UK Police Report: Legalizing Drugs is Obvious Choice

The Daily Mail is reporting that a report released by the
Cleveland (UK) Police, one of Britain's most active police
forces, states that the War on Drugs is a failure and that a
legalized, regulated market is the obvious choice to replace
it. The report was written by the force's former assistant
Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom and endorsed by Chief
Constable Barry Shaw. It says in part:

"If there is indeed a war on drugs, it is not being won --
drugs are cheaper and more readily available than ever
before.... Attempts to restrict availability of illegal
drugs have failed so far everywhere.... There is little or
no evidence that they (drug laws) can ever work within
acceptable means in a democracy.... There is little evidence
that conventional conviction and punishment has any effect
on offending levels."

This in advance of an inquiry by a British think-tank, the
Police Foundation, that is expected to call for a
reassessment of laws against cannabis and ecstasy (MDMA),
along with broader drug policy reforms.

Finally, the report calls for a Royal Commission to study
the issue of drug prohibition, adding its weight to a
growing number of individuals and organizations urging the
Blair government to take this step. The Blair government,
however, has thus far refused to convene such a study.