Legalization of LSD

I am going to refute my opponents points before making one of my own. Please don't watch the video until the section titled video but voters please do watch the video all the way through. Contentions C1. High Prison RatesWhen I read this argument I found it a little redundant and silly to post. Obviously, when LSD is illegal using it leads to prison time.This is like saying "Murder is illegal, so murderers go to jail so we should make murder legal so they don't go to jail." It is a completely worthless argument. If something is illegal then yes it leads to prison time for the users. I don't really know how to refute this point other than pointing out that it isn't really a point at all. Then my opponent makes claims that LSD users aren't criminals and upon being released from jail become criminals and yet posts no sources to back any of this up. The point is moot. C2. The Right to ChooseWhile the right to choose, as you put is, is a viable argument for something it is not a viable argument for LSD. When under the influence of LSD a user is not only a risk to themselves but a risk to society as well (a point I will elaborate on later). The right to choose may apply to behaviors that apply to you and you only but when the affects of your choice are potentially harmful to a group or society at large then your right to choose does not apply.Since LSD produces dangerous effects for society it cannot be chosen to be used by a single individual since the effects can potentially be felt by many. I don't like the argument that "since X is similar to Y and X is legal Y should be legal too" because X and Y are different and obviously hold much different circumstances. I am not for the legalization of alcohol for similar reasons. Just because something completely different yet slightly similar to another substance is legal doesn't mean that they should both be legal. If sexual misconduct was legal and rape wasn't you could not cite sexual misconduct as a reason to legalize rape.C3. HarmfulI am not going to cite overdose as a reason to ban a drug because frankly I couldn't careless if one junkie wants to OD on a drug. Likewise, addiction is not a factor in declaring whether a drug should be legal or not since cigarettes are legal. These two things don't contribute to why LSD is illegal.However, there are long lasting psychological effects of LSD outside of the infamous trip which is dangerous in its own right (will address later). "LSD users often have flashbacks, during which certain aspects of their LSD experience recur even though they have stopped taking the drug. In addition, LSD users may develop long-lasting psychoses, such as schizophrenia or severe depression." [1]"LSD-induced persistent psychosis may include dramatic mood swings from mania to profound depression, vivid visual disturbances, and hallucinations. These effects may last for years and can affect people who have no history or other symptoms of psychological disorder." [3]LSD use leads to flash backs and recurring symptoms of the drug after the "trip" has worn off. I has also been known to cause sever depression and in some cases even schizophrenia born from the flashbacks and loss of reality. These affects can last for YEARS and cause mental problems to occur in people with no history of mental health issues. I don't know why my opponent thinks this drug has no long term affects because clearly it does.Despite my opponents best efforts to paint LSD as a harmless one time trip it is far more dangerous than that. The trip alone is dangerous and has potential to be deadly (addressed in greater detail later) and the effects are long lasting.C4. BenefitsMy opponent cites an outdated survey taken in the 60s. I would like to point out that in the 1800s users and doctors thought cocaine to be a "miracle drug" that could cure almost anything while boosting human performance. They turned out to be dead wrong. [2] This study is outdated. I would love my opponent to post a study from today stating the same numbers. Next, my opponent ironically says it will help end depression when it is a cause of sever depression in users. Also, it is easy to forget about your pain and life struggles when you lose track of reality. Massive amounts of alcohol also helps patients relieve stress and forget about their troubles but is that a good solution? No.PointsP1. LSD Dangerous to SocietyThe biggest danger LSD poses is the trip. While the circumstances surrounding the use, the users and the situation before and after taking the drug may differ with varying results the trip itself is always the same and always dangerous. The government has proclaimed the drug illegal based on the affects of the trip [2]. a. Harmful EffectsThe most potent and dangerous affect of LSD is the loss of perception and recognition of reality. [3] The users of LSD have reported "seeing sounds" and "hearing colors" [3], sensual inputs get completely scrambled. It can lead to hallucinations, flash backs, terrors, fits and loss of control of sever emotions. What this creates is a completely dangerous situation where the person does not know where, when or how they are. There is no predicting what a person will do under the influence of LSD. Can you imagine if they stumbled across their kids? Got in a car? Wandered into the street? Made their way into the kitchen? The garage? With senses completely shot, reality distorted and your perceptions gone this presents a clear danger to the user. It can also endanger members around the user. If a person having a trip got in a car everyone on the road is in danger. If the person having a trip is at home the entire family is in danger of erratic and dangerous behavior by the user."Bad trips, however, include terrifying thoughts and nightmarish feelings of anxiety and despair that include fears of insanity, death, or losing control." [3] "Some users have suffered fatal accidents while under the influence of LSD." [1]The government is an entity that has a responsibility to protect the public as a whole. Legalizing LSD puts the public safety at risk. There is no way my opponent can say that losing track of reality is safe for anyone around the person feeling the effects of LSD. Hearing colors and seeing sounds is not safe for those around. The threat of accident, death, injury and loss of control are potent to everyone around the user. VideoHere is a video of a primary source of someone who had a bad trip. He describes losing control, losing reality, damaging property and using weapons when under the influence of LSD. http://www.youtube.com...For the safety of the user and society LSD cannot be legalized.[1] http://www.justice.gov... [2] http://www.cnn.com... [3] http://alcoholism.about.com...