Route 36 still open for business (and cocaine)

La Paz, Bolivia. Apparently the place to visit if you’re looking to have a Hunter S. Thompson themed night out with your mates. I’ve just read about their Route 36, a lounge that sells cocaine as if they were selling fries. Not legal, of course, but as one of the waiters says “The owner has paid off all the right people”.

But just thinking about this pop-up shop brings me to a question I’ve had for a while now, should drugs be legalised?

We all know that drugs are bad, but would their legalisation have a beneficial impact on society? Think of all the tax money the government would get and the drop in drug crimes that would follow, but at the same time I wonder if this regularization of drugs would be able to be contained. If the government would allow small doses to be given out every once in a while what would stop addicts to score from illicit dealers again to no end result?

But in this society where alcohol and cigarettes, two just as bad vices are allowed, shouldn’t drugs stand the same chance? Shouldn’t people be given an opportunity to chose for themselves or would they just fall for drugs without thinking?

Maybe it’s not a matter of “all drugs” after all. Portugal, having decriminalized drugs has one of  lowest drug usage percentage in comparison to other countries. Not even absinthe is legal everywhere, even though it is just alcohol, so maybe the answer lies in moderation –  not all drugs, maybe just a few?

However, even when it comes to legalising marijuana, one of the “soft” drugs, used in several countries around the world for medicinal purposes the opinions aren’t aiming for legalisation. A recent proposition which would have allowed several marijuana-related activities for instance personal usage under several limits as well as giving local governments the right to collect taxes on this substance did not pass in California failing with approximately 54% of voters saying ‘No’. California being a state where medical marijuana is allowed by law.

So, I want to know your opinions, should drugs be legalised? Which ones? Or should we just follow Mr. Dali’s approach to drugs?