Police uncover rural drugs den (From Hampshire Chronicle)

What a pathetic piece of journalism! Or is it just a re-published press release?

It is very common on these local paper websites to see stories that follow this exact pattern: Anti drug propaganda laced intro (exactly what kind of factory makes plants?), a quote from the police (a PC no less, why is the lowest rank of the police making public statements about an ongoing investigation?), an appeal for people to grass on their neighbours (how much damage does this cause to communities?), and closed with the phone details of the police and/or crimestoppers.

The war on drugs does not work, and just like prohibition-era USA, we have the same problems: gang rivalry for drug markets, poor quality products, massive (tax free) profits for those not caught, and widely available drugs.

These guys look like they were growing some plants, probably for their own use. Why criminalise them? They could brew their own beer or wine perfectly legally, and alcohol kills tens of thousands every year, whereas there has never been a death caused directly by cannabis!

Drugs need to be legalised, even the "big bad ones" like heroin. It is the only way to get the control out of the hands of genuinely dangerous people. Addiction is a medical issue, and should not be criminalised.

Well meant previous comment no doubt but unrealistic. If you had viewed the documentary about drug money and profits wrecking lives and communities in Mexico to (largely)supply the US - you'd change your mind.Pitch battles in the street,kids shot, innocent bystanders slaughtered.Sound familiar.

wheresthemoneygone, I watched a programme from the BBC's iplayer the other day, still got it saved: This_World_-_2009-20
10_Mexicos_Drug_War_
b00qszsf_default.flv
. This the one you meant?

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An immensely powerful film, but ultimately it did what a lot of mainstream media does when it comes to prohibition: it wasn't critical of prohibition. IIRC, only once was it mentioned that the profitability of drugs is created purely by them being illegal, and that was mentioned in a wishy-washy "some people say that...." way.

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All markets are about supply and demand. The demand for drugs will never go away, and so fighting the supply only makes things more profitable for suppliers who don't get caught. And as the profits are huge, if you do get caught supplying then you can afford big bribes. Given enough time, you end up with a totally violent and corrupt mess, like Mexico.

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The law itself creates the black market, and then other laws are used to fight the black market! Some people get hugely rich from this silly situation, but most people do not benefit from prohibition at all.

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Cannabis is worth about 15 times, ounce for ounce, the price of pure silver. There is no other plant material that is this valuable, and that price is created by cannabis' legal status. It is no wonder people are willing to fight over possible profit levels like that.

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If coke is 50UKP/gram, then that is worth over 150 times the value of silver! 220% the value of gold!

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These crazy prices are created by the legal status of these drugs. If you are willing to take the risks, then there are huge profits available, and tax free (remember, it's a black market).

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This is why there is a near endless source of people willing to supply the black market.

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If you want to see the end of the violence (as I do), then drugs need to be legalised to remove the massive profitability. Once legal, they can be taxed as necessary, and that money can be used to support people who inevitably over do it. Like how our society deals with alcohol.

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"Pitch battles in the street,kids shot, innocent bystanders slaughtered.Sound familiar."

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Yes, sounds like the 1920s USA. And they solved the issue by legalising alcohol again.

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PS I have tried to deal with this terrible website's butchering of comments. I have written this in paragraphs, but they may get nailed, so apologies if this is a wall of text.

Sorry, coke is a mere 192% the price of gold, gram for gram. I forgot how many grams there are in an ounce!