Resolved: The drugs mentioned herein should either become, or remain, legal.

Let me begin my clarifying that, as far the ecstasy/MDMA issue, MDMA is generally the primary ingredient in ecstasy, so while the two will probably be used interchangeably, just keep in mind that ecstasy can contain many other components. [http://en.wikipedia.org...] -The CBA- When I use the term cost-benefit analysis, my opponent makes a fatal mistake in attacking it; understand that I am not only discussing the financial costs and benefits of legalizing such drugs; one could consider the loss of life to be a cost; the loss of property could be a cost; the loss of basic liberties could be a cost; so, my opponent is setting up a very unreasonable standard by insisting that I must prove money to be more valuable to our government that the lives and rights of the citizens, since that's not what I'm proposing. Now, on to the good stuff - opening arguments! 1. Marijuana a. As per my opponent's earlier statement, we can both agree that the life and general well-being of citizens are extremely important, and thus, ought to be considered above all else; unfortunately, in the case of marijuana, a smoker's quality of life and overall well-being are put in jeopardy, making this a cost of the highest concern. b. Marijuana is often touted as a medical breakthrough, being able to help treatment of diseases that would otherwise leave patients suffering; however, what you may not know is that marijuana could very well accelerate the diseases that it was supposed to be treating; marijuana is a scientifically-proven immunosuppressant, meaning that it has been shown to weaken a smoker's immune system; this is especially deadly for anyone with a preexisting immunodeficiency from things like organ transplants or chemotherapy, ironically one of the primary conditions for which marijuana was listed as a treatment. c. Even worse is that marijuana has been linked to speed up the progression of HIV to AIDS, among other diseases. Additionally, marijuana can contain multiple carcinogens; this means that not only does marijuana weaken the immune system, but this in turn leads to the increased risk of contracting certain types of cancer. Clearly, the numerous physical costs associated with the 'harmless' use of marijuana cannot be overlooked. d. The consumption of marijuana, recreational or medical, can lead to some staggering mental disorders, such as paranoia, depression, uncontrollable aggression, bipolar psychosis, and even schizophrenia, all of which can lead to the jeopardizing of not only the life of the smoker, but the lives of the surrounding citizens, as well. Of course, to see things in the short-term, there are also immediate effects, such as disorientation, loss of perception, memory loss, 'antisocialization', and impaired judgment, among other things. e. While the high brought about from the use of marijuana is enjoyable to those who partake of it, merely enjoying something does not give one a direct right to it, especially when there are greater costs involved. As far as a cost-benefit analysis is concerned, the right to personal pleasure takes a backseat to safety and quality of life; after all, if a person is putting their life in danger, they are also putting their right to personal pleasure in danger as well. [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu...] [http://alcoholism.about.com...] [http://psychcentral.com...] [http://www.jointogether.org...] [http://www.medicalnewstoday.com...] 2. Ecstasy/MDMA a. Common logic for most drugs is that, done in small amounts, or even just one time, there can be no harms. However, this is simply untrue; in the case of Ecstasy, even first-time users can suffer harms to their brain, even in small doses; blood flow in the brain is reduced, reducing brain activity; scientists believe that the malfunctioning memory, among other effects, is related to ecstasy's interference with the regulation of the chemical serotonin, which is said to regulate memory and mood, among other things; this is only the short-term. b. In the long-term (or with heavy use of the drug), ecstasy can cause depression and anxiety, decrease in memory, etc. The point is, the long-term damage can begin manifesting itself even after just one use. c. However slight the chance, ecstasy also has the possibility of killing first-time users; and of course, while users might feel as if they are on Cloud 9, the first-time (and long-term) dangers of using ecstasy caution us to put life before enjoyment, once again; clearly, any benefits of ecstasy ("It feels cool") are immediately canceled out by the guarantee of first-time brain damage. The problem of the 'right to pursue happiness' is that it is taken completely out of context. My friends, realize that there is a right to the pursuit of happiness, but there is no right to the pursuit of conscious self-harm; as with any right, this one is not unlimited; one may not experience the damage right away, but simply because damage isn't instant does not mean that it doesn't exist. [http://www.guardian.co.uk...] [http://news.bbc.co.uk...] [http://www.medicalnewstoday.com...] 3. Tobacco a. Tobacco is one of the more widely-accepted drugs; unfortunately, its social acceptability does not limit its potential for harm; and it has a lot of potential. 30% of all cancer cases are attributed to smoking, with 87% of lung cancer cases being caused by smoking; furthermore, over 1/4, 28% of deaths caused by smoking are credited to lung cancer; a further 26% are credited to respiratory disease. Clearly, smoking, although considered to be legally acceptable, has a great deal of ethical implications. The legal status of tobacco for smoking clearly defaces the sanctity of the right to life by allowing citizens the undue right of self-harm; this goes against the primary duty of the government, which is to protect the people over which it rules. b. In addition, smoking harms not only the smoker, but anyone in the immediate vicinity; I refer, of course, to secondhand smoke, which can increase the nonsmoker's risk of heart disease by 25-30%, and the risk of lung cancer by 20-30%; additionally, it can cause dangerous complications for infants and minors living with a smoker; such complications include "sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory problems, ear infections, and asthma attacks in infants and children." Illicitly harming your own rights is bad in and of itself, but when you go to the point of causing harm to those around you through the activity, a line clearly must be drawn. c. Also, the harms of tobacco do not stop with smoking; for chewing tobacco, the effects can include "gum disease, oral cancer, and [an] increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease." Chewing tobacco presents a unique risk, because one may believe themselves to be out of danger simply because they aren't smoking; thus, tobacco is not only physically harmful, but can be potentially deceptive, which means that consumers are often stopped from making fully informed decisions. [http://quitsmoking.about.com...] [http://www.washingtonpost.com...] [http://govinfo.library.unt.edu...] I have a few more arguments to make, but I don't want to pull out everything straight from the beginning. Plus, though I've been looking forward to this, I felt a little uninspired; I can only hope, Lwerd, that I've given you the challenge you came for. Good luck. :)