1. Provide three steps for your research with a brief explanation of how this information will lead to addressing your question.
Why is decriminalizing drugs being discussed in our society?
In this subtopic, I will be discussing how drugs are viewed in our society, and the importance of educating others about them. This will lead me addressing my question because I must understand the basics of a topic before going in depth. It will also give others a basic understanding of decriminalization, so that they can better understand future posts. I will discuss how drugs are portrayed in our society as well.
What are the advantages of decriminalizing drugs?
To know the affects that decriminalization will have, I should know the positives. Here, I will explain the medicinal benefits of drugs. My end goal is to be able to see what the positives and negatives of decriminalizing drugs are. I would like to see how the negatives outweigh the positives. Also, there are some special cases where certain drugs can be useful (medical purposes, mental or physical health). I hope this will allow people who are against decriminalizing drugs to see the possible advantages and think more openly.
(Though I will be discussing disadvantages later on, it is important to note that they exist and for most drugs and cases, negatives outweigh the positives)
What are the disadvantages of decriminalizing drugs?
Knowing the disadvantages of decriminalizing drugs is just as important understanding the advantages. When trying to find the answer to a question, you must think of all of the possible effects. It is a complicated topic, therefore, I must take a lot into consideration before responding. I hope this will allow people who only see the positives of decriminalizing drugs to see the negatives as well.
2. Provide 5 valid sources that might be useful to address the question.
- https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects.html
- https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/health-effects/effects.html
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X15001573
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/104727979390080N
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0273230011000080
- https://www.ted.com/talks/ethan_nadelmann_why_we_need_to_end_the_war_on_drugs
3. Explain how this question will have implications to other individuals and/or my community.
Currently, this is a very relevant topic. Our generation has many important discussions and perspectives that will/have changed the world. Decriminalization is happening in Canada. It is necessary for individuals to understand decriminalization of drugs, so that they know what is happening in Canada. In addition, many people assume that just because a drug is decriminalized/legalized, it is safe. I hope people will understand that drugs have side-effects that can be very harmful.
Understanding the positive and negative of effects of decriminalization is truly important. It is an induvial decision to be for or against it, but in my opinion everyone should at least have a reason. I often see people talking about these topics without knowing enough about it. This can cause misinformation to spread rapidly. All in all, my goal is for people to understand the pros and cons of decriminalization.
Hi Nikki,
Something I found particularly interesting in your plan blog post was that you described how you connect with each sub-topic. For example, with the advantages of decriminalizing drugs, you had noted ‘ I hope this will allow people who are against decriminalizing drugs to see the possible advantages and think more openly.’
I think you may find this article by The Guardian to be fascinating, and it hones in on Vancouver-specific drug laws. One of the main arguments I learnt for legalisation is that it would reduce the black market trade in drugs and move the problem of drug addiction away.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/03/vancouver-plan-decriminalize-street-drugs-canada
I also think that understanding the positive and negative of effects of decriminalization is truly important. Looking forward to your blog posts and research rounds to come!
Warm Regards,
Galicia.
Hi Galicia,
Thank you very much! Usually my goal with posts is to help others think with a more open mindset 🙂 I agree with what you said about legalization. Offering safe drugs will also prevent overdose from fentanyl and other harmful substances from being laced into them. Also, thank you very much for the source, I will check it out! I hope you enjoy my future posts,
Nikki S.
Hi Nikki!
I really like how you planed and spaced out your research. It provided clear steps and examples, where you also explained the importance of each subtopic.
I’m currently in law class, and we actually had the opportunity to look into the debate of drug decriminalization, which as you said, is a very relevant issue – There are several arguments that can be made on both sides, making this matter very controversial. We also looked into the option of not only decriminalization but also legalization and criminalization and how each of those verdicts would impact society differently. Perhaps you can touch on it in future posts?
Here are some sources that might help:
https://www.foundationsrecoverynetwork.com/pros-and-cons-of-decriminalizing-drug-addiction/
https://adf.org.au/talking-about-
drugs/law/decriminalisation/overview-decriminalisation-legalisation/#:~:text=The%20key%20difference%20to%20a,to%20possess%20and%20use%20drugs.
I look forward to reading your future posts!
Rasee
Hi Rasee,
Thank you very much for the feedback and sources! I will definitely try to discuss both decriminalization and legalization. Because decriminalization seems more realistic in our current time I will be focusing on it:)
Also, I find it very interesting that you are discussing decriminalization in law. It is an important topic and I am glad they are talking about it. Hopefully my future posts will help you understand it better,
Thanks,
Nikki S.
Hi Nikki!
I found it interesting how you chose to begin your research about “Why is decriminalizing drugs being discussed in our society?”. As far as the advantages and disadvantages of decriminalizing drugs, will you be looking at different opinions other’s have on it?
https://www.soberrecovery.com/addiction/major-effects-of-drugs-on-our-society/ – this is a website about statistics about drug addiction and such
I look forward to your future posts,
-Lokshana 🙂
Hi Lokshana,
Thanks! To answer your question, yes I will be looking at different opinions as well. I did my own survey on this as well. In addition, I want to look into the medicinal aspect as well. I prefer medicine/biology over psychology so thats my area of focus:)
Thank you for the source, I’ll check it out!
,Nikki S.