Iron law of prohibition

£8.25 million worth of cocaine hidden inside a machinery shipment.

The iron law of prohibition is a term coined by Richard Cowan in 1986 which posits that as law enforcement becomes more intense, the potency of prohibited substances increases.[1] Cowan put it this way: "the harder the enforcement, the harder the drugs."[2]

This law is an application of the Alchian–Allen effect; Libertarian judge Jim Gray calls the law the "cardinal rule of prohibition", and notes that is a powerful argument for the legalization of drugs.[1][3] It is based on the premise that when drugs or alcohol are prohibited, they will be produced in black markets in more concentrated and powerful forms, because these more potent forms offer better efficiency in the business model—they take up less space in storage, less weight in transportation, and they sell for more money. Economist Mark Thornton writes that the iron law of prohibition undermines the argument in favor of prohibition, because the higher potency forms are less safe for the consumer.[4]

  1. ^ a b Mosher, Clayton J.; Akins, Scott (2007). Drugs and Drug Policy: The Control of Consciousness Alteration. SAGE. pp. 308–09. ISBN 978-0761930075.
  2. ^ Cowan, Richard (December 5, 1986). "How the Narcs Created Crack: A War Against Ourselves". National Review. 38 (23): 26–34.
  3. ^ Gray, James P. (2001). Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed: A Judicial Indictment Of War On Drugs. Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1-56639-860-2.
  4. ^ Thornton, Mark (July 17, 1991). "Alcohol Prohibition Was A Failure". Policy Analysis. Cato. Archived from the original on December 29, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2013.