Time to Rethink This Futile Drug War?
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The more I hear about the nightmarish gang violence engulfing Mexico ... The more I read about prison overcrowding, often by people convicted of "victimless crimes" ...
The more I see small-town cops feeling compelled to go around armed and armored in paramilitary fashion, like Nazi stormtroopers ...
The more I wonder if we aren't overdue for a serious national debate about legalizing some currently illegal drugs.
Don't ask me which drugs. For someone who went to college in the 1960s, I'm ridiculously naive and underinformed on the subject. Believe it or not, I don't even know what marijuana smoke smells like. And maybe we really would be opening a Pandora's box if we legalized pot - not to mention things like cocaine, heroin and crystal meth.
All I know is that America's endless national "War on Drugs" has about it a distinct odor of failure, futility and maybe even fraud.
There have been flickers of discussion on this subject here and there. The City Council in El Paso, Texas, recently requested "a national dialogue on abolishing the anti-narcotics laws." I predict we'll be hearing more such talk.
To be sure, the use and abuse of illicit mind-altering substances produces many negative effects, both individual and societal. But the operative verb in the above sentence is "produces" - in the present tense. In other words, it's already happening. Many if not most of the people inclined to use those drugs are doing so despite their forbidden status.
The main difference, it can be argued, is that those now using certain drugs have to pay a lot more for them because they're illegal. And that fact, in turn to, creates big problems of its own.
A couple come to mind:
(1) The higher the street price for whatever drug a person is addicted to, the greater the chances that he will turn crime (and not the victimless kind) to get the money to pay for it - especially if he's a young street person leading a dead-end life that offers little chance of ever landing a decent job. Thus is one person's problem visited on the rest of us with a vengeance.
(2) The more money there is in illegal drugs, the greater the temptation for ruthless groups to horn into the market and drive everyone else out by whatever horrendous means necessary in hopes of creating a monopoly. That is what we're seeing in Mexico. An entire country is being systematically destabilized and terrorized by murderous, high-tech narco gangs out to profit from the seemingly insatiable demand for marijuana or cocaine or whatever - not down there, but up here.
Nor is simply building a higher, more electrified fence along the border going to begin to cut it. Those guys are using airplanes, tunnels, speedboats and even submarines these days, outfoxing us at about every turn.
Sorry, but there is an obvious parallel from nearly a century ago crying out for comparison: Prohibition.
Here you had another well-intentioned movement seeking to improve life in America by illegalizing another potentially addictive and socially destructive drug. But that law ultimately had to be repealed because, rather than ending the traffic in the drug in question, alcohol, all it did was drive it underground and - then too - fuel the rise of violent drug gangs. Can you say Al Capone?
It would be wonderful if we all could turn our backs on all mind-altering substances and spend our lives straight and sober. But until that miraculous day dawns, what would happen if we lightened up a bit and started taking the same sensible, realistic approach to, say, marijuana that we now take to liquor?
Suppose we began growing and processing the stuff out in the open, under the same kinds of carefully controlled conditions that now apply to another devil weed: tobacco. Suppose you could then walk into the ABC store and purchase a pack of pot in the same way you now buy a fifth of bourbon. The quality would be better, and surely the prices would be much lower than they are now - even after the state took its tax bite.
I know, I know. To most of us Americans, with our deep puritanical streak, all this sounds like a case of surrendering to evil, encouraging bad habits and generally letting it all hang out. Maybe it's not the answer. But might it at least be time to to start asking the question?
I'm just sayin'.
Steve Bouser is editor of The Pilot. Contact him at (910) 693-2470 or by email at sbouser@thepilot.com.
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Comments
Yukonjohn 1 year, 6 months ago
1- As a Libertarian, I believe that adults should be able to do with their body as they choose. 2- This is a failed program. If it were to ever have any success at making drugs less available (which it has not) their price would go up, and thus crime would increase. 3- We are filling up jail space with regular Americans. And at the same time funding the drug lords in foreign lands. 4- We are funding the Taliban in Afghanistan. Without profits from herion, they would be like the Mexican drug lords.....Third world paupers!! 5- How many billions are we going to spend at this failed policy? And taxes could be made of selling the product just like alcohol.
