Part II Crimes, 6 Drug Trafficking

Subject(s):

Drug trafficking

In the twentieth century a sophisticated treaty regime, now a centrepiece of transnational criminal law, was developed both to ensure the supply and use of drugs for medical and scientific purposes and to suppress the non-medicinal supply and use of drugs. The focus of this chapter is on the latter function. The chapter traces the development of the global prohibition of illicit drug supply and use from fairly rudimentary roots to very detailed rules. The rationale of the international illicit drug control system is that effective domestic control of drug abuse is impossible if other states do not (i) control illicit drug production and trafficking in the territories under their control and (ii) coordinate these efforts globally. The criminalization and punishment of illicit drug production, supply and use, is considered crucial to these goals.