Time To Start Targetting The Rich + Middle Class Users Of Chralie?

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-45286983
There would be no supply without demand, end of.

[ToraToraTora]

* Charlie!

[Buenchico]

No. It's time to legalise all drugs.

[Spicerack]

Plenty of working class people use it on some weekends.

[ToraToraTora]

no doubt spicey but there is huge market among the hoorays and the celebs etc so start banging them up.

[Peter Pedant]

why stop at chralie ?
scipe and them as well - them is really bad - inti!

a spell in prison will surely sort out their mixed up problems - yeha!

[Old_Geezer]

Demand isn't the issue. Supply is if anything. Going after the wrong folk because they're low hanging fruit is the sort of thing that needs stamping out.

Meanwhile legalise, ensure quality, & tax is worth a try.

[Gromit]

Good to see you are on message with Mayor Khan.
We done.

[gulliver1]

OK , What the hell is Charlie?.

[Baldric]

What drug is Charlie slang for?
The chemical 'cathinone' is a naturally occurring stimulant drug found in the plant, Khat. Related terms: Cocaine, Coke, Percy, Charlie, C, White, Snow, Toot, Rocks, Wash, Stones, Pebbles, Freebase, Crack, Ching,

[jno]

man, Baldric, I'm going to have to expand my vocabulary if I'm to remain a member of the middle class.

[david small]

I cannot for the life of me understand why people use drugs except for medical reasons. Affluent people should know better and behave more responsibly and decently. The human species sometimes sickens me, and frankly I will be glad to leave this shambolic mess of humanity.

[Kromovaracun]

For once I actually agree with 3T. This dark economy would not exist if there were not a critical mass of people using them (either from misfortune, stupidity, or outright selfishness).

I used to think legalisation was the right thing to do but now I'm not so sure. The global industry that produces this product is one of the most evil around and making cocaine legal again in the UK would in practise mean huge sums of money going into global crime syndicates. That isn't good news for anyone. There's also no evidence to suggest that legalising drugs will decrease their use (unless you're talking about a 75-100 year timescale). I'm not sure I'd like to see the societal effects of truly widespread cocaine dependency.

[Old_Geezer]

I'd be skeptical of that. If something's legitimate then it'd start being supplied from legitimate sources. Crime always needs to get tackled anyway, and since I'd doubt there'd be a long term increase in the number of users on going legit, market share taken by legitimate sources would shrink the market share of criminal sources.

[Kromovaracun]

//If something's legitimate then it'd start being supplied from legitimate sources. //

I think that's a bit naive. Especially if legalisation creates more users.

How many legitimate sources are there for cocaine, anyway?

[Kromovaracun]

Plus what's to stop criminals starting up 'legitimate' sources? They aren't necessarily incompatible. Criminals very often use their profits to start legitimate businesses so they can launder their money. The UK is already a money-laundering capital of the world, so this would be an effective invitation to increase that problem enormously.

[Old_Geezer]

No reason to believe there would be more users. Ok a few may try once for the experience, but not many because if they were that curious they'd try anyway. Few would have reason to continue. Legitimate sources spring up when the business opportunity is created.

[Old_Geezer]

If they go legit then that's fine. There are plenty of legit businesses they can get into already. Worrying about criminals going legit is ultimately a stop on allowing anything. One can't close down all commerce in case criminals get involved.

[10ClarionSt]

One answer could be to have a cashless economy.
Cards only. Then all transactions would be traceable. But I'm sure the drug dealers would find an alternative. But what would it be? On a personal note, and as someone who was a teenager in the sixties, I've never used recreational drugs of any description. I don't take medication now for anything and avoid taking any drugs, as well as avoiding the doctors. Drugs is bad for you. Your body wasn't designed to have them!

[Kromovaracun]

//No reason to believe there would be more users. //

Availability would dramatically increase (even compared to now), and you'd have a significant number of businesses who have a vested interest in getting more users. Even when it's heavily regulated like tobacco, business can easily outmatch the criminal underworld in pushing product when given the opportunity.

// Few would have reason to continue. //

Cocaine is not as addictive as heroin or nictoine, but it is still quite addictive.

//Legitimate sources spring up when the business opportunity is created.//

Coca is only grown in certain parts of the world, can only grow (I think) in particular environments and is prohibited under international law for growing elsewhere. If we legalise cocaine, we're going to be using the existing supply chains. That leads to some very very dark places.