Tagged: black market

Opinion: Eric Crampton on the Psychoactive Substances Amendment Bill - The Dismal Science

Eric Crampton • Mar 23, 2018 •

• black market,
• compassion,
• Drugs,
• government,
• Health,
• laws,
• legislation,
• marijuana,
• MODA,
• National,
• pills,
• prison,
• Psychoactive Substances Act,
• psychoactives,
• Supply and Distribution,
• synthetic cannabis

Legal markets for marijuana and ecstasy and the safer party pills, where products were subject to the Consumer Guarantees Act and where producers adulterating products would be punished, would stop Fentanyl-laced drugs at concerts and would be far more effective than ramping up punishments for producers of synthetic drugs. National pushing for increased penalties on this one is … Read More

No, the Ivory Trade in Australia and NZ is not “thriving” - Chthonic Wildlife Ramblings

Brendan Moyle • Oct 02, 2016 •

• black market,
• economics of wildlife trade,
• Elephant,
• elephant poaching,
• illegal trade,
• ivory,
• ivory trade

One can always tell when the parties to the CITES convention are meeting, or just about to meet.  Numerous NGOs start promoting their views and solutions to the problem to the media. It came as no great surprise to read this in today’s Stuff webpage “A first-ever comprehensive investigation into the sale of ivory and rhino horn in Australian … Read More

Ivory Bust in HK & a question for the economists - Chthonic Wildlife Ramblings

Brendan Moyle • Nov 13, 2013 •

• black market,
• China,
• conservation,
• Elephant,
• Hong Kong,
• ivory,
• poaching,
• smuggling

It’s interesting holding an elephant tusk for the first time.  You’re not quite sure what to expect. But the first thing you notice is that they’re heavy, heavier than I expected. This aspect distinguishes elephant ivory from other wildlife products.  It’s heavy, and it’s going to take up space.  This has to affect the smuggling techniques. Last month … Read More

Grand, empty gestures? What does destroying ivory accomplish? - Chthonic Wildlife Ramblings

Brendan Moyle • Nov 08, 2013 •

• black market,
• Elephant,
• ivory,
• poaching

The decision by the US to destroy its stockpile of (6 tons) of ivory is being held up by many as a bold conservation measure for elephants.  This is a puzzle. Destroying ivory is hardly new. Kenya did it publicly in 1989 [1]. This was after their elephant population had plunged from 65,000 elephants to 17,000. Southern African countries who … Read More