End the War on Drugs Now

American Thinker ^ | March 26, 2011 | Zbigniew Mazurak

[neverdem]

Despite federal and state expenditures of billions of dollars per year, severe punishments, and frequent unconstitutional raids on private homes, the War On Drugs is a failure.  Since this futile war began, the number of drug users in the US has grown rather than shrink, and the rate of drug usage has grown along with the profits of drug cartels.  America's Southern border has become very dangerous as a result of the War, and Mexico is a failing state because wealthy, well-armed drug cartels can afford to fight a regular war in that country and bribe (or assassinate) its officials.

By any objective measure, the War On Drugs is a disastrous failure. It's time to end this madness now.

The War began in 1970, when President Nixon declared it and the Congress passed various legislation outlawing drugs (even relatively harmless ones such as marijuana).  The Congress didn't even bother to change the Constitution (as it did when it banned alcohol beverages), and simply ignored the strict limits the Constitution imposed on it.

Since then, federal and state authorities have been arresting and prosecuting just about anyone they caught possessing, growing, using, or selling drugs.  It doesn't matter to them that to date, no one has died because of ingesting marijuana, while thousands of people die every die around the world as a result of overuse of alcohol and smoking tobacco.  Moreover, alcoholics and tobacco smokers harm not only themselves, but also everyone else in their orbit.

Even by the 1980s, there were signs that the punitive policies were failing. Nonetheless, Washington politicians didn't end the War - they doubled on it.

They ignored the lessons of the Prohibition Era, when alcohol prohibition drove distillers underground, but did not eliminate alcohol from the private market.  Even worse, the alcohol market was monopolized by gangs, including the Mafia, making Al Capone a very wealthy man.  These gangs were terrorizing adults on streets everyday, and drive-by shootings were common. The same dismal results occurred everywhere where prohibition of alcohol (or drugs) has been tried, including Russia under Gorbachyov.  Al Capone opposed the 21^st Amendment (which ended the Prohibition), because it opened the door to the legalization of alcohol, thus creating numerous legal, law-abiding competitors for him.  Capone went to jail in 1932, before Prohibition ended, but its end radically decreased his Mafia's annual income.

What are the results of the War on Drugs?

A million innocent Americans are sitting in  prisons right now solely because they've been caught storing, buying or using drugs.  A million people who haven't harmed anyone else. Americans prisons are overcrowded as a result.

Taxpayers dollars and limited police resources are being squandered on arresting people who may have harmed themselves but haven't harmed anyone else, rather than be used chasing truly dangerous criminals.

America's Southern border is dangerous and de facto governed by drug cartels, which are also present in hundreds of American cities, even NYC, Chicago, Tacoma, and Anchorage.

Drug gangs have high annual incomes, and therefore can afford to buy lethal weapons, bribe officials, and build villas for their leaders.  This income is not taxed.

Meanwhile, Americans who want to buy drugs for recreational (or even medical) purposes are forced to buy them from these gangs rather than pharmacies.  These drug cartels also supply weapons to other criminal organizations, and could sell them to terrorists.

During the last two decades, a few states, such as California, have legalized medical marijuana and proposed to legalize recreational weed.  Government officials and cops, eager to protect their bloated bureaucracies and budgets as well as their police prerogatives, opposed these initiatives.  Sometimes these policies were approved by voters, sometimes not. But whenever they came up for a vote, government officials said they would disregard the result (i.e. the people's verdict) and enforce federal drug laws anyway.

Such was the case with the 2010 Proposition #19 in California.  Its citizens submitted a proposal to legalize marijuana (at least for medicinal purposes) in a referendum, Washington politicians arrogantly promised to disregard the results before such referendums occurred, and discredited establishment politicians, led by George Shultz (a man who shouldn't even dare to speak publicly) and Arnold Schwarzenegger in California, spoke out against such proposals.  They, like all other liberals, believe that the government should decide for private citizens what's best for them, like a nanny state; that adults are too stupid to decide for them. Proposition #19 failed.  Luckily, Arizona voters passed a similar measure, Proposition #203.

What if the War on Drugs is ended and drugs are legalized?

The US prison population would immediately shrink by a million people, thus stripping dictators around the world of the argument that the US incarceration rate is.  Prison expenditures would decrease significantly.  There would now be enough cells to lock up all truly dangerous criminals, rather than people who may be harming themselves but aren't doing harm to anyone else.

