Italian prosecutor wants to legalize cannabis
Franco Roberti, Italy's Chief Prosecutor for Combating Organized Crime, has called for the legalization of cannabis. According to the head of the law enforcement agency, such a decision would help to bleed the Italian mafia and the ISIS terrorist group.
During the public statement, the prosecutor was guided by the results of the investigation of the Italian police, which found a connection between illegal suppliers of psychoactive substances and gangster organizations carrying out illegal activities in North African countries. Therefore, Franchi Roberti is of the opinion that cannabis should be legalized or at least decriminalized, as this will hit the financial situation of terrorist groups and minimize the number of robberies, thefts of people and other crimes against humanity.
Some statistics
The United Nations estimates that the Italian mafia's annual marijuana revenue exceeds 32 billion euros. According to Roberti, the banned substance is delivered in the following sequence:
The goods are sent from Casablanca (Morocco).
It transits through Algeria and Tunisia.
Tobruk (East Libya) is the extreme point on the logistic map in North Africa.
Hemp crosses the borders of Italy and is sent to different countries of the European Union.
This route passes through the Libyan city of Sirte, controlled by the militants of the Islamic State, so the connection between the Italian mafia and the terrorists is obvious. According to unofficial statistics, income from the supply of psychoactive substances is 7% of the "budget" of ISIS.
Legalization is the only way out
Franco Roberti noted that the police and prosecutors do not have enough resources to fight the Italian mafia, since many law enforcement officers are involved in investigating cases of smuggling of refugees, terrorism and trafficking in other types of illegal substances. In view of the circumstances, the bandits' income from the cannabis trade is only increasing.
According to a government-sponsored study, 3.5 million Italians aged 15-64 used cannabis in 2014. The chief prosecutor believes that marijuana is not as harmful as synthetic substances.
The Italian authorities have not yet responded to the prosecutor's statement.