The drug contaminates the basics of daily life, health, money laundering, crime, violence, massive corruption, untold opportunity costs, social impairment, in short, a whole hell of negative situations.

However, the more there is still a war on drugs, the more it seems that is a losing battle. Aggregate demand for drug products, from marijuana to heroin, mercilessly persists despite all efforts to contain the offer. This, consequently, has resulted in sophisticated new ways to produce, distribute and trade products. Like it or not, is big business, with high profit.

Like it or not, indeed, the indicia experience that we must learn to live with the phenomenon. The drug trade restrictions have led to higher profits for producers, that society to be protected. Demand for products persists despite the punishments have to pay.

For the bidder, the ban on supply of drugs can be a disincentive, but also an incentive. Considering the limited competition to criminalize the production, increase profit margins exponentially. Interestingly, by prohibiting these activities, the law becomes a barrier to enter the market, limiting supply, and provides a virtual monopoly suppliers now they risk everything on.

It's very unfortunate, but true. There are people who derive pleasures that go beyond consumer disincentives criminals, while there are other people who, before the punishment required by law, pass it through the triumphal arch in order to generate large fortunes. We are dealing with an eminently economic incentives.

However, given the current failure, given the fact that we still have to live with drugs, violent criminality, we should begin to raise questions uncomfortable.

Would not it be more profitable to invest the resources currently spent on combating supply, to educate people for damage you cause addictions to drugs? If on the other hand, we can legally sell drugs, would not it have less incentive to exercise the violence that accompanies the current business?

May increase the number of addicts in a drug-open and legal market. But is expected to thereby reduce the violent element that now accompanies the ban.

At the end of the day, are only questions, and possibly irrelevant. The great problem of consumption is north of our border, where the profit lies the seed of the problem.

Article AsuntosCapitales Posted by Roberto Salinas Leon elcato.org
Roberto Salinas Leon is professor and academic consultant and associate Mexican Cato Institute.