THE CASE FOR LEGALISING CANNABIS - A REALITY CHECK

Discourse on the drug market often centres on the dangers substances pose to our youth. This focus can skew perspectives, portraying children as helpless and in need of protection from wiser adults. If these arguments, such as 'Just Say No' held any weight, our youth would abstain from drugs entirely. However, the reality is that warnings often inadvertently promote experimentation. Teenagers, by nature are drawn to the forbidden, and this phenomenon is well-known to anyone who has interacted with them or been one themselves.

As long as the cannabis market remains illegal, our influence is largely negative. Decades of education and preaching have failed to curb demand, despite significant financial investment. The arguments about the strength of cannabis products like resin, weed, and skunk are compelling at first glance but ultimately misleading. Estimates suggest that over 96% of users seek the highest potency for their money. Websites like leafly.com offer extensive information on over 5,000 cannabis strains, from low to high THC content, which is common knowledge among users of all ages.

A regulated market would allow consumers to choose their preferred strength, unlike the current system where dealers, driven by profit, push only the strongest products. During alcohol prohibition, Al Capone wasn't making shandy; similarly, today's illegal dealers have no incentive to offer milder cannabis options or adhere to any non existent age restrictions.

Recent changes in American laws highlight the success of legalisation. If U.S. drug policies led us into prohibition in 1971, their current shift towards legalization should guide us out of it. Concerns about children's health raise a pertinent question: so why not ban alcohol and nicotine, which are regulated and licensed despite their dangers and societal costs?

In January, Police Scotland confiscated £8,624,000 worth of cannabis. This seizure did not disrupt user supply in the slightest, but underscores the vast profits criminal organizations earn. Assuming this monthly figure, organized crime gangs could rake in approximately £103,488,000 annually. Legalising the market could yield VAT revenue of £20,697,600, potentially funding 594 new police officers, 755 new nurses, or 492 senior mental health nurses. These funds (a very conservative estimate)  could significantly benefit society rather than financing criminal enterprises like human trafficking, major crime and terrorism.

The demand for various substances will persist, as will the market's evolution. No amount of moralizing will change this reality. Only by accepting and regulating these truths can we influence the adverse outcomes seen on our streets. Legalization would marginalize gangs and cartels, take responsibility for supply through regulation, and we could provide proper guidance and support for our youth, not condemnation. Continuing prohibition and enforcement bears a heavy cost, far beyond monetary implications.

Last year, the U.S. showed progress in the regulated sale of cannabis, while we still debate our children's inclination to smoke a joint. The rest of the world is moving forward, controlling drugs through regulation, reducing criminal influence, and protecting youth by treating them as responsible individuals, not criminals. It's time to stop hand wringing and face reality.