Quote:

The only way we can put a dent in these drugs is to de-criminalize them. The price of drugs will go down and drug dealers profits will also, causing drug dealers to stop selling drugs. Locking every drug dealer up isn't going to solve the problem.



This explanation has never made much sense to me and is contrary to the basic laws of economics.

Demand for narcotics is highly inelastic. People who want drugs will buy them. If you jack up the price too high, they'll find some way to get the money. But setting the price lower doesn't significantly effect demand, because the people who want them are already buying them no matter the cost. There's not a lot of current non-drug users sitting around thinking "I'd love some crack, but just can't afford that habit".

Dropping the price of narcotics does make distribution cheaper. But what incentive do the dealers have to lower prices? People are buying at the price they're charging now, and there's no reason to believe it would significantly change demand if they lowered their prices. They can keep their prices the same they are today, sell just as much, and make an even greater profit margin.

Even if one could argue that it would significantly change demand by expanding drug use amongst more of the populace that is reason enough not to legalize it. And, if by some reason, it did happen and drug dealers stopped selling drugs because the profit wasn't there as claimed, the limited number of dealers left would charge higher prices because there's a limited source for the product.


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