We need a single class of illegal drug, with a crackdown on the possession of drugs, including a mandatory sentence of three months for a second offence, six months for a third offence, one year for a fourth offence, and so on. Within a context in which each offence carries a minimum sentence of one third of its maximum sentence, or of 15 years for life.
And in response to a fairly recent post here, part of my emerging think tank work (watch this space) involves doing a David Nutt and setting up our own Advisory Councils on the Misuse of Drugs. It will be exactly as "politically neutral" as his. Or anyone else's. Inevitably.
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We should be making illegal what patently you are on and is twisting your mind.
ReplyDeleteAt least I can spell "Faithfull".
ReplyDeleteIt is always funny to see the rage of the pro-drugs lobby, so completely used to its own way, whenever anybody dares to question it.
It is pointless to fight a war that cannot be won, save at expense too great for us to afford. Beyond maintaining minimum health and safety standards, the law does not regulate the consumption of many addictive substances and it doesn't prohibit alcohol or tobacco. The problem with illegal drugs is that they are illegal. This adds to their cost of production, as they can only be transported in small quantities and the retailers charge danger money. Underground markets always attract organised crime. Legalisation would not be a surender, just a sensible policy that brings certain substances into line with others. The medically useful could be regulated under the Medicines Act, just like painkillers, and the others could be sold openly and relatively cheaply alongside the more addictive substances of caffeine (easier to overdose on caffeine than on speed) and nicotine and the more medically and socially danaging substance of alcohol. The fact that Tesco sold cannabis tested for safety by the state at a lower price than your average dealer would send said dealer out of business. While more people might sample cannabis, it is unlikely that more would become regular users and it is unlikely that many would even sample anything else. If they wanted to, they alredy could, even without legalisation. They don't, so they mustn't want to.
ReplyDeleteI stopped reading at your first comma. Of course this war can be won. The problem is that it has never been fought.
ReplyDeleteYou banning booze n ciggies too?
ReplyDeleteIt is too late to do anything about alcohol in Western culture, altough it must be said the drink-driving legislation has effected massive cultural change with considerable rapidity, proving that that can be done by properly enforced State action.
ReplyDeleteThe same with the smoking ban in pubs. My freshers now can hardly get their heads around the idea that when I was their age, every time you went into a pub, no matter how briefly, you always came out smelling of cigarette smoke. Again, properly enforced State action changes behaviour beyond recognition.