ENCOD
  • Donate
  • Covid-19 messages
  • News
  • Organisation
    • About us
    • Our Team
      • WORKING GROUPS
      • STUDIES
      • GENERAL ASSEMBLIES
      • FINANCES
    • Our Mission
    • FAQ
    • IN THE PRESS
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
    • ENCOD MEMBERS
    • INFO FOR MEMBERS
  • Join us
  • Actions & Events
    • CAMPAIGNS
      • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM IS THE FIRST TEST OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS FOR PEOPLE WHO USE CANNABIS AS A MEDICINE
        • FREEDOM TO FARM POSTERS
        • FREEDOM TO FARM STICKERS
      • Cannabis Social Clubs
        • HOW TO CREATE A CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUB
        • EXAMPLES OF CSC’S IN EUROPE
        • Cannabis Social Clubs in Aktion
        • PROPOSAL TO REGULATE THE SELF CULTIVATION AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS IN BELGIUM
        • Catalonia regulates the Cannabis Social Clubs
        • WORKSHOP ‘HOW TO SET UP A CSC IN GERMANY’
      • 2017
      • 2014
      • 2010 – 2013
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
      • 1995 – 2005
      • EU LOBBY CAMPAIGN
        • 2011
        • 2010
        • 2009
        • 2008
        • 2007
        • 2006
        • 2005
        • 2004
    • ACTION APPEALS
  • Bulletins
  • Video Archive
  • Donate
  • Covid-19 messages
  • News
  • Organisation
    • About us
    • Our Team
      • WORKING GROUPS
      • STUDIES
      • GENERAL ASSEMBLIES
      • FINANCES
    • Our Mission
    • FAQ
    • IN THE PRESS
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
    • ENCOD MEMBERS
    • INFO FOR MEMBERS
  • Join us
  • Actions & Events
    • CAMPAIGNS
      • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM IS THE FIRST TEST OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS FOR PEOPLE WHO USE CANNABIS AS A MEDICINE
        • FREEDOM TO FARM POSTERS
        • FREEDOM TO FARM STICKERS
      • Cannabis Social Clubs
        • HOW TO CREATE A CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUB
        • EXAMPLES OF CSC’S IN EUROPE
        • Cannabis Social Clubs in Aktion
        • PROPOSAL TO REGULATE THE SELF CULTIVATION AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS IN BELGIUM
        • Catalonia regulates the Cannabis Social Clubs
        • WORKSHOP ‘HOW TO SET UP A CSC IN GERMANY’
      • 2017
      • 2014
      • 2010 – 2013
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
      • 1995 – 2005
      • EU LOBBY CAMPAIGN
        • 2011
        • 2010
        • 2009
        • 2008
        • 2007
        • 2006
        • 2005
        • 2004
    • ACTION APPEALS
  • Bulletins
  • Video Archive
February 23, 2013  |  By ENCOD In 2013

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT

arton4021

Source: The Economist

Feb 23rd 2013

At last, drug prohibition is being challenged by fresh thinking

UNTIL recently it seemed that nothing would disturb the international consensus that the best way to deal with narcotic and psychotropic drugs is to ban them. Codified in a United Nations convention, this policy has proved impervious to decades of failure. Drug consumption has not, in most parts of the world, fallen. Prohibition inflicts appalling damage, through the spread of organised crime, the needless deaths of addicts exposed to adulterated drugs and the mass incarceration of young men.

Now a whiff of change is in the air. Officials in two American states, Colorado and Washington, are pondering how to implement their voters’ decisions in referendums last November to legalise marijuana (cannabis). A dozen countries in Europe and the Americas have deemed the possession of some drugs no longer to be a criminal offence. A few Latin American presidents want a rethink of the “war” on the supply and trafficking of drugs.

Several forces are bringing change. First, public attitudes are starting to shift. Americans have seen that the widespread availability of marijuana for ostensibly medical use has not led to mass addiction. Polls show that around half now support full legalisation. In Britain, a poll this week found a similar proportion in favour of decriminalising cannabis possession.

Latin America is also tiring of trying to suppress production. That is not surprising: in several countries, the death toll associated with efforts to combat the drug business has risen to the level of a conventional war. Mexicans complain that the notion of “shared responsibility” proclaimed by international bureaucrats means that their people get killed whereas the United States, with its soft gun laws, arms the traffickers, launders their money and consumes their product.

Changes in the drug market, meanwhile, are undermining the idea that the problem can be dealt with only at an international level. Synthetic drugs, such as amphetamines and Ecstasy, are now more widely used than cocaine and heroin. Scientists dream up new “highs”, while the law lags. As a result, the neat distinction between “consumer”, “supply” and “transit” countries has broken down: the United States and Europe are big producers of cannabis and synthetics, while Brazil, formerly a “transit” country, is now the world’s second-biggest consumer of cocaine. That is leading to experimentation with drug policy at a national and state level.

The Economist has long argued that prohibition is illiberal in principle and harmful in practice, and that the least-bad way of dealing with drugs is to legalise and regulate their production and consumption. But we recognise that it takes a brave politician to face down the moral panic that surrounds the issue. This new thinking, though limited, is therefore welcome. Legalising consumption allows drug use and addiction (by no means the same thing) to be treated as the public-health issues they are. That in turn means applying the principle of harm reduction, for example by providing clean needles to addicts to prevent the spread of HIV.

But decriminalising consumption does nothing to break the grip of gangsters over the drug business. For that to happen, production and distribution also need to be legalised. That is why the experiment under way in the United States is so important. Colorado and Washington now have the chance to create a legal but regulated market in marijuana, similar to those for tobacco or alcohol. Their referendums approved sales of drugs through regulated outlets only, and not to minors. The states now need to design a way of taxing cannabis that discourages consumption while avoiding the creation of a black market.

This experiment has three potential benefits. It should help to determine whether legalisation boosts drug use. It will undermine Mexican drug gangs, which earn perhaps $2 billion a year from cannabis exports to America. And it might provide a model for regulating other, harder, drugs.

The feds should stand back

A threat hangs over the scheme: in 2005 the Supreme Court upheld the federal ban on marijuana for medical use, even in states where this was legal, because of the risk that the drug would leak to other states. The danger of leakage will increase once this experiment gets under way. So it is encouraging that Barack Obama has said that he does not see prosecution of pot smokers in Colorado and Washington as a “top priority”, which means that he plans to do nothing for the moment. Since most of the benefits of legalisation will take a while to show up, it is to be hoped that he will hold his nerve.

One immediate consequence is that the United States will be in breach of the UN Convention. Good. It should now join Latin American governments in an effort to reform that outdated document to allow signatories room to experiment. Imposing a failed policy on everybody benefits nobody.

Previous StoryNEWS FROM THE WITCH HUNT IN CYPRUS
Next StoryMANIFEST ZA SPRAVEDLIVOU A EFEKTIVNÍ DROGOVOU POLITIKU

Related Articles

  • arton4456
    DOLPHINS CHEW FISH TO GET HIGH
  • voting.jpg
    DRUGS AND DEMOCRACY

Categories

Archives

  • About us
  • Downloads
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal Notice & Terms of Use
  • Imprint

Copyright ©2018 ThemeFuse. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

REPUBLISHING TERMS

You may republish this article online or in print under our Creative Commons license. You may not edit or shorten the text, you must attribute the article to ENCOD and you must include the author’s name in your republication.

If you have any questions, please email thujer@gmail.com

License

Creative Commons License AttributionCreative Commons Attribution
THE GREAT EXPERIMENT