Israeli Anti-Drug Authority Being Disbanded
The Israeli Anti-Drug and Alcohol Authority, the Israel equivalent to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is being shut down in what the government is calling a cost-cutting move.
The agency has gained a large amount of criticism over its draconian stance on cannabis. The group recently ran an ad campaign warning that cannabis is “not that innocent”, despite the plant being legal in Israel for medical purposes.
The Israeli Finance Ministry says the agency is being shut down in an effort to merge the programs in the Public Safety Ministry.
Of course if the nation is wanting to save money, they should legalize cannabis entirely. A 2013 study found that the illegal cannabis market in in Israel is worth nearly a billion dollars, and bringing it above ground into a legal market would net the nation over $450 million in both reduced enforcement costs, as well as increased tax revenue.
– TheJointBlog