If it weren't for the 'war on drugs', cannabis would cost as much as lettuce and the bottom would fall out of the illegal drug trade worth $8 billion a year to its corrupt operators.
This is the gist of two papers presented by Queensland University of Technology economic historians, Professor Carl Trocki and Dr John Jiggens, at the Social Change in the 21st Century conference at QUT's Carseldine campus this week.
They argue that the continued hard line 'war on drugs' approach acts as a 'subsidy for the corrupt' and does nothing to stem the drug trade nor help addicts.
Both economic historians say criminalisation instead of medicalisation of illicit drug use has made drug trafficking an attractive business proposition.
Professor Trocki's keynote address Drugs and the State: A Paradox will look at the history of the war on drugs in relation to development of nationalist movements.
He will argue that despite intentions to reduce crime and create a 'pure' and moral citizenry, prohibition campaigns have had the opposite effect.
Because drug suppression actually stimulated the drug market, governments should decriminalise drugs, control and tax their sale and use the money to prevent and treat addiction, Professor Trocki said.
The Australian illegal drug trade generated $8 billion a year, a figure close to the value of legal commodities such as cars or petrol. The money went into a completely illegal system of banks, to corrupt public officials and to purchase of guns for fighting other drug barons.
Professor Trocki said suppressing the drug trade was pointless.
"For example, in 2000 the world produced 6000 tonnes of opium. That became 600 tonnes of heroin, of which only 30 tonnes was seized in the 'war on drugs'. And so, despite the hundreds of million dollars spent, less than 5 per cent was removed from the market," he said.
"If any other government project had such a miserable success rate, we would have abandoned it years ago."
Dr Jiggens said the futility of the approach was illustrated by the fact that in 1998 Australia had its largest ever seizure of heroin but in 1999 heroin overdose deaths doubled to 958.
Dr Jiggens, who has studied the history of cannabis use from 1973 to 1998, said every $1 spent on cannabis law enforcement added $4 to its price.
"My key argument is that prohibition is not a hindrance but an economic multiplier for the black market."
Dr Jiggens estimated Australia spent $720 million in 1998 on drug law enforcement, a battle authorities could not win.
"The trouble is when you suppress a certain drug another one takes its place. In 1977 to 1979 there was a cannabis drought and a heroin plague. In 2001 when there was a heroin drought we saw the rise of methamphetamines."
The one-day social change conference will be held in A Block of QUT's Carseldine Campus in Beams Rd on Friday, 28 October 2005, 8.00am - 5:00pm. Paper presentations include issues on: terrorism, sustainability, politics, culture, history, Work, Indigenous issues, welfare, family, journalism and social change.
Event: Social Change in the 21st Century - one-day conference
Date: Friday, October 28
Time: 8am to 5pm
Venue: A Block of QUT's Carseldine Campus, Beams Rd.
Cost: $120, concession $60
Registration and details:
http://www.socialchange.qut.edu.au/conferences/socialchange/
Media contact: Niki Widdowson, QUT media, 07 3864 1841 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au
