With Spice, politicians are sleepwalking into another “war on drugs” disaster

Legalisation and regulation is far safer both for users and for wider society
I News (UK)
Sunday, April 16 2017

Reefer madness is back. Only this time, it has been rebranded. Now it is Spice Nightmare that is stalking the UK, as a sinister new drug turns poor and homeless people into zombies who stumble along streets with arms outstretched or slump upright like mannequins. Experts warn of an epidemic, police officers struggle to cope and emergency services are becoming overwhelmed. Pictures of tragic users acting like cinematic undead in busy urban areas are the perfect clickbait story. Predictably, there are instant knee-jerk calls from crass politicians to reclassify this evil drug and ramp up penalties for use. (See also: Spice is a terrifying drug, but panic won’t make it go away)