Part IV1
How do we change, how do we move the needle on all of this; crime, punishment, rehabilitation, justice?
I certainly don’t have any answers, I do however have some ideas. If after 400 years the Roman Catholic church can review its attitudes regarding the guilt of Galileo and reverse their decision, consider newer knowledge and evidence Perhaps after 200 years with little to no progress and new information perhaps as a civil society that claims to be enlightened, responsive and progressive than the Roman Catholic church we should take a beat and reevaluate some fundamental practices that have failed us repeatedly but we claim are still best practices.
Lets review the cost of incarceration, the social costs and cost in lost productivity attributed to drug use. The costs are staggering, with seemingly little or no progress made. You will notice, however it is not illegal drug sales or use that are the biggest draw on the system. It is the perfectly legal drugs that are the highest drain on government resources. See figure 1 ((https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-drugs-substances-strateg)
Alcohol and tobacco drain the system at a rate 3 times that of opioids. So why have Opioids, stimulants and miscellaneous other drugs become so vilified? Drug use and abuse is a slippery slope. Most street drugs continue to have legal “big pharma” equivalents and can and are often prescribed to this day. Big pharma handed the fentanyl crisis to the world on a silver platter.
Fig. 1 Costs of substance use and harms in Canada, in billions of dollars
Social cost of substance abuse:
The four substances associated with the largest costs were (in order):
- Alcohol: $19.7 billion or 40.1% of the total costs,
- Tobacco: $11.2 billion or 22.7% of the total costs,
- Opioids: $7.1 billion or 14.4% of the total costs and
- Cocaine: $4.2 billion or 8.5% of the total costs.
Roughly 30 billion dollars a year on Alcohol and Tobacco alone
Fig. 3 All cost of drug use in dollars (Ibid)
The costs of substance use were also classified into four categories:
- Lost productivity: $22.4 billion or 45.6 % of the total costs,
- Healthcare: $13.4 billion or 27.3% of the total costs,
- Criminal justice: $10.0 billion 20.3% of the total costs and
- Other direct costs: $3.3 billion or 6.7% of the total costs.
So on one hand if you have a medical degree, a Nurse Practitioner license or have qualified as a prescribing pharmacist you are a government certified drug dealer, Random thought – If you then have more than one practice, or more than one pharmacy are you classified as a legal cartel?
Until quite recently there was very little oversight on how and to whom you wrote the script to. Anecdotally I would postulate that the largest source of street drugs are prescribed to patients and sold to dealers for rent money or groceries. The big problem with opioids comes in when the drugs are pooled and remixed for fun and profit in “independent private labs” outside the realm of the Federally mandated inspection agencies. The same dedication to ensuring active ingredients are evenly distributed are not followed.
Is continuing to take a jackbooted approach to drugs the right path to travel? What happens if recreational drugs of all flavours are dispensed by government certified drug dealers? Produced in inspected labs and labelled, taxed and monitored like alcohol and tobacco?
Many of our laws are antiquated and need a rethink. In jurisdictions where drugs are decriminalized, and de-stigmatized money formally spent on enforcement is funnelled into treatment, awareness , harm reduction and support. Drug crimes do not increase, organised crime and health care costs are reduced because of safe injection sites and safer cleaner drugs mitigate many crises.
Using the figures above and adjusting for street drug decriminalization roughly 32 Billion dollars could be focused on diversion, harm reduction, and education programs.
I know this will sound like I am contradicting my own arguement; but hang in there with me. From 1920 until the end of 1933 the US introduced prohibition. They became, in theory a dry country. Alcohol use had become such a problem abolitionists argued convincingly it was the only solution. Until the early 1900’s public health and safe drinking water were terms that never crossed the minds of legislators. Community water sources including the water source for Washington D.C were slews, breeding grounds for a host of deadly and debilitating diseases, including typhoid, malaria and plague to name but a few. Alcohol was thought to be a cheap and safe alternative. Alcohol was also a cheap and effective preserving agent for sea going vessels. It kept crews, if not productive, at least compliant.
In care facilities or institutions of confinement addiction was actually cultivated. It made residents compliant. Cigarettes were most often used but alcohol was not out of the question. Nurseries would recommend a bit of brandy for a fussy baby. Is it really any wonder alcohols became a problem so large the Federal Government felt the need to step in and address it? They chose to step in on the side of enforcement of ridged and punishing laws around drinking of any kind.
