synthetic drugs a growing threat

[mopsie]

SYNTHETIC DRUGS A GROWING THREAT
Production Easy. Money Spent On Illicit Drugs Tops Gdp Of 88% Of World's Countries

Marijuana remains the drug of choice around the world, but the surge in clandestine methamphetamine production is a growing concern, an international conference on fighting drugs heard yesterday.

"Synthetic drugs are really one of the key threats that we have to look at over the next few years," Derek Ogden, the RCMP's director general, drugs and organized crime, told the 24th International Drug Enforcement Conference in Montreal yesterday.

The production of these drugs is easy, but its toll on users and environmental harm to communities are severe, he told nearly 300 delegates from 76 countries.

Synthetic drugs are a growing portion of the estimated $ billion U.S. spent annually around the world on illicit drugs. That exceeds the gross domestic product of 88 per cent of countries in the world.

Karen Tandy, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said an estimated 26 million people worldwide use ecstasy and methamphetamines, which she added still ranks well behind the 161 million users of various forms of cannabis.

Addiction to ecstasy or meth leaves users physically battered by the potent chemicals.

Criminals are attempting to avoid law enforcement by rerouting precursor drugs like ephedrine through various countries, particularly in Africa.

Canada is increasingly becoming a destination of choice. Canadian police dismantled 30 clandestine labs last year, up from 14 a year earlier, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Pierre-Yves Bourduas said.

"We've seen clearly across the country a resurgence of these types of labs," Bourduas said.

Tandy said disrupting the shipment of these and other drugs require a high degree of international co-operation. Such sensitive matters are being discussed behind closed doors for much of the conference.

"Intelligence, intelligence," Tandy said.

"It is all about that if we are to really hit these organizations where they are most vulnerable, if we are really to have the kind of impact that we're here to deliver to the world's greatest evil organizations."

A by-product of this intelligence has been to help coalition soldiers avert terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, she said.

More than 90 per cent of the world's heroin is supplied from this embattled region.

Critics of the U.S. drug policy held a counter symposium blocks from the official conference. They argued the U.S.-led drug war has been a failure.

But Tandy rejected the criticism, arguing that drug use is down sharply among teens and adults in the United States.

Tandy also said she is pleased with the approach of Canada's new Conservative government, which vowed not to follow through with the former Liberal government's pledge to decriminalize possession of small quantities of pot.

The conference, at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel, began Monday and ends tomorrow.


source mapt

[IHrtHalucingens]

"Synthetic drugs are a growing portion of the estimated $ billion U.S. spent annually around the world on illicit drugs. That exceeds the gross domestic product of 88 per cent of countries in the world."

It amazes me that they have these statistics that show illegal drug use is not declining due to prohibition and produces revenue that is far greater than that of most legitimate businesses, but still dont realize that legalizing and regulating these drugs can get them a piece of the pie. It seems like a great way for countries with little natural resources or products with international demand to strengthen their economy and allow for its citizens to provide a better life for their families by working in factories making meth, mdma, ect. since it is so easy to make.

[Lunar Loops]

Originally Posted by IHrtHalucingens

It amazes me that they have these statistics that show illegal drug use is not declining due to prohibition and produces revenue that is far greater than that of most legitimate businesses, but still dont realize that legalizing and regulating these drugs can get them a piece of the pie. It seems like a great way for countries with little natural resources or products with international demand to strengthen their economy and allow for its citizens to provide a better life for their families by working in factories making meth, mdma, ect. since it is so easy to make.

Oh, I think that they can see it alright, but admitting defeat in a war in which you have invested so much......well, now that's another matter entirely.

[Sky Walker]

Originally Posted by IHrtHalucingens

...but still dont realize that legalizing and regulating these drugs can get them a piece of the pie.

Yes certainly legalizing and regulating illegal drugs will get them a piece of the pie but why do that when you nearly have the whole pie already, the business of incarceration is much more lucrative than taxation.

[IHrtHalucingens]

Very true @ shroomonger i guess im just an idealist lol

And lukey, i realize that there are private prisons that subcontract the prisoners labor out to companies, but most public prisons dont make money off of their inmates, imprisoning someone for 1 year cost something like $25k-30K. Coming out of tax payers pockets. Where they really benefit from drug arrests is fines and all the diversion programs that the courts send you to and force you to pay a fee to pass the program plus all the free labor they get from community service crews.

But think about tobacco companies, they do all the work and make billions of dollars a year, while the gov't sits back and collects insane taxes from every pack sold, so as to not outlaw such a harmful and deadly (but ohh soo good) product.

[Sky Walker]

Originally Posted by IHrtHalucingens

imprisoning someone for 1 year cost something like $25k-30K.

That money is the lucrative profit I am talking about. You do realise that that money obviously goes somewhere don't you. Like you said it costs the American tax payers but who are the tax payers paying, the government. So by filling the prisons say, with one million non violent drug users, this effectively makes the government (based on an average incarcaration cost of $25,900 per year) $25900000000 richer, every year. Without these prisoners costs taxes would be less and the government would not be making all that money. See?

[IHrtHalucingens]

This 25K doesnt go into the pockets of politicians or anyone from the gov't. Thats the actual cost of imprisonment, like food, electricity, medical care, ect. Seperate from the salaries of the prison employees. behond corruption, which i dont doubt is common, that money gets spent legitimatley on prisoner care.

But lets say that this money was revenue for the gov't. its only 25k a year. One could make that in a week selling drugs. Not to mention the money saved from all the anti-drug propaganda, the gov't has spent what 18 billion on the drug war so far, and without their misinformation being forced down everyones throaghts since childhood, and the fact that its no longer illegal there would be a greater amount of drug users, meaning even more money for selling drugs.

Even behond the monetary gain from the regulation of drugs, the drugs being sold would be more pure and the exact dose would be known, which would mean less accidental OD's and deaths from people taking a pill that they are told contains _____ but actually contains something else.