The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission estimates that Measure 110 will reduce these inequalities and overall reduce approximately 4,000 Oregon residents per year for crimes or offenses of illegal drug possession. Most illicit drugs are no more harmful than legal substances such as cigarettes and alcohol, and therefore drugs should be treated in the same way as these other substances. In light of the above, it does not matter whether drug use – in itself and regardless of how the drugs are obtained – is good or bad: people take drugs, and the war on drugs is a costly, ineffective and extremely harmful policy to stop them. So the question is: how should drug policy be reformed in the face of the failure of the war on drugs? Authorized sale: Vendors sell drugs for off-premises use, as is the case for alcohol and tobacco, the sale of which is restricted on the basis of age. Few people want to ban these products, mainly because, although they are harmful when misused, they offer significant benefits to most people in most circumstances. While the alternative of legalization usually emerges when fear of drugs and public despair of existing policies are at their peak, it never seems to disappear from the media radar screen for long. Periodic incidents — such as the heroine-induced death of a wealthy young couple in New York City in 1995, or then-surgeon general Jocelyn Elders` remark in 1993 that legalization could be beneficial and should be investigated — guarantee this. The importance of many of those who have advocated for legalization at various times, such as William F. Buckley, Jr., Milton Friedman, and George Shultz, also helps. But every time the issue of legalization is raised, the same arguments for and against are dusted off and trampled on, so we don`t have a clearer understanding of what it might entail and what the implications might be.
A proposal in the legislature would address some of the challenges related to the implementation of Agenda 110 and strengthen rules and oversight. But that, too, has fueled controversy. Among other things, the bill proposes to change the addiction health assessment for people with hard drugs to less rigorous testing. The bill would also reduce the fine for contraventions from $100 to at least $45. Fines would continue to be denied if the person is screened for substance use disorder. Sale in pharmacies: prescription drugs or for registered users. What would happen if heroin, cocaine and other drugs were legal? Image: RHJPhtoandilustration/Shutterstock .com We`ve come a long way since Reefer Madness. Over the past two decades, 16 states have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana and 22 have legalized it for medical purposes. In November 2012, Colorado and Washington went even further and legalized recreational marijuana under state law.
Public attitudes toward marijuana have also changed; In a November 2013 Gallup poll, 58% of Americans supported marijuana legalization. More importantly, such discussions are unnecessary until the nature of the purported regulatory regime is clarified. It would be surprising, for example, if the use of legalized drugs did not increase, if they were as available on the market as alcohol and tobacco products are today, with sophisticated packaging, marketing and advertising. But more restrictive systems could have very different results. In any case, the risk of increased drug use could be acceptable if legalization could dramatically, if not completely, eradicate crime linked to the black market in illicit drugs, while making some forms of drug use safer. Again, there are controversial claims. The war on drugs has cost society more than drug abuse itself. The cost includes the $16 billion that the federal government alone spent on counter-narcotics in 1998.
Of that $16 billion, $10.5 billion will be spent on measures to reduce the supply of medicines. Most of these measures include enforcement measures to stop or intercept the flow of drugs across borders. Costs also include corruption, damage to poor and minority neighborhoods, a global black market in illicit drugs, enrichment of criminal organizations through their involvement in drug trafficking, and an increase in predatory crimes such as theft and burglary committed by drug addicts enslaved by drugs. None of the illicit drugs are biologically less attractive than alcohol or tobacco. The reason so many Americans use these two drugs is that they are legal for adults and widely used and supported by established industries. The legalization of marijuana ensures that the percentage of Americans who use this drug increases in terms of these two legal drugs. Even worse, it`s important to note that more than 58% of Americans who suffer from a substance use disorder for drugs other than alcohol have a marijuana use disorder. To the extent that prohibition reduces drug use, the effect is likely to be less for hard drugs than for marijuana.
This is because the demand for cocaine and heroin appears to be cheaper. From this point of view, the legalization of cocaine or heroin is even stronger than marijuana; For hard drugs, prohibition mainly increases the price, which increases the resources spent on the black market while having minimal impact on consumption. The main objection to the transition to a regulated drug market is that it facilitates the acquisition of drugs, which would lead to an explosion of problematic use. Indeed, the transition to a legal and regulated market promises society more control. It is often easier for young people to buy illegal drugs such as cannabis and MDMA than legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, the sale of which is regulated and age-restricted. However, what is generally presented as a fairly simple process of lifting prohibitionist controls to reap these supposed benefits would actually mean addressing an extremely complex set of regulatory issues. As with most, if not all, goods supplied by individuals and public funds, the main regulatory issues concern the type of medicines legally available, the conditions under which they are supplied and the conditions under which they are consumed (see page 21). A natural and understandable concern of people is that decriminalization will increase drug use and lead to crime, addiction and death. This fear does not seem to be borne out by the facts. Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001. A 2010 academic study found a reduction in problem use (defined as injection drug use or regular use of opioids, cocaine and/or amphetamines) and drug-related harms such as deaths and new HIV infections – further evidence that few users are deterred by criminal sanctions.
Regulation can and should be realistic and adaptable, evolve over time to reduce damage, and eventually shift all trade to the legal market for years where it can be controlled and taxed. It is necessarily a balancing act: if it is too difficult or too expensive for consumers to legally buy their favorite drugs, the black market will remain. If it`s too easy or too cheap, it could lead to greater addiction. The transition to legal drug markets is possible: the United States did it for alcohol in 1933, when prohibition ended, and still does it for cannabis. Second, the war on drugs cannot be won. People take drugs in the hope of feeling joy and relieving their distress. These desires do not disappear. People who want drugs are also not deterred by criminal sanctions: a 2014 Interior Ministry report found “no clear link between a country`s tough enforcement against drug possession and the level of drug use in that country.” .