Reason Versus City Journal: Legalize All Drugs Debate

Should all drugs be legal? At SSDP, we certainly think so! The War on Drugs is a War on Us and while all substances do carry risks and can have negative impacts on an individual, prohibition magnifies any negative impacts exponentially while creating new problems of its own.

On June 24th, SSDP Program Assistant Chandler Huffman attended a Washington D.C. debate between journalists on the topic.

Reason Magazine’s Billy Binion and Jacob Sullum debated City Journal’s Charles Fain Lehman and Rafael Mangual about the legalization of all substances. The Reason journalists argued in favor of complete legalization claiming that prohibition leads to black market sales, stigmatization leading to health concerns, and increased violence on all fronts. City Journal opposed the legalization of all substances due to worries of worsened substance use disorder, increased availability leading to harm, and overwhelming our healthcare systems. 

Reason argued that substances should be taxed and regulations should be implemented to provide greater resources, such as treatment and harm reduction, for those struggling with a substance use disorder. City Journal was concerned about the social costs and chaos resulting from poor regulatory frameworks under a legalized model.

Both organizations brought lively opinions to the discussion with evidence-based solutions. However, the main arguments were often centered around moral ideologies for a safer and just world. 

To watch the debate for yourself, visit Reason Versus City Journal: Legalize All Drugs.