Hard Drugs and Easy Money

The earliest reference to the soporific and blurring effects of the opium poppy occur on a Mesopotamian clay tablet, dating to perhaps 3000 BC. The intoxicating properties of cannabis sativa are noted in Vedic texts. Lime garnish and dried coca leaves have been found buried in Incan tombs 1000 years old. In short, drugs are here to stay. The world has to learn to live with them - and therefore regulate their use, so as to minimize the danger and social costs. This means working with the market rather than against it. This book shows that there is a sensible way to handle the problem of drugs, and it also explores the dark forces that stand in the way of an enlightened and humane policy.