Under a decriminalization regime, the use of drugs and their possession for personal use are. Douglas husak argues in favor of drug decriminalization, by clarifying the meaning of crucial terms, such as legalize, decriminalize, and drugs. The human toll of criminalizing drug use in the united. Voices the economic case for decriminalising drugs. Sadly, the book is focused mostly just on drug use and not drug sale or production, but this allows the book to be more accurate and exhaustive. Social and economic benefits of marijuana decriminalization. Sample essay on illicit drug decriminalization, legalization.
Drug legalization calls for a return to the pre20th century situation in which almost all drugs were legal. Many countries have tried everything to stop the spread of drug cartels, drug smuggling, the use of drugs. Milton friedman interview from 1991 on americas war on drugs. Under decriminalization, a user who is caught might be subject only to a warning, fine, or recommended or compulsory medical treatment. Some simulations of the legalization of marijuana and cocaine, using. I was introduced to the portuguese experience during a visit to the country in january 2011. Oregon has become the first state in the nation to decriminalize drug possession. Rethinking the war on drugs through the usmexico prism. A liberalization of current drug laws will most probably lead to a fall in drug prices.
What is surprising is the rapidity and momentum behind this idea throughout the americas. Examines the various options and evidence on the decriminalization of controlled substances as a means to reduce harms. How should the prospects of success for substitution policies. These are the fundamental issues debated in this book by two prominent philosophers of law. The effects of decriminalization in portugal are examined both in absolute terms and in comparisons with other states that continue to criminalize drugs, particularly within the eu. Block, w 1976,defending the undefendable laissezfaire books, new york. Drug policy is no exception to the rule of simple ideas. Decriminalization would increase the use and the economic and. This paper argues the case for the legalization of addictive drugs such as. Because drugs can be potentially harmful or be the cause of violent behavior, there must be strong controls placed upon the use of these substances. A snapshot of other experiences with drug decriminalization. A 2015 study in the journal of health economics found that medical marijuana laws increase marijuana use in both adults and adolescents.
This rich and diverse collection assembles a wide range of views in the ongoing debate over drug legalization, decriminalization, and deregulation in america. Aug 01, 2018 a 2015 study found that since portugal approved the new national strategy in 1999 that led to decriminalization, the per capita social cost of drug misuse decreased by 18%. Washington state lawmakers on thursday introduced landmark legislation to decriminalize possessing small amounts of all drugs and expand treatment services for people with substance use disorders, part of a growing trend of u. Obviously, oregons decriminalization of the possession and use of hard drugs e. Economic analyses indicate that prevention programmes may be cost. His work focuses on drug policy and political and economic inequality.
Dec 23, 2017 the number of portuguese dying from overdoses plunged more than 85 per cent, before rising a bit in the aftermath of the european economic crisis of recent years. In adults aged 21 and older, the frequency of binge drinking also increased. Moreover, the policy change contributed to a reduction in the incidence of drug addicts among hiv individuals. London mayor plans commission to study cannabis decriminalization. Decriminalizing drugs in the americas introduction to. Decriminalization of drug use did not have an effect on the age of onset of drug. Economic approaches to the decriminalization of drugs, anne line brettevillejensen. Under a decriminalization regime, the use of drugs. Legalization cons of decriminalization help for drug use and addiction you may want to know several us states have recently decided to legalize medical and recreational marijuana. The percentage of people behind bars in portugal for drug law violations also decreased dramatically, from 44% in 1999 to 24% in 20.
The first evaluation of a decriminalization law was conducted by the drug abuse council, a washingtonbased research foundation, in oregon in i974. Dec 16, 2019 these decriminalization of drugs pros and cons suggest that the benefits seen in portugal could be something that other nations may experience as well. Portugals experiment in drug decriminalization has been a. New oregon law decriminalizing drugs seen as a step in the. The drugs economy and antidrug policy in developing. Drug decriminalization goes into effect in oregon measure 110 prioritizes drug treatment over police enforcement, using cannabis revenue to open new addiction treatment centers across the state. Decriminalization of illicit drugs is likely to reduce the population of inmates in the us prisons because drug users would not be reprimanded during the promotion of treatment of drug addicts. Decriminalization of drug use did not have an effect on the age of onset of drug use and the prices of drugs did not decrease after the implementation of drug decriminalization. The unintended consequences of marijuana decriminalization. The effect of drug decriminalization in portugal on homicide. The two most common positions are drug legalization or relegalization, and drug decriminalization. This means that fighting a war on drugs by legalizing drug use and taxing consumption may be more effective than continuing to prohibit the. Should the united states decriminalize the possession of drugs. Twentysix states plus the district of columbia have decriminalized the.