Annual federal expenditures would shrink by at least $44 billion and, if drugs are taxed, annual federal revenue would grow by $33 billion.  States' coffers could be similarly filled with revenue and state expenses would shrink.

Drug gangs would lose their source of income and would cease being able to buy weapons, bribe officials with big money, and assassinate people.  They would stop being able to terrorize people on the streets, travelers on America's borders, or the country of Mexico.

Police resources would be allocated to real priorities (i.e. fighting dangerous criminals), and courts' dockets would be significantly reduced.

Truly ill people who need medical marijuana (which can be medically beneficial) would be able to buy (or grow) it legally, with doctors' prescriptions, and youngsters who want to use it for recreational purposes could do so too; they wouldn't need to fear overzealous cops and punishment that would make these decent people into criminals.

Finally, the size, scope, budget and prerogatives of the federal government would be significantly decreased.  That is also the real reason why politicians and bureaucrats oppose drug legalization.  They don't want to see the federal government and its prerogatives reduced.  They are addicted to it, and addiction to governing is more dangerous than addiction to drugs.  They couldn't care less whether the American people live healthy lifestyles or not (and to be honest, it's none of their business).  They just want to micromanage Americans and their lifestyles.

It's time to end the War on Drugs.  It's not a conservative policy, its results are dismal, its costly, and it has made America's drug problem worse, not better.

[Twinkie]

decriminalize drugs?

[eyeamok]

A line has been drawn. Why can’t alcohol be enough?

Alcohol is the ONLY drug that should be illegal if we are going to have a War on Drugs. Alcohol is by far the most dangerous drug ever unleashed onto Mankind. There is no comparison between Alcohol and other Controlled Substances.

Alcohol kills 10 times more people every year than ALL controlled substances combined.

[elcid1970]

This entire thread is for drug libertarians, got that. For the record, I believe certain drugs were made illegal for a reason, mainly due to destructive effects upon the user.

FWIW I was subject to random urinalysis for thirty plus years active & reserve military. I don’t do the stuff so I came up cold every time.

Question: what effect would across the board legalization-with-taxation have on just one segment of illegal drugs, which is crystal meth? Would the meth labs wither on the vine? Would living skeleton meth users just disappear?

Just curious.

[airborne]

You’d think our coke snorting, pot selling President would agree.

[airborne]

You’d think our coke snorting, pot selling President would agree.

[Notary Sojac]

Would living skeleton meth users just disappear?

One of the (usually unstated) assumptions of the drug warriors here on FR is that America is just chock full of would be drug users who are only deterred by the law.

That if drugs were decriminalized, everyone up and down your block - and mine - would rush out to stone themselves into a frenzy or a stupor (depending upon the chemical of choice).

I don't buy that argument, and I submit that if this is true, we have a much bigger problem in this country than whether or not some drugs are illegal.

To your point, if we legalized meth, my guess is that over time the percent of Americans who are meth users might go up, or go down, by a statistically insignificant amount.

[Alberta's Child]

The War on Drugs is not a failure at all. In fact, it has been a rousing success for more than 40 years now.

The so-called "War on Drugs" was never about eliminating the production, sale and use of narcotics. It was about developing an entire goverment-run industry that would employ millions of people in law enforcement, court systems, corrections, etc.

I mean, you didn't really thing the "War on Poverty" was about eliminating poverty, did you?

[UCANSEE2]

The problem is not drug USE, or Alcohol USE, it is ABUSE.

Same is true of GUNS.

[Alberta's Child]

I agree with you about the failure of the "war on drugs," but I disagree with you about the political aspects of it. If I were a political advisor I would advise my candidates to steer clear of this issue completely -- mainly because: (1) I don't see it as one that is terribly important to most voters; and (2) it's an issue that is so easy for an opposing candidate to demagogue if you take a principled stand (no matter what stand you take).

[Clintonfatigued]

I once thought that the “war” on drugs was guaranteeing public safety, but the more one looks at it, the more it resembles Prohibition on steroids. The responsibility belongs to the states anyway.

[Alice in Wonderland]

How much of a loser can a person be when alcohol is not enough for them?

I guess I'm a loser . . . I can't stand that taste of beer, wine gives me a headache and anything harder makes me nauseous.

