5 ms·

Very simple: Make it prescription based, perhaps even limit consumption to controlled clinics. To qualify for a prescription, you will need to be addicted (or s

Very simple: Make it prescription based, perhaps even limit consumption to controlled clinics. To qualify for a prescription, you will need to be addicted (or something to that effect, IANA medical professional). As "repeat customers" disappear, the incentive to get people hooked disappear, and the current economic model collapses. This will take care of the addicts and most of the dangerous drug related crime. There will still be a market to service casual users (ie. rich bankers) which will have to be addressed in a different manner (perhaps not at all - if the market is small enough not to sustain large, dangerous cartels, it will allow the affected countries to get on their feet and establish proper rule of law which is the primary goal).

jbattle 14y ago
Make it prescription based? Then you still have people buying & selling in alleys. What's the difference other than slightly increasing the supply of high quality drugs?
- mseebach 14y ago
  Read one sentence further, please: >> perhaps even limit consumption to controlled clinics But even without that, the difference would be to give addicts a simple path straight out of the criminal environment - helping recovery (the proximity of your dealer and various loan sharks whose revenues depend on your habit aren't very helpful) and destroying the market.
  - jbattle 14y ago
    You are basically suggesting (I think) widespread availability of drug clinics giving people methadone or the equivalent? I think that's not a bad idea on its own, but I'm not sure it really gets at the core of drug users who really don't want to get off drugs, or don't want to be put on a schedule. Unless perhaps you are suggesting the clinics would just be open 24x7, giving out fixes as desired, without pushing people to get clean?
    - mseebach 14y ago
      Not methadone, the real thing. And only to "proven" addicts. I'm not sure what the best way to engage the addicts there is, probably not "pushing", but at least you'll know where to find them. I'm working from the premise – which could be wrong – that the average drug addict don't particularly enjoy having to engage with gangs and crime. Thus, almost any solution that allows them to tend to their addiction without crime will be almost infinitely more attractive. I should also mention that I'm working from a rather utilitarian perspective: I'm concerned about bringing down the external costs of the drug problem – crime, cartels – and less with "curing" the addicts.

jbattle 14y ago

Make it prescription based? Then you still have people buying & selling in alleys. What's the difference other than slightly increasing the supply of high quality drugs?

mseebach 14y ago
Read one sentence further, please: >> perhaps even limit consumption to controlled clinics But even without that, the difference would be to give addicts a simple path straight out of the criminal environment - helping recovery (the proximity of your dealer and various loan sharks whose revenues depend on your habit aren't very helpful) and destroying the market.
- jbattle 14y ago
  You are basically suggesting (I think) widespread availability of drug clinics giving people methadone or the equivalent? I think that's not a bad idea on its own, but I'm not sure it really gets at the core of drug users who really don't want to get off drugs, or don't want to be put on a schedule. Unless perhaps you are suggesting the clinics would just be open 24x7, giving out fixes as desired, without pushing people to get clean?
  - mseebach 14y ago
    Not methadone, the real thing. And only to "proven" addicts. I'm not sure what the best way to engage the addicts there is, probably not "pushing", but at least you'll know where to find them. I'm working from the premise – which could be wrong – that the average drug addict don't particularly enjoy having to engage with gangs and crime. Thus, almost any solution that allows them to tend to their addiction without crime will be almost infinitely more attractive. I should also mention that I'm working from a rather utilitarian perspective: I'm concerned about bringing down the external costs of the drug problem – crime, cartels – and less with "curing" the addicts.