Steve, this is a good article, it is time for a reasoned, intelligent debate on this issue.
SH59 1 year, 6 months ago
Definitely in agreement. At least decriminalize possession of pot, stop sending these people to jail and making them felons. It's a waist of our money not to mention the lives of so many undeveloped young people.
dustyrhoades 1 year, 6 months ago
Hey, defending drug charges is a big hunk of my business. I say, keep the drug war going!
(Now, if that doesn't get even the wingnuttiest wingnuts on Steve's side, I don't know what will)
RmeMP 1 year, 6 months ago
Dusty, even though you say it in humorous fashion - you have hit the perverbial nail on the head. The government can not decriminalize small amounts of narcotics because of the amount of revenue that would be lost from court costs and unpaid taxes.
(Yes, those caught with narcotics are taxed for them)
teufelhunden 1 year, 6 months ago
I agree that this needs to be discussed. Believe it or not, legalizing pot might not be a bad idea. As Mr. Bouser said, think about tobacco. Pot could be grown and regulated and taxed-hey even some jobs created. I don't know for sure, but it is definitely something to put on the table.
moonchild7 1 year, 6 months ago
The "War on Drugs" has been a "War on the People". It needs to be STOPPED but Dusty is absolutely right about why it's still going on. A few years ago while having been "solicited" for Jury Duty(wasn't chosen)I ended up listening to some of the cases on the Docket. The "Criminals' were mostly POOR and with abvious Mental Health issues. The vast majority were there due to MINOR DRUG possesion/sales. The POOR are just trying to make enough money to try to survive day to day life. The entire COURT SYSTEM(lawyers, police, judges, admin., government)has been FUELED by these arrests and needs to be STOPPED. In NYC they've stopped arresting these "minimal crimes" of drug possession. Chicago is considering legalizing small amounts of POT. The Police don't have time for it, they have REAL CRIME issues. Any of you guys watch Ken Burns "Prohibition" Documentary? It was so informative about "America's History with MIND ALTERING SUBSTANCES". We must grow up and stop being treated like children who aren't capable of handling ourselves. The VAST majority of us know how to be responsible. There is a minority who don't and they for the most part only need Drug Rehab. This is another VERY SAD JOKE IGNORRANT being played on the American People.
OldSpook 1 year, 6 months ago
I have to agree that it is time stop this nonsense as the only beneficiaries are the lawyers and other parasitic leaches. Seems if we can sell alcohol and tobacco we should be able to do the same for marijuana. (This is a personal observation) Of course, we will need to regulate how much can be made by an individual for “home use”. (The government hates competition) The tax revenue should be able to help the government coffers and release the courts of a burden. Legalization might even clear out some jail cells for real criminals.
And please, don’t even get me started on the medical benefits of marijuana. The pharmaceutical companies would take a serious income lo$$ if citizens were allowed to grow and reap the benefits of this simple plant.
teufelhunden 1 year, 6 months ago
That is exactly it. I know a lot of the legal medications they have out there have far more detrimental side effcts than the ailment for which you're taking them. It's all a racket and the drug companies would lose $$-the docs that get kick-backs would lose $$ too.
TreadLightly 1 year, 6 months ago
The heart of this problem is the "legislation of morality." It never works.
The founders were right on when they said that our form of government is suitable only for a moral society. (And that requires that dreaded and hated religion.)
The fact that we have a large "churched" population and a high consumption of alcohol, tobacco, pot, and hard drugs shows that our religion has been watered down from what it was 150 years ago. Many otherwise respectable people are involved in "chemical abuse." Escape from reality is achieved with little regard for the consequences.
Can you change that with legislation? Not so far. My dad could go into a strange town and find a bootlegger in 30 minutes. Alcohol and tobacco definitely destroy the lives of many people, but they are legal, and some use them for years with no observable health issues.
Hard and destructive drugs will totally destroy a much larger percentage of users than alcohol and pot. But will a civil law change that? Obviously, many people don’t care any more about the law than they do about religion.
