The author of this article, Gore Vidal, presents his case for legalizing not just marijuana, but all drugs. He claims drugs should be legalized and easily obtainable through purchasing them at stores. However, each drug has to be labelled with its respective side effects, both negative and positive. Addiction will almost cease to exist because no one would unintentionally get hooked on drugs if they know what will happen to them once they become addicted. It will not cease to exist entirely, though, because there are just some people who are just prone to addiction. He advocates for the legalization of drugs because its unlawfulness is contradictory to the premise the United States was built on, which was “that each man has the right to do what he wants with his own life as long as he does not interfere with his neighbor’s pursuit of happiness,”. He also claims that the government does not move towards this, because it would mean less money for them, as the Mafia and Bureau of Narcotics would cease to exist.

I disagree with Vidal’s view almost entirely. First of all, I don’t think the change he proposed would end drug addiction. In fact, I believe it would do the exact opposite, as no one takes a drug without knowing what its effects are beforehand. Additionally, people do not always act in ways that are best for them, looking past their health to indulge in bad habits. Another part of his argument that I had a problem with was his statement that the government bans drugs because they want more money. This just sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory against the government. Drugs like heroin and opium are downright bad, and that is why they are banned. Overall, Vidal’s argument does not hold up.