Drug Prohibition
There are no panaceas for the world's drug problems, but legalizing
drugs, un-clog the court system, and free prison space for real criminals. comes
as close as any single policy could. Removing legal penalties from the
production, sale and use of "controlled substances" would not create a "heaven
on Earth," but it would alleviate many of the nation's social and political
problems. Legalization would reduce drug-related crime, save the U.S. billions
of dollars
In 1984, a kilogram of cocaine worth $4000 in Columbia sold at wholesale
for $30,000, and at retail in the U.S. for some $300,000. At the time, a Drug
Enforcement Administration spokesman noted that the wholesale price doubled in
six months "due to crackdowns on producers and smugglers in Columbia and the
U.S." The consequence of this drastic factory-to-retail escalation is a rise in
crime. Addicts must pay hundreds of times the costs of their habit, and often
turn to crime to finance their addiction. Also, those who deal in the selling
of the drugs become prime targets for assault for carrying extremely valuable
goods. The streets become battlegrounds for competing dealers because a
particular block or corner can rake in thousands of extra dollars a day. Should
drugs be legalized, the price would collapse, and so would the drug-related
motivations to commit crime. A pack of cocaine becomes no more dangerous to
carry than a pack of cigarettes. The streets would be safer to walk, as
criminal drug dealers are pushed from the market.
Legalization would also deflate prison overcrowding. Out of 31,346
sentenced prisoners in federal institutions, drug law violators were the largest
single category, 9487. By legalizing drugs, there would be no more drug
offenders to lock up. Since many drug users would no longer be committing
violent or property crimes to pay for their habits, there would be fewer real
criminals. This decrease in inmates would bring the overflowing federal prison... [continues]
There are no panaceas for the world's drug problems, but legalizing
drugs, un-clog the court system, and free prison space for real criminals. comes
as close as any single policy could. Removing legal penalties from the
production, sale and use of "controlled substances" would not create a "heaven
on Earth," but it would alleviate many of the nation's social and political
problems. Legalization would reduce drug-related crime, save the U.S. billions
of dollars
In 1984, a kilogram of cocaine worth $4000 in Columbia sold at wholesale
for $30,000, and at retail in the U.S. for some $300,000. At the time, a Drug
Enforcement Administration spokesman noted that the wholesale price doubled in
six months "due to crackdowns on producers and smugglers in Columbia and the
U.S." The consequence of this drastic factory-to-retail escalation is a rise in
crime. Addicts must pay hundreds of times the costs of their habit, and often
turn to crime to finance their addiction. Also, those who deal in the selling
of the drugs become prime targets for assault for carrying extremely valuable
goods. The streets become battlegrounds for competing dealers because a
particular block or corner can rake in thousands of extra dollars a day. Should
drugs be legalized, the price would collapse, and so would the drug-related
motivations to commit crime. A pack of cocaine becomes no more dangerous to
carry than a pack of cigarettes. The streets would be safer to walk, as
criminal drug dealers are pushed from the market.
Legalization would also deflate prison overcrowding. Out of 31,346
sentenced prisoners in federal institutions, drug law violators were the largest
single category, 9487. By legalizing drugs, there would be no more drug
offenders to lock up. Since many drug users would no longer be committing
violent or property crimes to pay for their habits, there would be fewer real
criminals. This decrease in inmates would bring the overflowing federal prison... [continues]
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