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What we need is a Hamsterdam...


Mr Q

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The regulated legalisation of drugs would have major benefits for taxpayers, victims of crime, local communities and the criminal justice system, according to the first comprehensive comparison between the cost-effectiveness of legalisation and prohibition. The authors of the report, which is due to be published today, suggest that a legalised, regulated market could save the country around £14bn.For many years the government has been under pressure to conduct an objective cost-benefit analysis of the current drugs policy, but has failed to do so despite calls from MPs. Now the drugs reform charity, Transform, has commissioned its own report, examining all aspects of prohibition from the costs of policing and investigating drugs users and dealers to processing them through the courts and their eventual incarceration.As well as such savings is the likely taxation revenue in a regulated market. However, there are also the potential costs of increased drug treatment, education and public information campaigns about the risks and dangers of drugs, similar to those for tobacco and alcohol, and the costs of running a regulated system.The report looked at four potential scenarios, ranging from no increase in drugs use to a 100% rise as they become more readily available."The conclusion is that regulating the drugs market is a dramatically more cost-effective policy than prohibition and that moving from prohibition to regulated drugs markets in England and Wales would provide a net saving to taxpayers, victims of crime, communities, the criminal justice system and drug users of somewhere within the range of, for the four scenarios, £13.9bn, £10.8bn, £7.7bn, £4.6bn."Titled a Comparison of the Cost-effectiveness of the Prohibition and Regulation of Drugs, the report uses government figures on the costs of crime to assess the potential benefits and disadvantages of change. The document, co-written by Steve Rolles, head of research at Transform, uses home office and No 10 strategy unit reports to form its conclusions.It finds: "The government specifically claims the benefits of any move away from prohibition towards legal regulation would be outweighed by the costs. No such cost-benefit analysis, or even a proper impact assessment of existing enforcement policy and legislation has ever been carried out here or anywhere else in the world."Taxing drugs would also provide big revenue gains, says the survey. An Independent Drug Monitoring Unit estimate, quoted in the report, suggests up to £1.3bn could be generated by a £1 per gram tax on cannabis resin and £2 per gram on skunk.The report follows calls for legalisation or a full debate on reform. Last month, the Economist concluded: "Prohibition has failed; legalisation is the least bad solution."
Been reading about the same debate they have been having America about this, and they are right prohibition has failed. The amount of people who get locked up for non-violent drug crimes is unnecessary and going to jail does not solve the problem, all it does is create unnecessary bills for the taxpayer.
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im all for this but...they will tax the sh*t outta weedi mean come on, look at petrol....it will never happen but id vote in favour of legalising cannabis only. ESP for medicinal purposes - why the f*ck this isnt legal already is a serious issue.

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When people talk about the economics of drugs reform, they don't usually take into account the costs of running a regulated system. But it'd certainly be cheaper than the "war on drugs" and so many lives wouldn't get ruinedIt's not as if legalisation solves all problems though.. just brings in a different set of problems, like those of tobacco and alcohol: still involves public health risks, whilst being freely-available. It's unfortunate that it seems to be in the national character to binge and indulge to excess, or that wouldn't be as much of an issueThat said, weed should probably be decriminalised because there's approximately 100% availability anyway. It's so prevalent already that I'm not convinced legalisation raises availability of consumption at all. Therefore I support making Camden into an open air cannabis market - oh wait..Society obviously isn't going to crumble upon legalisation, but there are definitely massive benefits to engaging drugs as a public health issue instead of crime issue. You get the impression that more people are slowly coming around to accept this, but politicians have been guilty of whipping up knee-jerk moral outrage for electoral purposes, wilfully avoiding an open discussion of the problem