[af_vet_rr]

The WOD has been a terrible mistake ,but the police and petty tyrants are addicted to the power and money.Don’t expect it to end.

Way too much money and power has been given to the politicians and police for them to give it up. Unfortunately they do a very good job of scaring the sheeple into thinking they need more power and money.

[af_vet_rr]

This entire thread is for drug libertarians, got that. For the record, I believe certain drugs were made illegal for a reason, mainly due to destructive effects upon the user.

If it was only about destructive effects, alcohol and cigarettes would have been banned long ago, although some are making a run at banning both or at least shutting them out of mainstream America. I've known far more people that destroyed their lives with alcohol and presecription drugs than illegal drugs. Look at President George W. Bush - he had his driver's license suspended for two years for drunk driving - that could have very well ended his political career before it ever started. Not everybody is fortunate enough to turn their lives around after something like that. He was fortunate enough to meet the right woman and have a supportive family - many go the opposite way and lose their marriages and families.

FWIW I was subject to random urinalysis for thirty plus years active & reserve military. I don’t do the stuff so I came up cold every time.

I was as well, but if the WOD was truly a war, then it's been one spectacular failure, because drugs are still just easy to get. The only visible result is a militarized civilian police force.

[jnsun]

One where they make their own choices and deal with the consequences.

The fundamental, original reason there IS a "War on Drugs" is that EVERYONE ELSE deals with the consequences. IF you have not recognized that you have never lived where hard drugs are rampant.

This article is total simplistic generalizing garbage. Some drugs ARE legal, e.g. caffeine, codeine, barbiturates, some drugs are not, e.g. many opiates, some only with a physicians prescription.

It is a complicated issue. And to any honest reader this article is just an oversimplified, self rationalization. Yes, marijuana, MAY be improperly targeted in the US, but the Netherlands which in the past had generally taken the permissive approach now has reversed itself.

"Drugs" ARE a social problem. There is NO way "legalizing" some of them (whichever ones this article unilaterally declares as appropriate) is going to reduce government or social financial commitment, any more than "legalizing" alcohol and tobacco has eliminated the ATF or FDA.

If this article wanted to be legitimate it would be very specific about which specific "drugs" it wanted regulations to be altered, and how.

It is this kind of simplistic, self aggrandizing garbage that makes Free Republic a target.

[Revolutionary]

Just because your school has had a loosing basketball team, you don’t do away with basketball. You get a better coach and recruit better players. It is quite easy to win the war if it was fought correctly.

[elcid1970]

Another visible result of WOD (I assume you are referring to drug testing) is a zero-tolerance military on the matter of illegal drugs. Strike one and you’re out, or it’s supposed to be.

And I’m not a hardliner on urinalysis because I am having to prove my innocence every time I get `selected’ because of the morons who are doing the stuff (well, actually I am) but I did serve as a permanent member of an administrative separation board for several years. The board is conducted like a trial; defense vs prosecution, witnesses. The prosecution consists of positive test results from command directed urinalysis. Defense consists of the biggest collection of phony excuses for popping hot that I have ever heard. Only a unit commander or first sergeant hears more. If it’s a first time, the board might recommend retention over separation. Yes, show up on time in proper uniform, beg forgiveness, promise you’ll never do it again, that actually works most of the time.

I just do not think that legalization will reduce drug abuse because it’s no longer forbidden fruit. As for alcohol, we’ve already tried banning it. Tobacco use is becoming marginalized IMO. Can’t even smoke in your own home if kids are present.

IOW, stupid people do stupid things and the law steps in when their stupidity has an impact upon others.

Would like to know just one thing: why is marijuana smoke less harmful to the lungs than tobacco smoke?

[thirst4truth]

It is all about the money. The prison guards are a union. To them a prisoner is worth way more in jail then on the street free and consuming drugs.

[PLMerite]

“I’m certainly not a fan of compulsory education in government schools.”

I really meant “drug education,” etc.

The stoners think we should legalize drugs but then don’t want to be taken off the teat so when they screw up their lives they have to pay the price themselves.

I’m a big fan of narco-Darwinism.

[Lady Jag]

Henry Ford had developed a "plastic" car using hemp and was ready to put it into production when it was made illegal.

Illegal pot replaced illegal booze and profited Hearst's paper and the lumber industry even though hemp was replaceable in weeks not years like trees.

[Tolsti2]

At least you and others do admit that yes, you are a loser.