push harder drugs onto their smokers in order to create more demand, so at this point he left the business.
Legalise the drugs and not only can the government ensure the quality and dosage that is sold, but they'll be able to raise billions in the tax on them! You'd wipe out organised crime AND fund the NHS at a stroke!

Making drugs legal would ensure the quality of the product and break the criminal gangs that rely on drug money to function. I'd like them to only be available at pharmacies though with a warning on the box just to remind people that they're a drug and not a sweet.

I too agree

Completely agree with this statement. By forcing those who wish to experiment with recreational drugs into the hands of illegal sellers and producers, we are making the use of drugs even more dangerous than it should be. To put it simply; if my next door neighbours use illegal drugs that is not my concern, but if they burgle my house to fund the habit, it is my concern.This is not just something that happens to 'other people' or on sink estates, it is within all our lives, unless you are extremely fortunate ( or stick your head in the sand)