The only question I ponder, and I don’t have an answer, is this: Will legalizing cocaine make a lot of people use it who would not do so otherwise? My gut feeling is that the law makes them resort to alcohol instead, in large enough quantity to escape whatever demon is on their back.
Modern theology (Matthew didn’t write Matthew/Luke didn’t write Luke), with no scholarly leg to stand on, has totally insulated large numbers of Christians from the truth that “will set you free,” yet have many of the spiritual benefits of religion. But it has not convinced most people. And neither will another law.
Preaching the whole counsel of God will prevent more drug use than any law. Will a law help? The law that prevents some innocent people from becoming users and destroying their lives is the same law that makes other innocent people victims of robbery and violent crime. Pick your poison. (Like with the Al Capone bunch.)
teufelhunden 1 year, 6 months ago
Yeah MC7 a lot of those "poor" are on welfare & benefits and claim no income because they can't really say their occupation is a drug dealer-that wouldn't fly.
DaveyNC 1 year, 6 months ago
Agreed. The "War on Drugs" was lost long ago. Better to turn our attention to treatment and to demonizing drug use the same way we did with tobacco.
Adults should be free to do as they wish with themselves so long as it does not interfere with anybody else's rights.
While we're at it, legalize prostitution too. If two adults make an agreement to trade favors, who are we to interfere?
jway 1 year, 6 months ago
Prohibitionists, like President Obama, like to label marijuana a "harmful substance", however marijuana is far LESS harmful than beer and wine which are LEGAL, and is also far LESS harmful than the federal marijuana prohibition which causes the arrest of 850,000 people every year and draws drug dealers into our communities and around our children!
It is outrageous to have the federal government ban stores from selling legally-grown marijuana to adults when this ban doesn't prevent people from buying, selling and using marijuana, and does make marijuana readily accessible to children by creating large profits for drug dealers where otherwise there would be NONE.
Bflat 1 year, 6 months ago
In days of olde , making and selling liquor helped some people to survive as it does for some people setting pot now. However the problem many in the medical profession point out is that pot can be a stepping stone that leads to dependencies of other harder drugs. (To the "Proof Police," do your own research because Dr and researcher family members don't have time to explain it and show you all the statistics.) Legalizing pot isn't going to cure the drug problems in society just as liquor by the drink, bottle, case hasn't solved all those problems either. (DWI, DUI, deaths, alcoholism, health problems, etc) Also, before bashing the drug companies, there are medicines that are life saving and very beneficial that have led to better life styles and improved health, and much research goes into the testing before it can be approved.
Now, I'll wait for that whooshing noise that Dusty talks about that will soon be coming through.
RmeMP 1 year, 6 months ago
I know from other veterans that the most effective way to deal with PTSD, by all accounts, is marijuana. Say what you want, and believe what you read however you want, but I know it has been more effective then the "pills" that doctors love to give out instead.
TOYTIME 1 year, 6 months ago
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE REPLY BUTTON ALREADY! legalizing marijuana is fine IF there would be a way to test sobriety roadside like they do with alcahol.
RmeMP 1 year, 6 months ago
@ toytime:
There IS in fact a way for a LEO to check - that's why there is a difference between DUI, and DWI...
Don't feel bad, its a common misconception :)
teufelhunden 1 year, 6 months ago
The real prob is manufactured drugs and pain killers-they're the deadliest.
Courseaire 1 year, 6 months ago
Five years ago, the Advanced Research Study Executives did a study of all Heroin & Cocaine addicts in the Greater LA Area (including Hollywood) to determine what if anything they all had in common and what was the leading factor in their drug addiction. There was only one item that each and every one of them did before becoming addicted. That one item was: they all drank milk as adolescents & teens. They therefore concluded that Milk was the Gateway Drug.
teufelhunden 1 year, 6 months ago
As long as there are corrupt governments and deals involving gazillions of dollars to be made, nothing's going to change. Power and greed. Deadly.
dustyrhoades 1 year, 6 months ago
that's why there is a difference between DUI, and DWI...
Not under NC law. There's only one crime of driving "while subject to an impairing substance." Period.
