Drugs should be legalized in the U.S.

Summarizations of my opponents points are listed by number. My responses are listed by letter. conclusion is at the end. 1) Potential $100 Billion in Tax revenues from legalization. Responses: a) It's the black market. Estimates by the BBC are estimates, and unlikely to be accurate, considering the dearth of public information regarding black market economics. b) Even if the $400 Billion estimate is realistic, and the 25% tax is assumed, it is erroneous to assume that the government would receive $100 Billion in usable tax revenues. If drugs were legalized, the government would have to organize, regulate, and oversee the drug trade. This would involve funding, the creation of regulatory measures, and integration with current regulatory units within the government. These are real costs. Considering how underfunded the IRS and FDA currently are, and also how necessary it would be to ensure adequate funding for this new regulatory unit (considering the possible legal implications of poor oversight), it is very possible that the costs of legalizing drugs would outweigh the revenues. This is assuming, of course, current market prices of these drugs. If we were to raise the prices of formerly black market items much higher, it is unlikely that people would be willing or able to devote their income to such overpriced commodities (simple economics). c) If we did not raise the prices of these drugs to inaccessible levels, then it would also be safe to assume that a larger portion of the population would begin using these drugs. The drugs would be legal and publicly available, thus removing previously existing deterrents from the process. A larger number of users of addictive and life-altering drugs directly translates into even greater costs for the government. Not only would the drug trade have to regulated, but the government would have to take on the responsibility of rehabilitation as well. This ties in with part (b), but is worth mentioning on its own. 2) Crime Rate and Murder reduction Responses: a) Although it is obvious that drug-specific crimes (owning, selling, or buying drugs), it is not so safe to assume that the reduction in drug-related crimes (crimes indirectly caused by drugs, such as murders, theft, etc) would not be offset by increases in crime elsewhere. Criminals previously involved in the drug trade are unlikely to become employed by businesses selling these drugs once the drugs become legalized. These previously 'employed' criminals would now become unemployed. Considering the standards of employment for most corporations regarding previous experience and criminal records, it is unlikely that these people would easily find employment. That leaves two likely scenarios for these criminals. Either they become wards of the government (welfare), or they find new employment within the black market. These crimes would simply occur as a result of some different black market commodity aside from drugs. b) It is possible that murder rates will not decrease after legalization for reasons aside from that posted in (a). There are drugs that enhance aggressiveness and irrational activity. It is possible that legalization of these drugs will result in an increase in murders. Is this risk worth taking? c) The Cato Institute is a heavily biased libertarian think tank. How did it even arrive at this 400K figure? Is this 400K over the entire prohibition period, or 400K per year? My opponent fails to examine the costs of legalizing drugs. He only reviews potential benefits based off weak estimates provided by potentially biased sources. The costs of legalization include, but are not limited to: Regulation, Rehabilitation, and Increases in illegal activity as a result of citizens being under the influence of drugs. Thus far, we are only examining the financial economics of such an action. There are other individual costs that some would consider much worse (although more difficult to quantify), such as losing loved ones to addictions/overdose, mood alteration, and long term health risks.