Uncover the concealed costs of cannabis criminalisation in Australia, as taxpayers shoulder the financial burden of enforcing drug laws.
Amid the persistent discourse around cannabis legalisation, the substance continues to be outlawed in numerous regions globally, including Australia. Such criminalisation results in extensive police raids like the recent $5.6 million crackdown in the Macarthur Region, southwest of Sydney. Although the seizure of illegal cannabis might be seen as a triumph for authorities, it’s crucial to examine the hefty expenses associated with enforcing drug laws, as these costs inevitably fall upon the taxpayers.
The Sydney Raid: A Case in Point
Recently, a $5.6 million bust in the Macarthur Region, southwest of Sydney, resulted in the arrest of three individuals. Authorities seized over 2,800 cannabis plants, 14 greenhouses, and cannabis manufacturing equipment. The suspects now face charges of cultivating large commercial quantities of illicit drugs, with a potential maximum prison sentence of 20 years and/or a $550,000 fine.
This raid followed a two-month investigation into cannabis cultivation on rural properties in the southwest Sydney area, resulting in over 3,300 plants and 240 kg of cannabis bud – worth approximately $8.3 million – being seized, and a total of nine people arrested.
Costs of Cannabis Criminalisation to Taxpayers
A 2015/16 report on cannabis-attributable crime costs in Australia revealed the following:
- The total cannabis-related costs amounted to $2.4 billion, with a low estimate of $1.7 billion and a high estimate of $3.6 billion.
- These costs were distributed across the criminal justice system, including police, court, legal aid, public prosecutors, prisoners sentenced, community correction, and personal and household crime victims.
The Black Market and Lost Revenue
According to Greens senator David Shoebridge, Australia’s cannabis industry could be earning the black market $25 billion a year. Instead of spending billions on policing cannabis, legalising it could bring in significant revenue. The Parliamentary Budget Office estimates that legalising cannabis could generate $28 billion in public revenue over the first decade.
Legalisation: A Possible Solution
Legalisation of cannabis could offer several benefits. It could save millions in law enforcement, court, and correctional costs, freeing up resources to focus on more pressing criminal matters. Additionally, the regulated sale of cannabis could generate tax revenue and create new jobs. However, some cannabis advocates are keen to see any law reform include freedoms to grow cannabis freely at home.
The current approach to cannabis criminalisation comes at a high cost to Australian taxpayers, prompting questions about its effectiveness and efficiency. Whenever there is a new raid or bust conducted, there is also a bill to be paid, and the sad fact for law enforcement is that, to date there is no evidence that such drug busts have had any impact on reducing cannabis supply or use.