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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Letter: Prohibition of drugs is a failure
Jack Girling The Independent
Tuesday 19 Aug 1997 May I congratulate Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton, who has bravely called for a Royal Commission on drugs, after the unforgivable shooting of a five-year old boy in Bolton. Mr Iddon has clearly seen the truth - that prohibition of drugs is a failure. When a substance which is 'marketable', such as a drug, is made illegal, it simply creates opportunities for massive illegal profits and everything which goes alongside the protection of their businesses, by the crooks and gangsters who produce and sell the drugs. Greediness for extra profit also means that the drugs can be cut with substances often more dangerous than the drugs themselves, causing unnecessary illness and death amongst users. This is particularly true for cannabis - the impurities are almost certainly more dangerous than the plant itself. However, I must point out that decriminalisation, although better than nothing - it would enable users of hard drugs to seek help without fear of arrest -would not solve all the problems. It would leave the supply of drugs - polluted and of unknown strengths - in the hands of criminals. The answer to the drugs problem is full legalisation. This does not mean that hard drugs would be available at the corner shop. Rather it would mean that pure hard drugs would be available through controlled outlets - such as doctors' prescriptions and advice, and chemists. Drug distribution would then be controlled and the addicts recognised. The fall in cost to users would decrease crime generally and knock the illegal suppliers right out of the market. Addicts and dealers would have no reason to create new addicts in order to finance their own habits. Jack Girling Norwich
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