1.5 tonnes of cocaine left lying around

[Walsingham]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6254496.stm

 

We really have to start acting on this drugs issue. Interdiction isn't working.

[Tale]

I was wondering where I left that.

[Xard]

IIRC Britannia has worst drug problem in whole Europe

[Gfted1]

We really have to start acting on this drugs issue. Interdiction isn't working.

 

 

Arent you already in the camp of "we can stop it so might as well legalize it"?

[Kor Qel Droma]

That's a lot of nose candy. Since the ship was abandoned, I would guess ghost pirates are behind all of this.

[Pop]

[Aram]

If the ship had sunk, imagine the effect it might have on the sharks.

[Tale]

If the ship had sunk, imagine the effect it might have on the sharks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Blue

 

As long as Jessica Alba is involved...

[taks]

i recall once while i lived in florida that a drug ship overturned somewhere off the coast. apparently several (dozens) bags of marijuana floated ashore just south of melbourne. apparently, early beach combers (they go out looking for good sea shells) spotted the loot and immediately reported it. nobody got to keep any... that they know of.

 

taks

[Guard Dog]

I remember a story from around 1993 near Cedar Key FL. The big thing for smugglers back then was flying marijuana in from Mexico in small planes and just kicking out the plastic wrapped bales over empty streches of swamp to be picked up later. Anyway, a couple of "good ole boys" are out hunting, see the drop and call police. The sheriff comes out and picks up three big bales of mary jane. They arrested the pilot and seized the plane but it turned out there were four bales on the plane. the last one was nowhere to be found. I guess those two rednecks considered it a finder's fee.

[Dark_Raven]

You mean

money left lying around.

If we could be so lucky.

[Gorgon]

Cant they make it into painkillers or something. Seems like a waste to throw away all that blow.

[Gorgon]

We really have to start acting on this drugs issue. Interdiction isn't working.

 

 

Arent you already in the camp of "we can stop it so might as well legalize it"?

There is another boat ?

[Aram]

I don't think they still use cocaine as pain medication.

[Sionn]

oops....*checks pockets*.......no wonder my pants felt so light

[tripleRRR]

I really don't believe authorities will be able to make significant progress against the drug trade as long as there are people willing to pay a great deal of money for it.

[Walsingham]

We really have to start acting on this drugs issue. Interdiction isn't working.

 

 

Arent you already in the camp of "we can stop it so might as well legalize it"?

 

Yep. Based on four years investigating organised crime, and a month doing a detailed study on this precise question. Only one option will work, which is to reduce demand, and frankly that doesn't seem likely. If you can't stop a threat you mitigate it. As I've said before in other threads, if one accepts you can't stop the drugs from arriving in large quantities the only sensible thing to do is make them free so that you at least minimize the negative consequences.

 

Alternatively, if you prefer, we can continue pretending we can outspend and outmanoeuvre the drug lords in Brazil, Mexico, Central Asia, and Africa. Despite the fact that they are rapidly approaching the stage where they are stronger than the states they are in. Or had you not noticed the warfare in the streets in Brazil and Mexico these last months?

 

I'd rather cut organised crime, and terrorism at the roots, if it is cheaper and going to be more effective. Anyone daft enough to want it can have it gratis. I know we've gone through this before, but to me it's this simple: I can pay for massive amounts of ineffective drug policing, or I can pay for every addict to receive a deli tub of wheat flour a year. Because that's how expensive it would be.