• The existence of ‘narco states’ involved in production and supply.
• Cocaine and heroin cost more than their weight in gold.
• Large prison populations made up of significant proportion of drug related offenders
• Black people and other marginalised groups over-represented in prison populations
• Reactive enforcement costs that outweigh proactive ones
• A blanket refusal from senior politicians to debate the issue
• Challenges to status quo coming from across the political spectrum
• Policy makers who call for reform when they leave office

Sushil Kumar