An Insight Into The Monetary Profits Made From Legal And Illegal Drugs

For many years, drugs have been the center of crime and the criminal justice system in the United States. Due to this widespread epidemic, President Richard Nixon declared the “War on Drugs” in 1971 with a campaign that promoted the prohibition of illicit substances and implemented policies to discourage the overall production, distribution, and consumption. The War on Drugs and the U.S. drug policy has experienced the most significant and complex challenges between criminal law and the values of today’s society. With implemented drug polices becoming much harsher over the years in order to reduce the overall misuse and abuse of drugs and a expanded federal budget, it has sparked a nation wide debate whether or not they have created more harm than good. When looking at the negative consequences of these policies not only has billions of dollars gone to waste, but the United States has also seen public health issues, mass incarceration, and violent drug related crime within the black market in which feeds our global demands and economy. With this failed approach for drug prohibition, there continues to be an increase in the overall production of illicit substances, high rate of violence, and an unfavorable impact to our nation.

Proponents on the legalization of drugs believe if drugs were to become legal; the black market worth billions of dollars would become extinct, drug gangsters would disappear, addicts would stop committing crimes to support their habit and the prison system would not be overwhelmed with a problem they cannot defeat. The decriminalization of drugs will only make illegal drugs cheaper, easier to get and more acceptable to use. “The U.S. has 20 million alcoholics and alcohol misusers, but only around 6 million illegal drug addicts. If illegal drugs were easier to obtain, this figure would rise”(Should Drugs be decriminalized? No.November 09, 2007 Califano Joseph A, Jr).”

In the past forty years, the United States has spent over $2.5 trillion dollars funding enforcement and prevention in the fight against drug use in America (Suddath). Despite the efforts made towards cracking down on drug smugglers, growers, and suppliers, statistics show that addiction rates have remained unchanged and the number of people using illegal drugs is increasing daily (Sledge). Regardless of attempts to stem the supply of drugs, the measure and quality of drugs goes up while the price goes down (Koebler). Now with the world’s highest incarceration rates and greatest illegal drug consumption (Sledge), the United States proves that the “war on drugs” is a war that is not being won.

Drugs have been a problem in the country for a long time. Issues with drugs even existed in ancient times. However, through the War on Drugs, the media created a panic about the issue, making citizens believe drug abuse was an exponentially growing new epidemic in the United States. Although the War on Drugs was declared in 1982 and was intended to reduce the rates of drug abuse in the US, America’s drug problem increased dramatically over the next years (Bagley, 1988).

Drug trafficking in the United States has established itself to be one of the most profitable businesses in today’s world (U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, 2004). There is such a high demand as more people buy, use and sell drugs for a variety of reasons, not really knowing all the risk that are at stake. With new laws in affect and more determined citizens of the U.S. everyone can help keep the streets clean. Drug trafficking is at an all-time high and must be brought to a halt.

In the past 40 years, the American government has spent more than $2.5 trillion dollars on the war against drugs. The huge expenditure has been coupled by numerous the ad campaigns, clean-up on smuggling, and increase in illicit drug users and incarceration rates. Actually, the increase in illicit drug users currently stands at 19.9 million in the United States with huge supplies from Mexico. With the increase in both the expenditure and number of illegal drug users, there have been huge concerns regarding the country's war on drugs. The main question is why the United States can continue spending much money on this war while it can legalize and tax the supply of drugs. The most appropriate and effective measure for tackling the problem of drugs is through legalizing and collecting taxes than spending huge amounts in stopping the flow of the commodities to America.

Substance abuse and consumption have become an epidemic in America. The use of drugs results in countless drug-related deaths and causes states to spend billions of dollars to combat drug trafficking. Drugs are shipped in by sea, air, automobile, and even smuggled in by person. These drugs are supplied by drug cartels. These criminal organizations where formed to promote, control, produce, and distribute narcotic drugs. While these cartels operate from all parts of the world, some of the most infamous are the Mexican and Columbian Cartels. America has put policies into combating drug trafficking, however these policies are not