RmeMP 1 year, 6 months ago
Correct dusty; I was simply pointing out to TOYTIME, that there is a way to detect if a person is "suspected" of driving under the influence of a substance besides alcohol.
JimHeim 1 year, 6 months ago
Prohibition of drugs is every bit as good an idea as prohibition of alcohol ... and not one bit better.
Regulation and the treatment of addiction as a health care issue is much more humane, economical and much less destructive of society. Well-targeted taxation would be a plus.
starman 1 year, 6 months ago
Maybe I misunderstood your comment about small town cops felling compelled to being armed and armored but a small town cop can be injured or killed just as easily as a big town cop. Even if drugs were legalized that does not stop people from wanting to do harm to a cop. A small town cop is actually in more danger than a big town cop because 99% of the time they answer calls and stop vehicles all alone. The war against drugs is and has been lost but too many people would lose job if they were legal. Again Mr. Bouser maybe I misunderstood your comment but any police officer has to be protected for what he or she will face.
SH59 1 year, 6 months ago
There was a time not long ago when it was legal to grow pot for your own use in Alaska. The laws have changed now but what's the big deal?
Yukonjohn 1 year, 6 months ago
While one cannot grow legally here, we still have our Constitution. Our Constitution is enforced, especially the 4th Amendment. We are secure in our houses, cars, persons, and the Troopers do not violate it. Marijuana is not considered an issue, and as long as you have less than a half pound, it is considered like a fairly severe traffic ticket. But they will not bust down you door to arrest you for Marijuana. With our attitudes towards drugs, our people here have a very good relationship with our Law Enforcement. Our Troopers respect us, and vice versa. We do not have an adversarial relationship with them. It really does work well. While I do not smoke anymore, I like the fact that I can without penalty.
dregstudios 1 year, 6 months ago
The War on Drugs failed $1 Trillion ago! This money could have been used for outreach programs to clean up the bad end of drug abuse by providing free HIV testing, free rehab, and clean needles. Harmless drugs like marijuana could be legalized to help boost our damaged economy. Cannabis can provide hemp for countless natural recourses and the tax revenue from sales alone would pull every state in our country out of the red! Vote Teapot, PASS IT, and legalize it. Voice you opinion with the movement and read more on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/01/vote-teapot-2011.html
Courseaire 1 year, 6 months ago
Dregs - I hope you don't take offense, but I checked out your website & looked at your artworks and if that is what is produced after the drugs & weed, then you are not helping your cause. JMO Art Critic Wingnut Courseaire
JER 1 year, 6 months ago
Hey, why don't we legalize all drugs. At the same time, insert a law on the books that states if anyone is convicted of causing harm to another person or another persons property as a result of using a drug, the penalty, which cannot be appealed, is an automatic 20 years of community service, picking up litter. If that drug use causes the death of another person, the penalty would be an automatic death sentence.
Courseaire 1 year, 6 months ago
Jer - I like your thinking.
jimt 1 year, 6 months ago
i'm a harley man: "While we're at it, legalize prostitution too" - ......... Finally a jobs bill from a republican!"
You said it! This will employ thousands of young nubile MEN to service both conservative republicans males and evangelical/fundamentalist preachers -- like TreadLightly -- who continues to violate his promise that he wouldn't deign to post anymore with the likes of me, Dusty, moonchild, jer, et.al.
MikeNC 1 year, 6 months ago
jimt 3 hours, 32 minutes ago i'm a harley man: "While we're at it, legalize prostitution too" - ......... Finally a jobs bill from a republican!"
Yes...Those jobs can help offset the tens of thousands of jobs that Obama just lost yesterday with his political stunt to postpone the keystone pipeline until after the 2012 election. Then there are those thousands of new potential jobs lost in South Carolina with Obama, Holder and his union thugs denying Boeing access. With the thought process being used by the administration telling America how they are or will create jobs and then the actions they actually pursue; they must have already legalized dope for themselves.....Mike
jimt 1 year, 6 months ago
What does anything you said have to do with finding male Republican lawmakers and televangalists legal male prostitutes?