The fundamental flaw in increasing punishment for drug dealers is that it misunderstands drug use as a criminal issue rather than a public health and social services challenge. This becomes clear when we look at the cannabis legalization success story - many former dealers who faced potential jail time are now respected business consultants and entrepreneurs in the legal marijuana industry, generating billions in tax revenue and employing over 151,000 people in Canada alone. Their street knowledge and expertise in quality control, distribution, and community dynamics proved invaluable in building a regulated market. Most small-scale dealers are themselves trapped in cycles of addiction and poverty, selling to support their own substance use in areas that typically lack adequate mental health services, addiction treatment, employment opportunities, and educational resources. The evidence from countries like Portugal demonstrates that a health-focused approach works - after decriminalization and investment in treatment services, drug-related deaths dropped by 96%. Simply increasing criminal penalties has historically failed to reduce drug availability since supply always rises to meet demand - it only pushes the trade further underground, making substances more dangerous and harder to regulate. The solution lies in treating addiction as a public health crisis by providing comprehensive treatment services, creating economic opportunities in affected communities, and following evidence-based models of decriminalization and regulated markets that have proven successful globally.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Every person is redeemable to society , though some less than others.