More on drugs (2)

There is apparently an acute shortage of morphine for use in pain management, particularly in the hospice care of the dying. Rather than trying to drive farmers out of business in the Golden Triangle, we would be better advised to pay them a commercial rate for their crops which could then be processed into morphine for therapeutic use. This has the twin advantages of developing the economies of the producer countries and of driving up the price to the heroin producer, which has either to be passed on to the end user, reducing the attraction to those not yet addicted, or the illegal markets margins are hit hard. This doesn't involve legalising heroin, though to do so and to encourage licensed sale at below street drug prices, would further squeeeze out the dealers. Finally, legalising, licensing and applying duty to such sales would fund the long overdue provision of detox and rehab services to those who wish to quit.

It may not square with what we want to be true, but it would probably be much more effective.