Drug liberalization proponents hold differing reasons to support liberalization, and have differing policy proposals. For those who use illicit drugs, these harms include criminal records, stigma, highrisk consumption patterns, overdose and the transmission of bloodborne disease. Is it better to have drug use made legal, and therefore taxed and regulated, or might this encourage more drugs to be consumed with the. Books on the war on drugs five books expert recommendations. Could it reduce government spending, stimulate the economy and create jobs. Persuasive essay on decriminalizing all drugs 1548 words. Sep 16, 2020 at least 25 to 30 countries, mostly in europe and latin america, have drug decriminalization laws on the books, with the most wellknown being portugal, which pioneered the way, decriminalizing. Decriminalization is the removal of criminal penalties for drug law violations usually possession for personal use. Drug decriminalization drugs, it is a big issue among many countries across the world. This myth has been promoted by the multimillion dollar pro drug legalization lobby, civil libertarians, and misguided. They would make the case that we should legalize marijuana because it would bankrupt the cartels. Pdf milton friedman, drug legalization, and public policy.
Carl hart, columbia professor, says drug legalization is. Washington lawmakers introduce longawaited bill to. I met with political leaders, health professionals, social workers, researchers and experts on. Sep 22, 2017 my take is that decriminalization on its own might have led to a modest increase in the use of hard drugs, but that this was swamped by public health efforts that led to an overall decline. Obviously, there will be shortterm consequences but also benefits too. Reformers looking to lighten and eliminate drug laws are a divided group, with some claiming that drug abuse is a disease, a national health problem that should be treated as such, while. Ideas governing drug policy treating drug problems ncbi. Oct 05, 2020 after decriminalization, the number of people in portugal receiving drug addiction treatment rose, according to a study by hannah laqueur, an assistant professor in the department of emergency. The economic case for decriminalising drugs the independent. Portugal decided to treat possession and use of drugs as a public health issue, not a criminal one. To locate americas illegal drug policy globally and along a spectrum of potential. Drug legalization is gaining everwidening support in most western societies. The case for decriminalizing drugs practical ethics series by douglas n.
The united states have tried improving our borders to stop the importing of drugs and have stopped many deals going on among cities and neighborhoods. The european monitoring centre for drugs and drug addiction emcdda defines decriminalization as the removal of a conduct or activity from the sphere of criminal law. Drug decriminalization in oregon officially begins today. A really systematic and careful discussion is brought forward by husak, presenting an incredible number of different reasons i had not thought about at all for the decriminalization of drug use. Controlling crime national bureau of economic research. Decriminalization is just one baby step away from the war on drugs, and drug smugglers and dealers are still sought out and punished. Drug decriminalization and the price of illicit drugs. Aug 28, 20 ive talked before in this blog about the idea of decriminalizing drugs as some european countries, such as portugal, have already done. Jan 08, 20 the paper attempts to describe the economics of the drug market in the broadest sense. Khan was expected to unveil the proposal to study the health, economic, and criminal justice benefits of cannabis decriminalization on tuesday as part of his platform for reelection. Vancouver mayor says hes hopeful ottawa wants to discuss decriminalization of drugs. The number of people arrested and sent to criminal courts for drug offenses annually declined by more than 60% following decriminalization. Drug legalization strong drug enforcement in the united states is correlated with the reduction in crime, drug use, and drug addiction growth rates. While drug decriminalization cannot fully repair our broken and oppressive criminal legal system or the harms of an unregulated drug market, shifting from absolute prohibition to drug.
The supply anddemand model provides the basic economic framework for drug policy. Opinion how to win a war on drugs the new york times. The evidence from portugal since 2001 is that decriminalisation of drug use and possession has benefits and no harmful sideeffects. In november 2012 both colorado and washington decriminalized marijuana possession. However, due to the longlasting and persuasive positive outcomes of decriminalization, it is vital that the u.
The economics of drug prohibition and drug legalization. Aug 14, 2012 drug policy in portugal is a lucid, penetrating and timely study about the impact of drug decriminalization on peoples health and public security. The drugs are still illegal but getting caught with them means a small fine and maybe a referral to a treatment program not jail time and a criminal record. Pdf the economics of drug legalisation researchgate. What the us can learn from portugals drug decriminalization. This practice would encourage drug addicts to seek treatment voluntarily in any health facility while doctors would be more than willing to assist them to stop the behavior. Aug 24, 2011 gerson seems to have a fantastical view of our world today. What childrens books have had the biggest impact on you.
