Will Regulating Drug Markets Help Governments to Better Control Organized Crime?

Abstract

Few expect illegal drug markets to completely disappear in a world of legally regulated psychoactive substances, but it is likely that the regulation of currently illicit drugs would significantly challenge the business model of today’s drug trafficking organizations. This article examines if and to what extent governments can expect to profit from regulating illicit drugs in terms of their control over organized criminal activity. It argues that, especially among proponents of drug market regulation, expectations about the impact of regulation on organized crime control might be too high. Regulation might create opportunities to better fight organized crime, but policy-makers are likely to be confronted with a range of sometimes uncomfortable choices in dealing with this new situation. If drug market regulation will result in better control of organized crime is likely to depend on what decisions policy-makers will take.