The Times calls for the decriminalization of all drugs

On June 16, the renowned and respected British daily newspaper *The Times* published an editorial calling for the decriminalization of all drugs.

The editorial in The Times is titled «Breaking Good,» an obvious reference to Vince Gilligan’s brilliant series «Breaking Bad.» Aside from the fact that this is inevitably a controversial topic, it is very rare for prominent British daily newspapers to take an open stance on an issue, out of a concern for neutrality. On the subject of cannabis, The Independent took a stand in favor of legalization as early as 1997, inspiring the early anti-prohibition movements in England.

«An addiction similar to that of alcohol and tobacco. No moral judgment is passed on these products.»

In this editorial, The Times lends its support to the recent report by the « Royal Society for Public Health«. In April, as part of the’UN Special Session on Drugs, an alarming finding regarding cannabis use among Britons.  In fact, nearly 2 million of our British neighbors use cannabis every year. But cannabis is often overlooked in favor of other Class A drugs: nearly 743,000 cocaine users and 500,000 ecstasy users every year. The number of overdoses caused by synthetic drugs is reported to have doubled in England since the mid-1990s.

The British daily highlights the’Portugal's success story which decriminalized all drugs: «Recreational use has not skyrocketed, contrary to what opponents of decriminalization had feared.» In Portugal, drug use is falling, and the number of overdoses among young people is reported to have decreased by 80% since 2001.

The Times also believes that the decriminalization would be only a first step toward legalization under a state monopoly. Government authorities would then regulate cannabis and cocaine in the same way as alcohol and tobacco. Furthermore, according to the newspaper, drug users should no longer be considered criminals but rather patients. Users in possession of a single dose for personal use would no longer be liable to prosecution. Only drug dealers and producers—who would then be competing with the state—could be prosecuted.

A provocative editorial, even though in France, *Libération* didn't even celebrate the 40 years since his call on the 18th.