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but politicians have been guilty of whipping up knee-jerk moral outrage for electoral purposes, wilfully avoiding an open discussion of the problem
The media, specifically silly tabloids do a good job of this as well though. People avoid subjects such as Sex, Drugs and Race (in terms of them being issues and how to solve them etc) because everyone is afraid of sensible discussion about it. It is actually pathetic.
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but politicians have been guilty of whipping up knee-jerk moral outrage for electoral purposes, wilfully avoiding an open discussion of the problem
The media, specifically silly tabloids do a good job of this as well though. People avoid subjects such as Sex, Drugs and Race (in terms of them being issues and how to solve them etc) because everyone is afraid of sensible discussion about it. It is actually pathetic.
tell me about it
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The way I see it, (somebody please feel free to counter the argument) is that if drugs are legalised, career drug dealers will move onto something else to make their dirty money from.That can only spell trouble for the average joe, seeing as robbery (armed or street) and sale of contraband are the only real accessible forms of crime to make money from for your bog standard drug trafficker (apart from fraud, but the average trafficking guy hasn't got the networks or structures to initiate major white collar fraud that brings in the cash on a reggle like drugs...).So, to summarise...no drug dealers = more robbers and guns on the streets, and not just confined to their own areas as well, they'll be all up in the City and sh*t.

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When people talk about the economics of drugs reform, they don't usually take into account the costs of running a regulated system. But it'd certainly be cheaper than the "war on drugs" and so many lives wouldn't get ruinedIt's not as if legalisation solves all problems though.. just brings in a different set of problems, like those of tobacco and alcohol: still involves public health risks, whilst being freely-available. It's unfortunate that it seems to be in the national character to binge and indulge to excess, or that wouldn't be as much of an issueThat said, weed should probably be decriminalised because there's approximately 100% availability anyway. It's so prevalent already that I'm not convinced legalisation raises availability of consumption at all. Therefore I support making Camden into an open air cannabis market - oh wait..Society obviously isn't going to crumble upon legalisation, but there are definitely massive benefits to engaging drugs as a public health issue instead of crime issue. You get the impression that more people are slowly coming around to accept this, but politicians have been guilty of whipping up knee-jerk moral outrage for electoral purposes, wilfully avoiding an open discussion of the problem
c/s. politicians need to actually hear the bit in red.its ridiculous. it always has been. there is a recession happening this can only be a good thing.
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The way I see it, (somebody please feel free to counter the argument) is that if drugs are legalised, career drug dealers will move onto something else to make their dirty money from.That can only spell trouble for the average joe, seeing as robbery (armed or street) and sale of contraband are the only real accessible forms of crime to make money from for your bog standard drug trafficker (apart from fraud, but the average trafficking guy hasn't got the networks or structures to initiate major white collar fraud that brings in the cash on a reggle like drugs...).So, to summarise...no drug dealers = more robbers and guns on the streets, and not just confined to their own areas as well, they'll be all up in the City and sh*t.
fair point...but the way i see it is not every drug dealer is built for them higher level crimes...usually if they are they are already doing it. certain people would be too detered to move onto more serious crimes.
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The way I see it, (somebody please feel free to counter the argument) is that if drugs are legalised, career drug dealers will move onto something else to make their dirty money from.That can only spell trouble for the average joe, seeing as robbery (armed or street) and sale of contraband are the only real accessible forms of crime to make money from for your bog standard drug trafficker (apart from fraud, but the average trafficking guy hasn't got the networks or structures to initiate major white collar fraud that brings in the cash on a reggle like drugs...).So, to summarise...no drug dealers = more robbers and guns on the streets, and not just confined to their own areas as well, they'll be all up in the City and sh*t.
fair point...but the way i see it is not every drug dealer is built for them higher level crimes...usually if they are they are already doing it. certain people would be too detered to move onto more serious crimes.
This. Being a drug dealer doesn't instantly mean you are willing to do other crimes, especially ones that arguably involve alot more work then selling drugs. Regulating drugs would not solve the problems of crimes. However, it shouldn't be overlooked in the way that it is by the shitty media and crap politicians. Like the article said, its not like prohibition is a success. The prison system as a whole is a waste of money tbh. f*ck is the point in it if youre not being rehabilitated.
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