Legalization of Drugs

The question of whether or not to legalize certain drugs has been debated
for decades. Although opponents have thus far been successful in
preventing this, there are nonetheless a substantial number of people who
believe that legalization should be given a chance. Their arguments range
from the seeming ineffectiveness of current drug laws to the simple
premise that the government has no right to prohibit its citizens from
using drugs if they choose to do so. This essay will address the issue
from the standpoint of John Stuart Mills' "Revised Harm Principle?," which
asserts that people should be free to do what they want unless they
threaten the vital interests (i.e., security or autonomy) of others.
Using Mills' principle as a litmus test for this issue leads one to come
down on the side of legalization. Since Mills is concerned not with
individual rights, but with the consequences of one's actions on other
people, the question becomes: Is drug use an action th...