Liberalism and drug legalization

In a podcast published in September 2019, entitled «My body, my choice», the hosts of the online media Liber-thé presented their arguments in favor of drug legalization. A purely liberal argument, not without a major weakness.

If drug use is a political issue, it is to a large extent because of its potentially harmful effect on others. It goes without saying for many that the fight against drug-taking is legitimate, given the damage it can do to society. Another principle that seems to be generally accepted today is that it is legitimate to prevent individuals from harming themselves, and that laws and state action should be geared towards this end.

This is where the Liberals have a problem. Orthodox liberals are opposed to any restriction of