Notes de cours
Drug Policy
- Cours
- Drug Policy (B001739A)
- Établissement
- Universiteit Gent (UGent)
Volledig, aan de hand van de hoorcolleges
[Montrer plus]
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DrugpolicyArtikels in de reader zijn belangrijk!
Andere proffen (vanaf 22/03): live zoom class die ook op Ufora te vinden zal zijn. Materiaal:
te lezen boek op Ufora (A detailed scenario for a nonprofit cannabis market)
Assignment: hard to organize it in groups, so format has changed. Write an individual paper
(find info on Ufora). There is information about the task (structure, content, evaluation),
template, dropbox (for submitting the assignment).
Individual paper focused on the supply side, not the demand side! Literature study. For
example, focus on production, import, export, middle level, retail level, one particular
product, one geographical area… You are free to choose the theme! When you are submitting
the paper, (dropbox and simcheck). Simcheck will detect plagiarism. More info on Ufora.
The paper: 4500 words (max), problem statement, reflection as well.
Two deadlines
- 1/03, 7pm: theme
- 10/05: 1pm: paper
Questions → forum
Evaluation paper: Rubric (Ufora). Here you can see how the paper will be evaluated.
Interesting for your structure! Paper: 25%.
Exam: content of the classes (75%). Oral exam via MS Teams! (37,5% Prof. Colman and 37,5%
Prof. Decorte and Prof. Pardal). Both exams on the same day.
For part of Prof. Colman: 2 questions, no written preparation. For the part of Prof. Decorte
and Pardal: written preparation (submitting in advance (48h before exam) together with two
scientific articles. Preparing a text on a reflection on a regulation model. Applying a model on
another type of drug. What is your personal view on the ideal preparation model for cocaine?
This consist of 5-10 pages. Well structured, well written, scientific literature!! In English.
During the exam you will use that preparation to discuss this further.
1
,Explaining the basics: Illicit drug markets
Four levels:
1. Production
2. Wholesale
3. Middle level
4. Retail
Drug markets = largest criminal markets in the EU, more than 1/3 of the criminal groups in the
EU are involved in the production, trafficking or production in various types of drugs. The EU
retail drug market is estimated to be worth at least 24 billion euro/year! They fund various
legal activities. We know that 44% of the profits are reinvested in the legal economy, f.e. by
buying houses.
Another trend is the infiltration of these criminal groups in our political, socio-economic lives:
one example is the story of Don Vito, one of the key persons in Sicilian public life (influencer
public administrator and even the mayor of Palermo for some time), but also linked to mafia.
Organizational structure of groups involved in large scale illicit drug production and trafficking:
two organizational structures.
1. Pyramid: strict hierarchy, clear leader and clear distribution of tasks. There is no
flexibility, and the organization is based on stability and clear leadership.
2. Flexible Partnership: working with seller or structurer, with range of services
combined. Each cel consists of persons who are working in the same or a different
organization and the y offer a range of expertise. The tasks are strictly divided. F.e.
teams in which one team will construct the plantation of weed and the other team the
maintenance, they don’t know each other. Different organizers, maybe more or less
on the same level, while controlling an underlayer of workers. Team of location
managers could be responsible for all plantations in West-Flanders and another team
elsewhere.
There are others, but only need to know these two.
Drug markets work similar to legal businesses: looking for ways to innovate, responding to
technological innovations… In contrast to legal business, they are not bound by laws and they
have lots of recourses available to invest. They are often resilient and adaptive.
4 levels of the drug supply market:
Supply chain is the trajectory of each product, from production to retail.
1. Production
2. Wholesale
3. Middle level
4. Retail level
Example: production of cocaine in Colombia → export to Europe (100kg) → cutting and
distribution to various dealers (in packs of 5kg) → distribution in user quantities and sale to
users (1g-5g).
2
,Not all levels are always present!
Production:
- Opium: Asia (Afghanistan, Myanmar), Latin America (Mexico, Colombia and
Guatemala)
- Cocaine: Latin America (Colombia, Peru, Bolivia)
- Synthetic drugs: Europe
o Amphetamine/XTC: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Bulgaria…
o Methamphetamine (used in Europe): Czech Republic, Netherlands…
- Cannabis: 135 countries report cannabis production → global phenomenon
o Largest cannabis resin producers (2010-2015): intra-regional and inter-regional
traffic: Morocco, Afghanistan, Lebanon, India, Pakistan
o Largest herbal cannabis producers (2010-2015): intra-regional traffic = within
the same area
Wholesale:
By air, sea, road…
Less clear overview: it’s difficult to gain insight. The way of smuggling (Modus Operandi)
changes often making it difficult to be up to date. There are legal obstacles involved: tackling
this level asks for an integrated approach, which is difficult to realize.
3
, Middle level:
Difficult to realize, our knowledge is very limited because it is adaptive and resilient. There is
no global definition, for some it’s the link between the smuggler and the retailer, for others it
depends on the volume of the transaction. Looking at the structure: rules are flexible, people
come and go. Roles may be swapped. The is a typology based on structure (f.e. family
business) or tasks (repacking, distributing). The role of family ties and ethnicity remains
important.
Retail level:
Drug dealing. We do have clear overview in how this market functions. The majority focusses
on people selling directly to users. The evidence: dealers make little profit, if any, and are
dealing to maintain their own drug use. They work independently or in small groups.
Illustration: prices of products rise the closer it comes to the users.
Explaining the basics: New Pychoactive Substances (NPS)
Variants of basic structures of illegal substances. A newly developed structure mimics the
effect of f.e. MDMA. There are different types of NPS. They deliver the same effects as
controlled substances but avoiding legislations. When we look at the legislation, particular
substances are controlled (cocaine, cannabis), and an NPS mimics the effects but changes the
chemical structure, so you can’t call it cocaine anymore, which makes it legal, so you have to
change the legislation every time an NPS pops up.
Lots of the NPS are appearing in Europe. The profits are high, there are less investments. NPS
are sold through different channels, including online drug markets. Especially NPS-opioids
pose a particular public health concern due to their high potency and easy accessibility. For
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