« Stolen plants lead police to seize nearly 200 Marijuana plants | Main | 48-year-old grandmother defends her right to medicate with marijuana »
Legalizing drugs would stop gangs
By Hempology | June 17, 2007
National Post, Canada
16 Jun 2007
Rick Osborne
Re: Put The Gangs Out Of Business: Legalize Drugs, Michael C. Chettleburgh, June 13.
As a former gang member who served 24 years in federal prison ( drug, robbery and weapons charges ) and now leads a pro-social life working with youth in the Greater Toronto Area, I can say that Michael Chettleburgh is right on the money with his questioning of the status quo regarding the suppression of street drugs. Gangs as we know them will cease to exist if we cut off their sources of income and control–drug profits.
With the legalization of soft drugs ( THC-based products such as marijuana, oil and hashish ), we would not only suppress the underground economy, but also control the content ( no more methamphetamine-laced products ).
The medicalization of stronger narcotics like cocaine and heroin would be the next step. Doctors, rather than the criminal justice system, would then be the first line of intervention, minimizing procurement criminality and the medical complications of using drugs on the street. This model does not include the current harm reduction modality of methadone clinics, which doesn’t work.
Topics: Articles | Comments Off
Comments are closed.