LSD should be legalized with restrictions

Thank you for your well-thought-out rebuttals. I will rebut my opponent's contention and defend mine. REBUTTAL 1: My opponent makes the argument that LSD is often used as a date rape drug. Although it could, in theory, be used as a date rape drug, it is not the (for lack of a better word) ideal drug for the purpose. Simple alcohol can be used for this purpose, and in fact, remains the most common date rape drug in the world. Even in the case of LSD's legalization, alcohol remains the more effective date rape drug because it induces unconsciousness, whereas LSD's effects on the victim are more unpredictable. In addition, virtually any drug"legal or illegal"can be utilized as a date rape drug. My opponent also mentions the possibility of "social addiction" to LSD. However, one can become addicted to any activity. Some common behavioral addictions include the following: Gambling Food Sex Pornography Computer use Video games Work Exercise Religion Shopping Each of the above addictions are caused by the D2 dopamine receptor of the brain, the same receptor that causes tobacco, heroin, cocaine, and other addictions. Estimates show that around 90% of adults have at least one "mental addiction" in their lives. While it is true that LSD use can cause this kind of addiction, it is no more reason to outlaw it than to outlaw pornography, video games, or gambling. In my opponent's third paragraph, he contends that LSD causes indirect deaths, such as car accidents and "utter stupidity". Once again, this is a trait not unique to LSD. Alcohol, sleeping medications, and even allergy medications such as Zyrtec can all impair motor skills and cognitive focus enough to cause death from automobile accidents or "utter stupidity". While it would not eliminate all incidents, a ban from driving under the influence of LSD would be an obvious first step to reducing these kinds of accidents. http://en.wikipedia.org... http://en.wikipedia.org... http://www.drugs.com... DEFENSE OF CONTENTION 1: My opponent argues that LSD would cause more accidents if legalized. Once again, I will refer to alcohol and other legal drugs as an analogy. It is undeniable that alcohol causes an incredibly high rate of death, not only from accidents, but from plain overdoses. Yet history will show us that prohibition doesn't work; it only decreases the safety of the substance in question. Any item, idea, or substance will cause negative effects"up to the point of death"if it becomes widespread. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to choose to use it, weighing the consequences and determining the best scenario. http://en.wikipedia.org... http://en.wikipedia.org... DEFENSE OF CONTENTION 2: I apologize to my opponent and to the audience for not being clear enough with my title. Allow me to rephrase it as "LSD has many positive long-term effects and few negative long-term effects. Although my opponent's source is an obviously biased anti-drug site, I will defend my contention. Short-term effects of LSD generally only last up to 12 hours. While these can be negative for some users, many feel positive feelings of peace and oneness with the universe. The content of the "trip" relies largely on the mindset of the user. Legalization would take away much of the taboo of the drug, resulting in more peaceful mindsets, and therefore, more peaceful trips. In the long-term, effects of the drug are quite positive. They include increased creativity, new appreciation for life, and newfound spiritual connections. A joint 2008 review by the Department of Clinical Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of Hannover Medical School, the Department of Clinical Pharmacology of Hannover Medical School, the Laboratory for Integrative Psychiatry, Addictions Division, of McLean Hospital, and Harvard Medical School was written on the pharmacology of LSD (I have linked to a PDF of the review in my sources). The review found that there is no scientific evidence that LSD has any harmful long-term effects on the brain or human body. Furthermore, the study found that LSD may have long lasting positive effects on personality and attitude. http://www.maps.org... http://en.wikipedia.org... DEFENSE OF CONTENTION 3: I invite my opponent to find an example of a drug that has less negative effects than LSD and an equal or greater potential for therapeutic use. My opponent cites therapy as making therapeutic LSD impractical. However, therapy may not work for everyone, and few, if any, drugs show as much promise in easing anxiety as LSD. My opponent does not attempt to rebut my argument of using LSD to treat cluster headaches. Cluster headaches are cyclical headaches that usually hit hard for several months before going into a period of few or no headaches for several months. As I have emphasized before, cluster headaches are widely considered the most painful condition known to man. They are considered more severe than natural childbirth, kidney stones, and non-anesthetized limb amputation. LSD has shown great promise in interrupting headache cycles and even aborting headaches. It would be unethical to deprive these people of a possible cure for their terrible pain. These are often sub-psychedelic doses, so there is no risk of a "bad trip". LSD is also being experimented for use in victims of alcoholism. A single dose of LSD, in conjunction with therapy, has been shown to decrease alcohol use for several months. Therefore, LSD can be used to decrease the occurrence of alcohol-related injury or death, including drunk driving accidents. http://en.wikipedia.org... http://en.wikipedia.org... DEFENSE OF CONTENTION 4: My opponent focuses solely on my statement on taxation. Therefore, extend all other arguments. IN CONCLUSION: I have shown that LSD is far from a useless drug. Every substance has positive and negative traits, and the positive traits of LSD outweigh the negative.