After reading Mexico’s Illicit Drug Networks and the State Reaction, I have concluded that this short read is highly informative and intriguing. I personally was drawn in by the horrific stories of violence, kidnapping, and mass murders of deadly encounters, and fascinated by learning how the state planned and responded. Author Nathan Jones, is able to illustrate why Mexican drug cartels have been able to prolong existence while under attack by Mexico and the United States. He is able to do so by examining and comparing two types of illicit drug networks and how they provoke different state reactions based on their business strategy. Jones relates his discoveries to the Arellano Felix Organization because “it was one of the first Mexican cartel to be targeted by the state and split along trafficking-oriented and territorial lines [where] one survived and one did not” (p. 12). This read is significant because it allows for the government to better distinguish between drug networks that will withstand the test of time, and those that will crumble under pressure. Jones utilizes his findings and applied it to the novel, and the current drug prohibition program.

As U.S. Drug Policy has become more politicized, the number of laws for using, and possessing illegal substances has increased, and the number of those using illicit drugs has risen.  Though drug policies were created with the intent of protecting the public, a gap has developed between different groups - the “drug warriors” and the “legalizers”.  These polarizing groups advocate opposing, often politically-driven views that result in overly punitive drug penalties that are expensive, racially disparate, and totally ineffective. Consequently, movements inspiring a drug counter culture against this oppression has emerged in America and illicit drug use has increased.  By the second half of the 20th century the major importation of illegal narcotics and the drug war were just getting started.

According to the Drug Policy Alliance over $1 trillion has been spent by the United States’ government in hopes of reducing illicit substance use since the inception of the DEA and thus the start of “the War on Drugs” (Wasted Tax Dollars). However, all of this government spending has been futile in its efforts to control illegal drug use. Even though it has some of the strictest drug policies of any nation, the United States is the world leader in drug usage for several drugs, including cocaine (Buggle). A study conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime revealed that drug use has been slightly rising ever since the beginning of the War on Drugs (2012 World Drug Report 67). Not only is illicit substance abuse not being reduced by these policies, but illegal drugs are cheaper and more pure than ever before

A business relies on supply and demand regardless of whether the product it is selling is legal or illegal. Therefore, a business that offers illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and heroin and services not readily available to customers in the United States creates a niche. Drug traffickers (cartels) set prices for such illegal goods without government regulators circumventing the law. Cartels set prices based on supply and demand elasticity for drugs, which helps in creating a loyal customer base. If the demand is high toward a specific drug and supply is low, then prices will rise until supplies are plentiful. Drug trafficking yields such vast amounts of revenue, approximately $150 billion per year; it becomes extremely difficult

Drugs have become a very controversial subject in America, especially in the past couple of years. Ever since Nixon declared a war on drugs it seems that the use of drugs and the convictions placed on drug users has dramatically risen to great heights. While I admit drug usage can provide serious consequences to an individual’s health, I do feel that some drug enforcement policies have become misguided and muddled over the years. Therefore, some aspects of the United States drug enforcement policies should remain as they are, some should be strengthened or enforced more strongly, and even some should be reevaluated and changed entirely.

According to Michelle Alexander, why and how has the “war on drugs” developed over the last 40 years? What are the main political and economic factors that led to the war on drugs, and what are the main political and economic factors that shaped it as it developed over the last four decades? Draw on material from the Foner textbook chapters 25 through 28 to supplement Alexander’s discussion of the political and economic context.

The problem of drugs is considered one of the most challenging issues for the American society. It is required from the federal government and law enforcement agencies to take effective measures in order to win in the war on drugs. However, the drug trade is one of the most profitable markets in modern world, and a wide range of stakeholders receives multiple benefits from this business. Moreover, it is a common opinion that many authoritative persons in the USA are also connected in some way with the market of illicit drugs and there is no sense for them to struggle with drug dealers as they have their share in this business. Many movies and books describe the seriousness of the drug problem in the USA. For this reason, it can be useful to analyze one movie (Super Fly) and one book (Cocaine Politics: Drugs, Armies, and the CIA in Central America) dedicated to the topic of the drug trade and discuss the major aspects of these works in order to better understand the problem of drugs and corruption in the USA.

Drug production and trafficking is a widespread issue that has proven to be extremely difficult for individual governments. The black market for illegal drugs has become almost omnipresent in modern society as the production and distribution of drugs has evolved into one of the most profitable industries. United Nations (UN) reports from 2003 value the illegal drug market to be approximately $320 billion and growing.