The front lines of the War on Drugs in British Columbia are not for the faint of heart. As an internal medicine specialist and a police officer who has spent much of his career at the forefront of anti-drug enforcement efforts, we’ve witnessed the bloody aftermath of shootings, stabbings and other violent confrontations that are common in B.C.’s drug trade.

Assuming the victim is not killed on the scene, the Lower Mainland’s emergency rooms are first point of care after a drug gang shooting. In each case, a noticeable chill comes over the emergency room when shooting victims — young, bloody, terrified and clinging to life — are wheeled into the trauma bay for resuscitation. They are usually accompanied by paramedics doing chest compressions and escorted by police. The police then restrict access to the emergency room to ensure other gangsters don’t arrive to make further attempts on the victim’s life.

Shooting victims are moved quickly to specialty areas such as thoracic surgery or general surgery, depending on their injuries, or to the critical care unit to await or recover from trauma surgery. At times, health care resources are severely taxed. A shooting victim can see up upwards of 10 physicians through the process from emergency, operation and post-op care. Some spend weeks in intensive care through the recovery process. When the gang warfare spiked in 2009, gunshot victims arriving at Vancouver General Hospital seemed commonplace.

A 12-month homicide investigation costs about $921,500, according to the Lower Mainland District’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. It can take years for a team of dedicated, professional detectives to bring a killer to justice. These efforts can involve police surveillance, undercover operations and other complex investigative techniques. The management of reluctant witnesses, many of whom fear for their lives, can be daunting for police. Success in the courtroom is not guaranteed.

Our experiences in the hospital and investigating gang activity have galvanized our interest in reducing violence related to the drug trade and organized crime. We have come together with other law enforcement officials, retired justices, public health and addiction experts, and past and current mayors to create Stop the Violence BC, which is dedicated to educating the public about the ineffectiveness and violent unintended consequences of marijuana prohibition.

Gangs in B.C. are fighting over the profits created by drug prohibition, particularly the enormous revenue they generate from the marijuana industry. Recently, the latest spike in violence involved the brazen shooting death of Sandip Duhre at Vancouver’s Sheraton Wall Centre followed by shootings in Surrey. Police appear to be bracing for more violence after these attacks and have issued public warnings.

The violence that we now accept as B.C.’s new normal is staggering. In 2009, there were no fewer than 276 incidents of drive-by shootings, which the RCMP said often occurred “without regard for public safety.” As troubling, the RCMP asserted that violent acts would likely become more common in coming years as gangs consolidate their grip on the provincial drug market.

Meanwhile, marijuana prohibition has failed to achieve its objectives. The drug’s supply is widespread and it remains easily available to all, including youth. Since 1990, the potency of marijuana has increased by 145 per cent and the price decreased by 58 per cent, suggesting that the marijuana market is oversaturated. In short, marijuana is more accessible and more potent today despite massive taxpayer investments in efforts to control it.

Given the evidence that marijuana prohibition has failed and the direct link among the growth of organized crime, gang violence and marijuana prohibition, policy-makers must chart a different course.

Fortunately, moving away from a criminal justice approach and toward a public health approach is consistent with reducing rates of marijuana use. Research indicates that a model in which marijuana is regulated and taxed could redirect millions of dollars from gangs to government coffers. These dollars could fund effective drug prevention and law enforcement efforts. More importantly, a strictly regulated legal market has the potential to meaningfully reduce rates of marijuana use, in the same way that regulatory tools have dramatically cut rates of tobacco use.

Polls show that Canadians believe we should rethink our approach to marijuana and the majority of British Columbians support regulating and taxing the drug. The question is: How much more extreme gun violence do our communities have to endure before our politicians get the message?

Evan Wood is founder of Stop the Violence BC. David Bratzer is a police officer and, while off-duty, volunteers as a board member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. His personal views do not represent those of his police department.