Introduction
As some of you will know already I have been a critic of current drugs policy and you can read some of my previous thoughts here. In summary some of my main thoughts on the current drugs policy are:
- It does not reduce drug use or minimise harm and criminalises people unnecessarily.
- It stifles research and restricts potential medical uses.
- It diverts potential tax revenues into crime and also wastes money in the criminal justice system which would be better used in treating addiction.
The Tide Effect - A report from the Adam Smith Institute
A think tank known as the Adam Smith Institute has released a report today called "The Tide Effect". If you are unfamiliar with the Adam Smith Institute here is a quick summary from Wikipedia:
The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is a free market libertarian think tank and lobbying group based in the United Kingdom, named after Adam Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher and classical economist.[1][2][3] It advocates free market and classical liberal ideas, primarily via the formation of radical policy options with regard to Public Choice theory, which political decision makers seek to develop upon.
They are actually quite famous in the UK and I have generally found them to be quite sensible in what they do suggest. There also seems to be a growing body of politicians who are starting to listen to what they say:
Here is a short excerpt from the start of the Tide Effect to give you an idea of the kind of things they are saying:
- The government strategy is based around three main pillars: reducing demand, restricting supply and building recovery. All three are failing.
- Regulation is substantially more desirable than simple decrimi- nalisation or unregulated legalisation, because only regulation addresses all four key issues: ensuring that the product meets acceptable standards of quality and purity; removing criminal gangs from the equation as far as possible; raising revenue for the Treasury through point-of-sale taxation; and best protecting pub- lic health.
- The entire language used to address cannabis-related issues needs to change. Language poses a barrier every bit as formidable
as legislation does. The opponents of legalisation have long been able to reinforce their position by using the words of public fear – ‘illegal,’ ‘criminal’, ‘dangerous’, and so on. Only by using the language of public health, consumer rights and harm reduction, the same language used about alcohol and tobacco, can we move towards regulation.- The scale of a legalised industry will be huge. The US market is estimated to be worth $25bn by the time of the next election in 2020. A similarly regulated UK market could be worth around £7bn per annum.
Most of the points I have previously made are covered in the report and it makes a lot of sense. It also goes into detailed discussion of the current findings of legalisation/decriminalisation in the US states and other nations.
I want to keep this short as I have covered most of these points before so I wont go into any more detail. Please give it a read.
The report has cross-party backing - BBC Article
The report is also discussed in a BBC article today which provides a bit of a TLDR version of it. Of particular interest in the BBC report is the fact that former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and health minister Norman Lamb are supporting it as part of a cross party group of MPs.
Image of Nick Clegg: Source
Mr Clegg is quoted in the article:
"British politicians need to open their eyes to what is happening in the rest of the world.
Cannabis prohibition is being swept away on a tide of popular opinion and replaced with responsible legal regulation.
Now is the time for ministers to start writing the rules for this legal market, including age limits and health warnings, so that we can finally take back control from the criminal gangs."
For once I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with a politician!
What do you think?
Are we really seeing the tide turning? Have you read the report - what do you think?
I know this is something that a lot of people feel very strongly about.
Are you in a US state or other nation where "the tide has already turned" with legalisation or decriminalisation? What has your experience been.
Have your say in the comments. Let's get a sensible discussion going on this.
If you like my work and aren't already, please follow me and check out my blog (I mainly discuss photography but I do other topics too) - @thecryptofiend
Photo Credits: All non-sourced photos are taken from my personal Thinkstock Photography account. More information can be provided on request.
(Verification for me here: http://www.aapicture.com/about-me)