http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/should-the-us-legalize-hard-drugs/2012/04/11/gIQAX95QBT_story.html?tid=pm_pop
This article is about the likely repercussions of the United States legalizing hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. It steps away from the traditional moral argument, taking the stance that regardless of the morality or immorality of using drugs people will do it. Instead it examines the economics of the situation. Individual drug dealers on the street, for instance, do not actually earn much. The bulk of profits from the sale of drugs goes to the cartels.
Cartels not only profit greatly from the sale of drugs, which are expensive when sold in the US, but are cheaply and easily produced, but they also oppose their legalization. With drugs like these being illegal, they can control the supply more easily, and that makes prices higher. Legalizing drugs like these would hurt the cartels enormously, but such arguments are almost always overshadowed by those about drugs being morally wrong.
6 comments:
I would imagine when legalizing drugs like cocaine and heroin there would be too many negative externalities to ever legalize them. I believe marijuana or softer drugs should be legalized but hard drugs like heroin are just too serious.
I agree with Brady. I think that although you raise good points about dismantling the cartel through its legalization, there are far too many risks that we could face if it is legal. Since it's illegal, it is hard to find cocaine and heroin as people have to 'know someone' but if its legal then it would be far too accessible. I'm all for the legalization of marijuana and other soft drugs but a hard drug like heroin is pushing it. there are simply too many socioeconomic repercussions that can arise and the risk is too great to take.
I agree with both Brad and Greg. Decriminalizing hard drugs would hurt the cartels more than decriminalizing marijuana, but the reason most people support marijuana decriminalization is because it is not a very addictive drug where heroin and cocaine are. A noble goal but too impractical given what we know about these drugs.
I also agree with the article's points about the failures of the War on Drugs. The legislation is too strict and only hits the little guys rather than the bosses who actually profit from the sales. Reorganizing the drug laws would be a massive undertaking, either in raising the amount needed for prison time or in legalizing marijuana, and there seems to only be strong public support for the later.
I am going to take the other side. In Crime and Deviance we read an article how many European countries have legalized hard drugs by which the nation can make profits and control their use. Not only can they control consumption more easily but they can teach safe usage instead of people using dirty needles and going to dangerous crack houses. Also, they have far less crime and far fewer people in jail which also helps economics. The article also explained how the majority of people who used these drugs through a doctor were off the drugs and healthy in ten years. They also make sure the people are functioning in society and working legal jobs. Therefore, I would take the side of legalization.
There certainly is some money to be saved for the government if they choose to legalize. However, that certainly cannot be the only point on contention, moral hazards should be the obvious issue. I agree with many individuals above that as well point to the negative externalities associated with such a decision.
I guess I just do not see the negative externalities?? I am not an economic major so I probably do not understand the systems... Yet, I do know that people, legal or not, will continue to do drugs. If we legalize them, the government will have more control and have financial gains which could be used for other government expenditures. It is proven in other nations that countries who legalize drugs have less crime and those who use drugs are more functional and are off their addiction far quicker than users in the United States, "The Best Country in the World" :) ...If someone wants to do drugs, they will. Hence, the amount of criminals we have in prisons due to drug crime. Any way, after this long blog, I argue that legalization allows a government to decrease their deficit at the meantime of helping those who are addicted to drugs, and would be regardless whether drugs are legal or not. (We all know our government is involved in the drug trade any way).
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