Any sympathy for the British drug mule in Georgia?

[mids2019]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14723481/drug-mule-suspect-company-director-Chinese-retailers-Amazon.html

I was reading about this girl and actually do have a little symapthy. She is obviously vain, stupid, misguidedly ambitious but I don't know whether she is real player in the drug trade and has probably been groomed into carrying drugs by men promising her the earth.

The penalties for drug smuggling are understandably harsh on Georgia but should the UK try and get her to serve a sentence in the UK?

How can it not be relevant? It is the most relevant reason for it to be legalised.

It is similar to alcohol prohibition.

Because it’s not a thread about the legalisation of cannabis, it’s a thread about the actions of this particular woman. People smuggling drugs know that it’s illegal, and they know the damage the drug trade causes to people when they’re committing the crime.

Do you honestly think that cocaine, heroin, ketamine etc should be legally available? I'm not being disingenuous, I think I can understand your train of thought. (But I don't think drugs like that should ever be legally available.)

I have addicts in my extended family. One who died due to alcohol and drug use. Another who is an ex-heroin addict, current cocaine dabbler and who is an alcoholic (currently not functioning), threatens to kill themself every few months. They both refused help, the latter has been offered help multiple times. Sadly, it's very likely he will either die of alcohol/drug use, or alcohol/drug related activity. Both had/have mental health issues. I genuinely can't see how drugs being legal would help/have helped either of them.

Actions because governments have their laws wrong, so therefore you can have a bit of sympathy. She wouldn't be banged up otherwise. Lots of people smoke weed. More and more countries are legalising drugs. She was very stupid though and a bit too cocky with the social media, but still a young girl.

Drugs are readily available. Everytime I go to a pub, people are taking drugs in the toilets. Dangerous drugs because they are unregulated.

You can’t say ‘I committed a crime, but I don’t believe it should be a crime, therefore I shouldn’t face the consequences’

I could, but that's miles away from anything I've wrote.

There will always be a market for criminals to exploit. Even if drugs were legal, they would be heavily regulated, it would never be enough for those who were addicted. Methadone is available, it doesn't stop heroin addicts taking heroin. Mounjaro, for example, even if it's legal, there's always a black market.

But, at the risk of derailing the thread, what this young woman did was illegal, she knew it was illegal, she did it anyway, and she will have to pay the price for her crime.

If only she’d stayed home and watched repeats of ‘Banged up abroad’. Whilst I do agree to a certain extent we all do ‘stupid things’ there are limits….. I’ve not travelled abroad since 2018 but I remember sweating cos I had my ecig in my hand luggage, and I’d researched how to pack it to travel 🤣 I’ve also sweated cos I’ve wondered if my nail clippers could get me arrested 🤣

If they were legalised people would still want stronger, weirder shit. I think part of people's thrill in taking drugs is the illegality. And for those saying 'it's only werd' - you have no idea of the damage long term weed smoking does.

"Everytime" [sic] you go to a pub? Wow.

What sort of pubs are you going to?!

Posh ones! But even the police say drugs are everywhere.

Because this thread is about a woman engaging in illegal drug trafficking. These criminals know that it’s illegal. They hope they don’t get caught!!

I don't know much about this specific case, but this expression always bugs me.

One kid's "we had a massive water fight and flooded the kitchen" is a world away from another's "I did something hugely and obviously illegal and dangerous".

Pretending that they're similar is the same as acting as if everyone could do the same thing, which is neither true nor useful.

It’s also very disrespectful to victims of drug uses!

People need to take responsibility. Drugs are easy to blame and anyways, it was only a bit of weed.

Drugs are easy to blame for what?

This woman does need to take responsibility for her actions though, you’re entirely right about that.

People's demise. People need to take account of their lifestyles and choices and stop blaming the drugs.

Yep. I don't see or know of any drugs in any pubs I go in. Then again, I am not looking for drugs or wanting them, so they wouldn't be on my radar. Pretty sure my little local country pub doesn't have any drugs in it though!

I never really noticed until I worked with police. I'd be pretty sure it does.

‘Only a bit of weed’caused a machinist at the company I worked for, his right hand.
As a result all staff drug tested in the department and about a dozen fired.

I agree, being under the influence of alcohol is just as dangerous, but has been easier to screen for in the past.

Either way, 14kg is not personal use, especially when allegedly pregnant, so no, no sympathy.

He should have managed his drug use better or chose a different career.

She got greedy and the money from her actions were likely going to nasty people (if legal though, this would be less of an issue) I can respect people not having any sympathy though.

I notice Sadiq Khan saying cannabis should be legal now! Hopefully more people will be brave enough to come out and say it also. Although people get bullied for saying sense!

Regardless of any future law changes, the current law is very clear - drug smuggling is illegal!

The illegality and potential punishments are well publicised. This woman was just greedy and hoping she wouldn’t get caught!

And even if Sadiq Khan gets his way, and cannabis is legalised in the UK, there is no obligation on other countries to follow suit, and anyone who decides to be a drug mule should check the laws of the countries they will be travelling to/through, because theirs are the laws that will matter.