SOCIAL HARM COST QUESTIONED

I have to ask whether this "social harm cost" mentioned by police is
calculated from the latest BERL report.

Annual cost of alcohol use and abuse was claimed to be NZ$4.8 million,
a university peer review revised this to $146 million, something of a
disparity, no?

They claimed annual cost of cannabis harm to be NZ$336 million, now
perhaps they could speak up as to what these harms are? Could it be
cost of prosecution and imprisonment? Cost of man hours and helicopter
time? The stigma of a cannabis conviction for an otherwise law-abiding
citizen? I say the prohibition of cannabis is causing more harm than
the plant itself and that if the police and society itself really
wished to reduce this "harm" then honest, open and earnest debate as
to legalisation or decriminalisation should start.

Mike Greer