Notes from Hoobler's book on drugs


Drug legalization

Drugs and crime (Hoobler)

18 "The crime problem today is the drug problem" - Benjamin Ward - New York City police commissioner
19 the very illegality of drugs is what makes them such valuable products and drives up the prices
19 drug business connected with murder, robbery, bank robbery, and bank fraud.
20 huge rise in illegal drug use since the 60s
20 drugs are mainly controlled by organized crime - it results in billions of dollars in annual profits
21 The price charged for illegal drugs is many times greater than the price charged for legal drugs, and thus the profits are much greater
22 Marijuana grows naturally as a weed, but because it is illegal, many people kill and steal to obtain it
28 Heroin was actively used to treat ailments before it was illegal - it was advertized by Bayer right along with Aspirin
30 Marijuana's harms were greatly exaggerated in the early days, and addicts were treated as lunatics
31 Prohibition failed to cut a dent in alcohol consumption - instead it enabled organized crime to rake in huge profits
32 Lucky Luciano, an organized crime boss, was a major kingpin in the illegal liquor trade. When it was legalized, he switched to the next best avenue for profits - heroin.
33 Students use of marijuana increased when they realized the government was feeding them false propaganda
49 the urban drug trade is so widespread that it is beyond the resources of the police to prosecute all drug dealers
54 continued raids on South American cocaine farms resulted in "no real progress" in controlling the production
57 70% of cocaine enter the US through Florida
57 Florida has been the sights of many shootouts by drug dealers in places such as the Florida Turnpike, Dadeland Mall, and a liquor store. Many bystanders were killed; and, because of the many deaths, Dade county had to by a refrigerated trailer to handle the overflow
58 Over 250 people died in Cocaine wars between '79 and '82
59 Drugs have destroyed Medellin Colombia (as many as 12 murders a day), while some of the cartel leaders have become billionaires
71 Marijuana is the nations third most valuable cash crop - netting over $10 billion a year
71 Innocent campers were killed by marijuana growers booby traps in the nation forests (one common device is the ankle-high tripwire attached to a hand grenade)
71 1982 Newsweek poll found 40% of Americans believed personal growing of Marijuana should be legal
72 People in key Marijuana growing locations would rather their tax dollars spent on things other than marijuana eradication
73 Marijuana provides more revenue than all of Jamaica's other exports combined, and is culturally acceptable.
75 Amsterdam, Holland allows Marijuana selling in coffee houses; Marijuana is legal in Spain
76 Misuse and addiction of prescription drugs is a problem as bad or worse than illegal drug addiction
89 Drug money is often invested in business that deal primarily in cash - arcades, laundromats, fast-food chains, etc.
86 The Cayman Island banking business has skyrocketed, primarily due to drug money. Almost one 'dummy' corporation is listed for every resident.
91 Illegal drug activity has resulted in widespread corruption in all major production and 'transit' countries
99 78% of men arrested for street crimes were cocaine users
101 Many innocent bystanders have been killed in turf wars by drug dealers
103 12 and 11 year girls were forced to have sex with drug dealers to earn more crack to sell
107 In New York in 1985, there were 55,000 arrests for drug violations, only 3000 resulted in jail sentences > 30 days.