It was the rise in domestic violence, and work related injury that raised the specter of addiction as a public health concern. On the surface Prohibition was a success. Rates of alcoholism are only now starting to approach pre-prohibition levels. However, the social and economic costs were devastating to the US economy. Domestic violence increased, organized crime filled the void for those who still needed to acquire alcohol. Organized crime brought a plethora of its diverse and unique issues such as a dramatic increase in gun crimes, extortion, gambling, human trafficking, et.al. In fact it was organized crime that spawned the founding of the FBI.
The economy utterly collapsed as large manufacturers; not only of alcohol but bottle makers, printers, machinery manufacturers, distributions networks small business who were employers were shut down often overnight. Thousands of jobs were lost. Millions tax dollars lost and millions more spent on enforcement. in The social and health care systems were suddenly overwhelmed as no diversion measures were in place. Cut off from their legal source and supply, people turned to dangerous alternatives such as isopropanol, personal manufacturers and bootleg brew. There was no economic or productivity gain. Certainly over the decade rates of alcohol abuse decreased, and the systema found levels seen. A moral was won certainly. It created a public and economic disaster. Enforcement costs skyrocketed and jails burst to overflowing.
Prohibition created an underground network and economy that continues to thrive by adapting quickly Then giving the people what they want; at outragously inflated prices.
When Marajuana was decriminalized and was allowed to be sold openly and legally crime rates did not spike in fact as seen in figure 4. They have decreased by nearly 40%.
Figure 4 Crime statistics from 2018 – 2022 ( Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01.)
| 2018 | 2022 | percent | |
| actual incidents | |||
| Criminal Code violations (excluding traffic) | 2,043,328 | 2,206,454 | 7.98 |
| Violent Criminal Code violations | 426,839 | 531,243 | 24.46 |
| Property crimes | 1,241,083 | 1,290,215 | 3.96 |
| Other Criminal Code violations | 375,406 | 384,996 | 2.55 |
| Selected violations | |||
| Homicide | 658 | 874 | 32.83 |
| Sexual assault (levels 1 to 3) | 28,557 | 35,965 | 25.94 |
| Assault (levels 1 to 3) | 227,940 | 276,287 | 21.21 |
| Breaking and entering | 160,329 | 132,897 | -17.11 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 86,192 | 105,673 | 22.60 |
| Drugs | 84,927 | 52,857 | -37.76 |
| Impaired driving | 70,832 | 70,588 | -0.34 |
| Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01. | |||
Initially many were reluctant to support “big marajuana”. They continued to rely on their independent supplier. As people discovered the quality of “ big marajuana was superior and the price was nearly 50% less most smokers migrated to Big Pot. There remains a few independent suppliers offering service, however, their product is becoming increasingly dangerous as it in now often laced with fentanyl and other opioids in an attempt to keep loyal customers.
By decriminalizing street drugs and having them produced and distributed by approved vendors the federal and provincial governments could potentially see 33 billion in cost savings, not to mention the potential for tax revenues. We would be supporting developing nations to transition their illicit economies into part of their national revenue streams increasing their GDP. Which in turn would reduce their enforcement costs, potentially stabilise their governments, and make them less dependent on foreign aid. Another cost savings for developed/ first world countries. A global problem becomes a global solution.
We have really nothing to lose. We have had at least 2 centuries of prohibition and it has not served us. The opioid crisis is real and was created by the medical establishment. It’s time for law enforcement to put its focus on the crimes that occur with more frequency, such as violent crimes and property crimes.
Fundamentally drug use falls under the category of victimless crime. It is an individual making a choice for themselves that theoretically does not elicit the participation of another. No one is being forced to do something against their will. I know I know it affects families and children, so does alcohol and tobacco. Tobacco will involve more victims than drug use. Yet they are legal. Tobacco and alcohol are 65% of the total costs of the “drug crisis” Yet they continue to be openly and legally distributed. I argue it’s time for drugs, all drugs to move from an enforcement issue to a public health issue.
Legalizing marajuana moved the needle in 4 years, what if we took the step and gave this preposterous notion a test drive?
Shouting into the Abyss 
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