As with prostitution this is a difficult subject. On the one hand people should be free to enjoy any activity in private which does not negatively impact on the life of another person, on the other hand drugs can quickly take control of an individual's life and ruin it. With the loss of control usually comes the desperate need to satisfy an addiction which innevitably leads to crime.
Some drugs are already legal, namely Alcohol and Nicotene. Other drugs which might be taken for recreational purposes are legal for medicinal purposes only. I believe that cannabis should at least be considered for medicinal purposes, where long term pain sufferers could enjoy relief from their pain from a natural drug rather than a manufactured one. I must point out here that I am referring to Cannabis and not the more potent "skunk" variety. If research shows that use of Cannabis is less dangerous than the consumption of Nicotene and Alcohol then it should be legalised for recreational use or Alcohol and Nicotene banned. If it were the case that Cannabis is less of a risk to health than legal drugs then it is simply illogical that a more damaging form of drug should remain legal whilst a less damaging one remains illegal.
As with my proposal for prostitution I do not believe that we should simply legalise and then ignore the consequences. As with prostitution, drugs often have a hold on people's lives that are difficult to break. There are many people within the UK who are addicted to drugs and wish to be rid of their dependency, but there is little or no help available to them. I would like to see many more addiction reform clinics set up around the United Kingdom where addicts can obtain help to beat their addiction. These clinics would help not only with hard drugs such as Cocaine, but lower class drugs such as Cannabis, and also Nicotene and Alcohol. Helping people to break addictions to these drugs will help to reduce crime, I believe the reduction in crime will pay for these centres to be run.
See Punishment.