Question 1

The Iron Law of Prohibition states that the stricter and more intense the enforcement of the laws against recreational drug use, the:

Accepted Answer

A)   more popular a given prohibited drug will become.
B)   less popular a given prohibited drug will become.
C)   more potent the prohibited substance will become.
D)   less potent the prohibited substance will become.
E)   none of the above. C

Question 2

The majority of drug legalizers believe and argue that:

Accepted Answer

A)   the currently illicit drugs should be available to everyone, including minors.
B)   cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine should be sold under laws that are even less restrictive than those that currently prevail for alcohol and tobacco.
C)   there should be no laws governing driving while intoxicated on heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine.
D)   advertising for heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine should be legal, uncontrolled, and completely legal.
E)   none of the above. E

Question 3

Summarize the four main proposals to reform the drug laws.

Accepted Answer

1. Decriminalization: This proposal suggests removing criminal penalties for drug possession and instead treating it as a public health issue. This would involve providing support and treatment for individuals struggling with addiction rather than punishment.

2. Legalization: This proposal advocates for the legalization of certain drugs, allowing for regulated production, distribution, and consumption. Proponents argue that this would reduce the influence of criminal organizations and generate tax revenue.

3. Harm reduction: This approach focuses on minimizing the negative consequences of drug use through measures such as needle exchange programs, safe injection sites, and access to overdose-reversal medications. The goal is to reduce the harm associated with drug use without necessarily requiring abstinence.

4. Sentencing reform: This proposal aims to address the disproportionate impact of drug laws on certain communities by revising sentencing guidelines and providing alternatives to incarceration, such as drug courts and diversion programs. The goal is to reduce the reliance on punitive measures and promote rehabilitation and reintegration.

Question 4

The harm reduction strategy relies on the logic of:

Accepted Answer

A)   absolute deterrence.
B)   relative deterrence.
C)   both absolute and relative deterrence simultaneously.
D)   neither absolute nor relative deterrence.
E)   none of the above.

Question 5

A needle exchange program, which operates in some countries of Europe and some cities in the United Kingdom, is an example of which of the following policies?

Accepted Answer

A)   harm reduction
B)   legalization
C)   decriminalization
D)   maintenance
E)   none of the above

Question 6

Harm reduction is:

Accepted Answer

A)   a moralistic drug program.
B)   an idealistic drug program.
C)   a program of full and complete drug decriminalization.
D)   a program of full and complete drug legalization.
E)   pragmatic or consequentialist in its intent.

Question 7

According to the text, the "doomsayers" who argue that, in all likelihood, the worst-case scenario-a huge increase in harmful drug abuse-will come about under drug legalization are:

Accepted Answer

A)   right.
B)   wrong.
C)   could be right or wrong-who knows?
D)   are optimists-the outcome will be even worse than the "doomsayers" prediction.
E)   none of the above.

Question 8

A major plank in the legalizer's platform is that drug use/abuse:

Accepted Answer

A)   will not rise significantly under legalization.
B)   will rise significantly under legalization, but it will be worth it.
C)   will actually decline under legalization.
D)   could rise significantly, decline significantly, or remain stable, under legalization; no one knows, but let's legalize anyway and "let the chips fall where they may."
E)   none of the above.

Question 9

Some legalizers mistakenly believe that the drugs whose possession and sale are illegal in the United States have been legalized in Western Europe-for instance, in the Netherlands. Explain the policy toward drug use that prevails in the Netherlands, pointing out how it differs from a genuine policy of drug legalization.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Some legalizers mistakenly believe that the drugs...

Question 10

Most of what drug legalizers have written has focused on:

Accepted Answer

A)   detailing the particulars of a viable and workable drug legalization program.
B)   explaining how drug legalization can usher in the socialist revolution.
C)   detailing existing alternate legalization programs, such as those that have been instituted in Western Europe.
D)   criticizing the flaws of current punitive policy.
E)   none of the above.

Question 11

The term "decriminalization," which refers to the controls placed on small-quantity marijuana possession in a dozen or so states, should more properly be called:

Accepted Answer

A)   full decriminalization.
B)   partial decriminalization.
C)   pseudo-decriminalization.
D)   legalization.
E)   medical marijuana.

Question 12

As a general rule, illegal drugs have:

Accepted Answer

A)   a higher continuance rate than legal drugs.
B)   a lower continuance rate than legal drugs.
C)   the same continuance rate as legal drugs.
D)   an unpredictable continuance rate in comparison with legal drugs.
E)   none of the above.

Question 13

Legalizers believe that:

Accepted Answer

A)   the demand for drugs is variable and elastic.
B)   the currently illegal drugs are much more harmful than the legal drugs are.
C)   criminalization deters use.
D)   prohibition encourages the distribution and use of weaker, less dangerous drugs.
E)   an illicit drug market tends to sell contaminated and dangerous drugs; legalization would enforce controls on purity and potency.

Question 14

A defense of the punitive policy toward drug possession and sale is that criminalizing drugs:

Accepted Answer

A)   keeps the level of drug use and abuse lower than what it would be under legalization.
B)   can wipe out drug use and abuse entirely.
C)   forces dealers to sell safe, pure drugs because that is what users demand.
D)   keeps the price of illicit drugs low.
E)   none of the above.

Question 15

Treating heroin addicts with methadone is more properly referred to as the:

Accepted Answer

A)   prescription model.
B)   maintenance model.
C)   partial decriminalization model.
D)   legalization model.
E)   depenalization model.

Question 16

The drug control policy that prevails in the Netherlands and Switzerland is:

Accepted Answer

A)   full legalization.
B)   full decriminalization.
C)   harm reduction.
D)   a full prohibitionist and punitive policy.
E)   none of the above.

Question 17

The dominant current approach to the control of illicit recreational drugs in the United States is:

Accepted Answer

A)   depenalization.
B)   legalization.
C)   prescription.
D)   prohibition.
E)   none of the above.

Question 18

According to the text, criminalizing illicit drugs increases the hassle factor, which:

Accepted Answer

A)   is harmful to addicts and abusers and to society as a whole; all drugs should be depenalized.
B)   keeps drugs hard to get, expensive, and increases the likelihood of arrest and hence decreases the rate of use of those drugs that are criminalized.
C)   argues that some drugs should be legalized while others should be kept criminalized.
D)   is a major factor in keeping the poor in poverty.
E)   none of the above.

Question 19

The current system of criminalization is something of a hodgepodge of different laws and policies for different psychoactive drugs. Explain how, currently, different psychoactive substances are handled differently by the law and law enforcement.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The current system of criminalization is something...

Question 20

Several states have made the possession of small quantities of marijuana a civil infraction, similar to a parking ticket. This policy is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

A)   legalization.
B)   maintenance.
C)   full decriminalization.
D)   partial decriminalization.
E)   none of the above.

Exam 13: Legalization, Decriminalization, and Harm Reduction