What do we know about small time “social” drug dealers?

Radio National’s “The Law Report” recently featured a segment that considered the concept of “social supply” of illicit drugs.  The term “social supply” refers to small scale supply of illegal drugs between friends or associates, without a profit motive. There is a significant body of research showing that most people acquire substances through friendship networks, but how should the legal system address this, particularly when compared with commercial supply of illicit drugs?  The episode features an interview with Professor John Scott from QUT, who has just published a paper considering how eleven different countries address the concept of “social supply”.

Listen to The Law Report “New Research on what we know about small time 'social' drug dealers" (11 minutes)

Read “The burgeoning recognition and accomodation of the social supply of drugs in international criminal systems:An eleven-nation comparative overview”