The Political Economy of Narcotics
Production, Consumption and Global Markets
For nearly a century, regimes around the world have upheld a prohibitionist stance toward narcotics. The US has led this global consensus, enforcing recognition of international narcotics conventions and laws. Vast resources are pumped into the “war on drugs.” But in practice, prohibition has been an abject failure. Narcotics use continues to rise, while technology and globalization have made a whole new range of drugs available to a vast consumer market. Where wealth and demand exist, supply continues to follow. Prohibition has criminalized social groups, impeded research into alternative medicine and disease, promoted violence and gang warfare, and impacted negatively on the environment and ultimately has failed to stem consumption and production. The alternative is a humane policy framework that recognizes the incentives to produce, traffic and consume narcotics.
About the book
For nearly a century, regimes around the world have upheld a prohibitionist stance toward narcotics. The US has led this global consensus, enforcing recognition of international narcotics conventions and laws. Vast resources are pumped into the “war on drugs.” But in practice, prohibition has been an abject failure. Narcotics use continues to rise, while technology and globalization have made a whole new range of drugs available to a vast consumer market. Where wealth and demand exist, supply continues to follow. Prohibition has criminalized social groups, impeded research into alternative medicine and disease, promoted violence and gang warfare, and impacted negatively on the environment and ultimately has failed to stem consumption and production. The alternative is a humane policy framework that recognizes the incentives to produce, traffic and consume narcotics.
Contents
- Introduction
- Intoxicating Substances in Historical Perspective
- The Drift to Regulation and the Idea of Prohibition
- From Regulation to Control
- The Beginnings of International Drug Control
- The Post War International Drug Control Regime
- Trends in Drug Consumption
- Trends in Cultivation and Production
- Accounting for Failure: The Problem of Prohibition
- Accounting for Failure
- Institutions and Policy: The Political Impact of Drugs and Drug Control
- HIV/AIDS and Intravenous Drug Use
- International Drug Control and HIV/AIDS
- Cultivation and Drug Production: The Environmental Costs
- Anti-Drug Policies and the Environment: The Role of Chemical Fumigation
- The New Magic Bullet: Bio-Control Solutions
- A Note on Hemp
