5 ms·

I wonder how much crime would be left if the drug trade were legalized

Zenst 5y ago
Alcohol and tobacco are legal in many countries and yet you still get counterfeits and illegal production. Also drug use is often not down to that user having a fair happy reality and oh so often the product of bigger issues that go untackled and addressing those social injustices would do far more to address crime overall than just legalising drugs. Now if they legalised drugs and used that tax income to address those social issues, then we would see progress and more so, some fairness restored.
- Scoundreller 5y ago
  We’ve legalized marijuana in Canada. While the illegal market is still pretty big (likely over 50% by volume), the illegal prices have cratered. So you don’t just have a big shift out of the black market, but what’s left of the black market has also been decimated, and spends more on marketing/quality/experience.
JulianMorrison 5y ago
Depends if the legal version ends up really expensive, compare cigarettes which are still smuggled because of the sin taxes.
- standardUser 5y ago
  The fact that a small black market will still exist does not negate the argument that legalizing drugs would end the gargantuan black market that currently exists, and most of the ills that come along with it.
bart_spoon 5y ago
Black markets exist and are extensive for products that are available through legal means.
- koheripbal 5y ago
  To a much lesser extent though. I cannot think of any time I've used a black market for something that was otherwise available on the regular market. It's not common, and not very profitable.
  - jliptzin 5y ago
    Also has anyone ever been shot or had their arm chopped off with a chainsaw over cigarette smuggling to avoid sales tax?
    - bart_spoon 5y ago
      I take it you didn't see the video of the high speed multi-vehicle heist attempt that devolved into a shootout on a South African highway a couple weeks ago? Because that was all over a legal shipment of cellphones. [0] [0] https://abc11.com/south-africa-armored-truck-heist-pretoria/10584536/ https://abc11.com/south-africa-armored-truck-heist-pretoria/...

Alcohol and tobacco are legal in many countries and yet you still get counterfeits and illegal production. Also drug use is often not down to that user having a fair happy reality and oh so often the product of bigger issues that go untackled and addressing those social injustices would do far more to address crime overall than just legalising drugs. Now if they legalised drugs and used that tax income to address those social issues, then we would see progress and more so, some fairness restored.

Scoundreller 5y ago
We’ve legalized marijuana in Canada. While the illegal market is still pretty big (likely over 50% by volume), the illegal prices have cratered. So you don’t just have a big shift out of the black market, but what’s left of the black market has also been decimated, and spends more on marketing/quality/experience.

JulianMorrison 5y ago

Depends if the legal version ends up really expensive, compare cigarettes which are still smuggled because of the sin taxes.

standardUser 5y ago
The fact that a small black market will still exist does not negate the argument that legalizing drugs would end the gargantuan black market that currently exists, and most of the ills that come along with it.

bart_spoon 5y ago

Black markets exist and are extensive for products that are available through legal means.

koheripbal 5y ago
To a much lesser extent though. I cannot think of any time I've used a black market for something that was otherwise available on the regular market. It's not common, and not very profitable.
- jliptzin 5y ago
  Also has anyone ever been shot or had their arm chopped off with a chainsaw over cigarette smuggling to avoid sales tax?
  - bart_spoon 5y ago
    I take it you didn't see the video of the high speed multi-vehicle heist attempt that devolved into a shootout on a South African highway a couple weeks ago? Because that was all over a legal shipment of cellphones. [0] [0] https://abc11.com/south-africa-armored-truck-heist-pretoria/10584536/ https://abc11.com/south-africa-armored-truck-heist-pretoria/...