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sneak | on: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon
There were no victims of his conduct.

The idea that possession of drugs is or should be illegal is purely arbitrary, and is used thus to justify massive violations of human rights. It is literally insane that the state claims authority over what you are allowed to do to your own body.

No victim, no crime.

mirpa | parent | next
While you might argue which drug is dangerous and which isn't, ban on drugs is not arbitrary decision. You can't do whatever you want with your body, because you might loose control and hurt others. Drug abuse affects others as well (financially, mentally, physically...). I am victim of someone's drug abuse. I never took any drugs. So if you are looking for victims of drug abuse, here I am.
tallanvor | root | parent | next
Some of the decisions were rather arbitrary at best, and racist at worst, though. The sentence disparities regarding, for example, cocaine depending on how you are using it was designed to punish black people more harshly. Opium bans had as much to do with anti-Chinese sentiment than anything.

I'm not arguing that drugs should be legal, but we do have to be clear that the reasons for banning them and the punishment are not necessarily rational.

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oneeyedpigeon | root | parent | next
> You can't do whatever you want with your body, because you might loose control and hurt others.

Why is it legal to drive a car, then?

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jeffhuys | root | parent
Then why the distinction with alcohol though?
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mightyham | parent | next
It's clear you don't personally know anyone who has been affected by a serious drug addiction. It is devastating not just for them, but their family and everyone that cares about them. It's unbelievable to me anyone could claim that dealing drugs is a victimless crime.
sneak | root | parent | next
Almost everyone I know has been personally affected by serious drug addiction. Alcohol, opiates, cocaine, marijuana, cigarettes, even gambling if you count such things.

I still support the abolition of all bans and controls on access to drugs.

Destroying one’s own self has no victims, any more than bodybuilding does. If we should be free to build ourselves, we should be free to destroy ourselves.

Please don’t assume anyone who disagrees with your philosophy is naive or lacks empathy.

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carlosjobim | root | parent | next
Those kind of drugs are bought by traditional street criminals. Darknet it's mostly about psychedelics and such.
richwater | root | parent | next
A lack of personal responsibility is tragic, but hardly the fault of Mcdonalds when someone has a heart attack.
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15155 | root | parent
How are liquor stores functionally different?
GTP | parent
Drugs weren't the only items sold there, there were also weapons. If you illegally sell weapons in a country where it is already much easier to legally get a weapon than most other countries, you can be sure that those weapons aren't going to be purchased by a layperson trying to defend themself but by criminals going to use those to harm other people.
rbanffy | root | parent
The crime being not selling the weapons, but failing to keep appropriate records that ensured the use of the weapons was responsible and that users would be held accountable for their use.

On my book, this is pretty serious.