BZP ban won't stop stupidity

From the Libertarianz' latest press release:

"In the wake of a tragic incident in Greymouth which has left a young man in an induced coma in Christchurch Hospital after taking BZP, Libertarianz Drugs Spokesman Dr. Richard Goode reiterated his party's opposition to a ban on BZP-based party pills."

It's very true that bad things can happen if you take drugs-but it's also very true that a ban on drugs doesn't make those effects disappear. People still continue to use them. Control goes to the gangs, who thrive off the huge prices drugs sell for in the black market. To obtain their drugs, people will steal to pay for their usage. Police resources are seriously drained, making serious real crimes-like murder, rape and burglary-all the easier to commit. Prisons get seriously overcrowded. The whole system becomes a complete and total mess.

In a free market, however, these things will be subject only to the laws of supply and demand. Drugs become far cheaper, meaning gangs will have a harder time trying to survive. Police resources aren't diverted to drug crimes, and serious crimes are paid more attention to. Prisons don't get overcrowded. People don't need to steal to pay for their usage. Crime goes down.

And despite the whole "war on drugs" mania around NZ and abroad, especially in America, the percentage of underage users is far lower in the drug-tolerant Netherlands than it is in "war on drugs" America and New Zealand.

In America, the numbers of 15 and 16 year old's who've used cannabis is 38%. In New Zealand, they are only slightly lower at 35%. England's rate is 36%. Meanwhile, the Netherlands does well at only 8%. Drugs are a rebellion factor in America, NZ and England, and therefore the percentage of teens using them is far higher than in the Netherlands, where they aren't a rebellion factor.

We shouldn't forget that 52% of New Zealanders are criminals, 52% of New Zealanders have used cannabis. A higher number, 62%-ten percent higher-said they would support decriminalisation, according to the TVNZ/TNS poll.

So what about all the drug labs we hear about so often on the news? Wouldn't they be rampant if we decriminalised cannabis?

No, they wouldn't. In fact, they would be non-existent. They would be unprofitable in a free market for drugs. They are only profitable thanks to the huge price for illegal drugs on today's black market.

Medicinal Marijuana should be the first to be legalised. Simply put, it saves lives. If you want proof, take a look at the Libertarian Party of America's Libertarian heroes section. The first story is about a man with cancer. His doctor prescribed him a whole heap of medical drugs. He couldn't keep them down. After trying many different substances, he found one that worked: marijuana.

Afterwards, he was charged with possession of marijuana and subsequently thrown in jail. He died weeks later, thanks to prohibition.

Cannibis, Marijuana and indeed the whole concept of drug prohibtion has been a complete failure. It has had all the wrong implications on society and has actually increased drug consumption. It simply has not worked. Drugs need to be legalisated, in order for them to be subject to the laws of the free market and their levels to be dramatically reduced. After all, what do law-breakers care about the law?

Note: Richard Goode has a site, Stash.co.nz.