Supply and Demand and Hemp and Poppy and Coca

I was just thinking that it seems very strange that a country that is ostentatiously so into supply and demand would try to handle marijuana, opium and cocaine by restricting supply.

Doesn't basic economics tell us that restricted supply leads to higher demand? Take the example of Prohibition (of alcohol), for example.

I would suggest that it would be best to leave commerical hemp production for such things as fibres and oil, and poppy for poppy seeds for muffins and stuff, and coca for tea, etc., alone.

Isn't the way to best deal with the problem to leave supply alone and to work on the demand side of things?

We should put those War on Drugs resources into addressing the causes of drug abuse. We need to have better education and better community building initiatives. Trying to restrict the production of the raw materials is akin to a game of whack-a-mole, but providing for healthy communities made up of healthy individuals is a long-term solution that will cut down on crime and other social ills.