The economic case for decriminalizing heroin the washington. In this paper we shed further light on the impact of drug decriminalization on the illicit drug market by studying its impact on the price of illicit drugs. Pointers from portugal on addiction and the drug war the. The manufacture and distribution of drugs remains illegal. Oct 21, 2010 the argument that drug decriminalization, or legalization, will solve the budget crisis, reduce prison overcrowding and cripple drug cartels is simply not supported by evidence. Essay on legalization or decriminalization of drugs 1068. This is all rather different from the line taken by the uns 1988 convention see page 3, or page 12 of the. September 2, 2009 the legalization or decriminalization of drugs would be beneficial to society through various ways. In fact, the benefits of keeping marijuana and other illicit drugs illegal clearly outweigh the negative and predictable consequences of legitimizing these substances. Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs. Free decriminalization of drugs essays and papers 123. Jan 05, 2010 wsj article gets a lot right and a little wrong. Jul 17, 2014 countries should ban compulsory treatment for people who use andor inject drugs.
Drug decriminalization or depenalization, while representing a level of drug enforcement intermediate between legalization and strict prohibition, is really sort of a third way in terms of its relationship to the economic theory. Reformers looking to lighten and eliminate drug laws are a divided group, with some claiming that drug abuse is a disease, a national health problem that should be treated as such, while those committed to the war on drugs stress personal responsibility, and that there is no such thing as the disease of addiction. The impact on tougher drug sanctions has been overshadowed by a myth that u. A recent article by david luhnow in the wall street journal, saving mexico, contains a lot of good economic analysis of the market for illegal drugs, as well as a few statements that a completely economically literate writer would not have made. The present article focuses on recent economic studies examining the effects of a fall in prices on quantities consumed and recruitment. In particular, the authors want to combat the idea that legalizing drugs would lead to more addictions. Portugals drug policy treating, not punishing europe. Oregons drug decriminalization effort starts today rolling. Even so, portugals drug mortality rate is the lowest in western europe onetenth the rate of britain or denmark and about onefiftieth of the latest number in the us. A series of studies conducted after the change in law i i indicated no major change in rates of use, but given the lack of data prior to the change other than retrospective questions of dubious.
The libertarian case for drug prohibition public discourse. Essay on legalization or decriminalization of drugs 1068 words. Based on canadian and international research, this policy brief notes that recognizing that substance use is a health, rather than a criminal justice, issue is a starting point for reform. A group of 22 medical experts convened by johns hopkins university and the lancet have called today for the decriminalization of all. The effect of drug decriminalization in portugal on. Jul 14, 2017 in 2001, portugal decriminalized the use of all drugs weed, cocaine, heroin, you name it. Oregons drug decriminalization effort starts today.
Decriminalization and legalization of drugs economic. Before we get to the books, what is the war on drugs. A primary reason to focus on the impact of the policy change on the price of drugs is the presumed e ect of prices on use and consumption. One decriminalized possession of small amounts of illegal drugs including. Jan 28, 2018 drug legalization would make drugs both cheaper and more available, which in turn increases use. Pdf the effects of decriminalization of drug use in portugal. Indeed, in washington state the police recently handed out decriminalizing drugs. An economic argument for drug legalization section 0. The drug policy alliance has long advocated for drug decriminalization as a critical first step in ending the drug war, including in its 2017 report, its time for the u. London mayor sadiq khan will form a commission to study the potential of decriminalization of cannabis if he is reelected next month, according to media reports from the united kingdom. Senior lecturer on economics and director of undergraduate studies. Victory over the drug crisis will not come through. Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs and. Aug 06, 2015 in 1991 nobel economist milton friedman pictured above giving a talk at aei, exact year unknown was interviewed by emmy awardwinning drug reporter randy paige on americas drug forum, a.
Aug 27, 2009 portugals drug policy treating, not punishing. This proportion declined to 28% in 2005, from a peak of 44% in 1999. The economics of drug prohibition and drug legalization jeffrey. Along the same path, the general population consciousness is moving toward being in favor of decriminalizing drug use in general. As a vocal advocate for drug legalization friedman brought the idea to the publics. Decriminalization would increase the use and the economic. Apr 02, 2009 the effects of decriminalization in portugal are examined both in absolute terms and in comparisons with other states that continue to criminalize drugs, particularly within the eu.
Decriminalization is an evidencebased policy strategy to reduce the harms associated with the criminalization of illicit drugs. His books include the economics of prohibition 1991. Pros and cons of decriminalizing drug addiction foundations. Drug abuse and addiction are medical and psychological problems that are better solved by the individual with the help of professionals and social pressures. Today in portugal, if youre found with a small amount of drugs for personal use, youre offered.
392 823 938 998 103 1014 252 1005 994 231 4 728 1465 480 126 1237 126 1036 191 484 1266 877 998 1365 176 304 1229 663 13 953 531 1052 981 960