2.2 KiB
2.2 KiB
Decriminalization
The decriminalization of marijuana and other drugs has been demonstrated to massively reduce gang violence and decimate illegal markets.
- The Economic Journal: Gavrilova et al. 17
- Analyses the effects of medical marijuana laws, which institute lax criminal penalties, on homicides and drug prices at the southern border.
- The study concludes that, when such policies are implemented:
- violent crimes such as homicides and robberies decrease in states that border Mexico
- homicides decrease, (due to drug-law and juvenile-gang related homicides being reduced)
- the amount of cocaine seized at the border decreases, while the price of cocaine is increased (this makes it harder to obtain due to the strainput on the illegal market)
- Drug Policy Alliance 15
- An empirical analysis of drug decriminalization in Portugal
- As a result of decriminalizing all drugs, Portugal experienced:
- No major increase in overall drug use
- Reduced problematic and adolescent drug use
- Reduced drug-induced death
- More people receiving drug treatment
- Over 70 percent of those who seek treatment receive opioid-substitution therapy
- This is while treatment is still voluntary
- Reduction in HIV cases among people who use drugs declining from 1,575 to 78
- 18% reduction in the social costs of drug misuse (legal and health related)
- The European Union also confirmed in 2013 that countries like Portugal that have decriminalized drug possession, have not experienced increases in monthly rates of use – and in fact tend to have lower rates than countries with punitive policies
- Separate informational piece - the Drug Policy Alliance also notes also that overdose deaths decreased by over 80%