Great News ......But....

[ToraToraTora]

https://news.sky.com/story/cocaine-haul-worth-450m-found-hidden-in-banana-shipment-in-largest-ever-class-a-drugs-bust-13078378

Charlie is the drug of choice for your hooray henry types right? So if you really want to stop the trade start targetting them and bang a few of them up. It would kill the trade by removing the customers. Ok otherwise legalise and tax it. This is a win but we are lsing the war.

[jackthehat]

Far too many people fail to see the connection between their 'casual party habit' and the rampant criminality behind the supply of their 'toot'.

Dragging as many as possible through the court system and sentencing them the 6 weeks behind bars might bring them to their senses (although I am well aware that there are insufficient prison places to actually do this......more's the pity).

[ToraToraTora]

You'd only have to do a few jack then word would get round.

[bednobs]

i would favour legalising it

[davebro3]

I would guess that most of the cocaine trafficked in the UK is sold to (excuse the term) lower classes many of whom fund their habit by low level crime. 

You won't "kill the trade" by targetting a few rich people for possession.

[davebro3]

Maybe take this seizure, dose it up with something toxic & put it back out on the streets. Once a few hundred users have died others may be deterred. (just thinking outside the box 💀)

[Untitled]

there are too many customers to bang up... not even enough for a deterrent 

legalise and tax seems more pragmatic but it has costs too... consumption would definitely increase and the evil cartels who produce and smuggle the stuff would simply benefit by legal shell companies 

the root cause of this trade is in south america, in colombia bolivia and mexico. everything else is just tinkering at the edges. i fear the UK government simply does not have the power to do much about it except offer treatment to those who are victimised

[Khandro]

Does anyone know what happens to this stuff next? Does it go to the pharmaceutical industry for example? 

[Untitled]

davebro's solution would be a crime against humanity and utterly illegal for good reason... it also would not work because there is no shortage of customers and new ones are always entering the market. 
 

there are no solutions. all we can do is try and limit the damage

[ToraToraTora]

I believe all siezed drugs are incinerated.

[bednobs]

it will be incinerated

[Untitled]

yes they can't really be sure what is in it without massive testing... plus there's always the risk that corrupt people will simply find a way to sell it back to the cartels. best thing to do is destroy it.

[Untitled]

would a cashless economy actually make this trade too difficult to bother with in the UK? to the best of my knowledge the drug economy functions on cash

[lankeela]

untitled "i fear the UK government simply does not have the power to do much about it except offer treatment to those who are victimised"  Why should taxpayers pay to treat those who are 'victimised'? Nobody forces them to take it, if they can pay for it they can pay for treatment.  

[Untitled]

nope it seems that also would not work lol

https://www.neopay.co.uk/crime-goes-cashless-as-covid-crisis-drives-underworld-online/

like i say... there are no solutions

[Untitled]

because the consequences of treating people for addiction are better than the consequences of just leaving them all to it. 

[youngmafbog]

Dave's idea is excellent.

Although tempting to legalise and tax it wont stop the pushers unless you intend to legalise all drugs.  And I think we all know where that would end.

[davebro3]

//And I think we all know where that would end.//

I don't think we do - and that's a problem.

[youngmafbog]

Let me correct that davebro.

All sane people not smacked out of their head know where that will end.

[Old_Geezer]

It would "end" by most users using legitimate sources and the market share for criminals being severely reduced. Likely also to lose the attraction for those wanting to do something illicit so an overall reduction after the initial blip of others trying things out. And a more responsible attitude being taken towards drugs by society in general.

[sandyRoe]

Legalized marijuana in the USA is more expensive than the stuff that still can be bought from street dealers.

If price is a big consideration then a black market in drugs will continue.