Close your eyes for a minute and picture this. You go down to your local pharmacy and order some cocaine over-the-counter. Later, you catch up with a friend at a coffee shop that sells weed and smoke a couple joints. Another pal joins you, who has just come from shooting up with heroin.
No need to worry about trouble from the police. All of the above are legal.
Okay - so that's a pretty mythical scenario at the moment. But what if it wasn't?
A new report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy released on Thursday says the global war on drugs has "failed".
One of the key recommendations: countries should legalise drugs. Not all drugs - but some of them.
In fact there's a large school of thought that agrees with this principle. Take a read of this article from the Economist.
So today on the programme we're asking: what would the world look like if all drugs were legalised?
We're trying to get the views of an economist, a doctor, a police officer, an addict and a trafficker.
But we want to hear from you too. What would your country look like if drugs were made legal?
The new report was written by some big names: past UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the former leaders of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil and the entrepreneur Richard Branson. They argue that decriminalising drugs will not lead to an increase in drug use.
They point to Portugal, the Netherlands and Australia as examples of countries that have decriminalised certain drugs. Their conclusion: the number of people who used drugs actually decreased.
We've had the debate around whether drugs should be legalised. We're not re-hashing that again. We're going to slip into an imaginary scenario of drugs being legalised overnight.
If you woke up to this new world, what effect would it have on your society?
Your comments
Comment sent via Facebook
18:54
113631290
<p>
Christopher: The effects of drugs won't be some fancy legend any more. It would affect the pockets of those tax payers who would need to pay for rehabilitation.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:52
117673461
@成人论坛_WHYS Let Darwin work! Why is everyone a victim of their own actions?
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:41
118050375
@成人论坛_WHYS WailQ8 the illusion of happiness would be so extreme, that human nature will continue to try and use chemicals to create happiness
Comment sent via Facebook
18:37
113631290
<p>
Morgan in Illinois: It sure would take care of the unemployment crisis - at least for those who could mediate their intake.</p>
Comment sent via Facebook
18:25
113631290
<p>
Sahr in Freetown, Sierra Leone: I think the drugs would be processed to make them less harmful. Though we'll still see side effects of the use of them, it would not be in the crude form we see today.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:25
116027031
@成人论坛_WHYS legalizing drugs is a health risk in poor countries. Poor addicted can go hungry rather than deprived from drugs, with neg consq
Comment sent via Facebook
18:24
113631290
<p>
Vicke in the US: Dead kids. I live in a pretty posh suburb and kids have more dollars than sense. They'd be hawking those Lexus and SUVs in no time.</p>
Comment sent via Facebook
18:24
113631290
<p>
Dhaivat: You would at least be able to tell who is sensible and who's not just by looking at them.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:22
118050375
@成人论坛_WHYS some drugs can be legalised... other should be penalised more
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:22
118050375
@成人论坛_WHYS the illusion of happiness would be so extreme, that human nature will continue to try and use chemicals to create happiness
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:17
118050375
@成人论坛_WHYS all sadness would temporarily become happiness, but eventually will end up going back to sadness permanently
On air: A world where drugs are legal
| Thursday, 6 June 2011 | 17:46 - 20:30 GMT
Close your eyes for a minute and picture this. You go down to your local pharmacy and order some cocaine over-the-counter. Later, you catch up with a friend at a coffee shop that sells weed and smoke a couple joints. Another pal joins you, who has just come from shooting up with heroin.
No need to worry about trouble from the police. All of the above are legal.
Okay - so that's a pretty mythical scenario at the moment. But what if it wasn't?
A new report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy released on Thursday says the global war on drugs has "failed".
One of the key recommendations: countries should legalise drugs. Not all drugs - but some of them.
In fact there's a large school of thought that agrees with this principle. Take a read of this article from the Economist.
So today on the programme we're asking: what would the world look like if all drugs were legalised?
We're trying to get the views of an economist, a doctor, a police officer, an addict and a trafficker.
But we want to hear from you too. What would your country look like if drugs were made legal?
The new report was written by some big names: past UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the former leaders of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil and the entrepreneur Richard Branson. They argue that decriminalising drugs will not lead to an increase in drug use.
They point to Portugal, the Netherlands and Australia as examples of countries that have decriminalised certain drugs. Their conclusion: the number of people who used drugs actually decreased.
We've had the debate around whether drugs should be legalised. We're not re-hashing that again. We're going to slip into an imaginary scenario of drugs being legalised overnight.
If you woke up to this new world, what effect would it have on your society?
Your comments
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Christopher: The effects of drugs won't be some fancy legend any more. It would affect the pockets of those tax payers who would need to pay for rehabilitation.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS Let Darwin work! Why is everyone a victim of their own actions?
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS WailQ8 the illusion of happiness would be so extreme, that human nature will continue to try and use chemicals to create happiness
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Morgan in Illinois: It sure would take care of the unemployment crisis - at least for those who could mediate their intake.</p>
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Sahr in Freetown, Sierra Leone: I think the drugs would be processed to make them less harmful. Though we'll still see side effects of the use of them, it would not be in the crude form we see today.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS legalizing drugs is a health risk in poor countries. Poor addicted can go hungry rather than deprived from drugs, with neg consq
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Vicke in the US: Dead kids. I live in a pretty posh suburb and kids have more dollars than sense. They'd be hawking those Lexus and SUVs in no time.</p>
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Dhaivat: You would at least be able to tell who is sensible and who's not just by looking at them.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS some drugs can be legalised... other should be penalised more
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS the illusion of happiness would be so extreme, that human nature will continue to try and use chemicals to create happiness
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS all sadness would temporarily become happiness, but eventually will end up going back to sadness permanently