• The private sector will not automatically take over the drug trade. It will depend on how the government regulates the market. State-run institutions or non-profit organisations will have a role to play, either in the outright provision or regulatory oversight.
• We can learn from mistakes and improvements made in the management of alcohol and tobacco markets. Despite their manifest harms, these drugs were for some time aggressively marketed, leading to an increase in use. Tobacco regulation has since been tightened on many fronts, leading to a massive reduction in daily smokers, in Australia and abroad.
• While big business and private companies have many faults, they do not compare to organised crime syndicates. They can be held to account by governments stockholders, consumers and unions, pay taxes and generally operate without violence.
• While the comparison between organised crime and big business or government bodies may seem flippant, we know from experience that the drug market will not disappear. These are our choices.