USA - Is Now The Time To Legalize Drugs?

[Potter]

Is Now The Time To Legalize Drugs?
Posted By: Cliff Mason


This may be apocryphal, but when FDR was running for President for the first time in 1932, he said something along the lines of "What America needs now is a good, stiff drink."

Then he won and went on to help end prohibition.

Well, now we've got a new Democratic President coming into office, we're in similarly dire economic straits, and maybe what America needs is a nice toke?

It's time to legalize, or at least decriminalize, drugs. Admittedly this would be a blow to the flourishing prison industry at a time when we don't want to cause additional job losses.

But perhaps we could make up some of those lost prison-guard jobs by opening up new rehab clinics and filling them up with addicts who need treatment.


The voters are miles ahead of the politicians on this issue. Most national politicians would rather admit to using drugs than come out in favor of decriminalizing them. But in Massachusetts, a resolution decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana passed with the support of 65% of voters, despite opposition from the governor on down. The politicians seem to believe it's political suicide to favor a more rational drug policy, and even the massive popularity of measures like Question 2 in Massachusetts can't convince them otherwise.

Barack Obama won't admit that the war on drugs is a failure, but in his autobiography he admitted to doing cocaine in his youth. During the primaries the Clinton campaign tried to gin-up a scandal out of this fact. I think the real scandal is that the President Elect believes that other people should go to prison for something that he, and many others, get away with Scott free. The same goes for Bill Clinton, who smoked marijuana but "never inhaled."

The war on drugs does two things: it makes the business of drugs more profitable and more violent, and it sends lots and lots of people to prison.

Wouldn't it be better if we could bring this business out into the open, slap some taxes on it, and keep people from shooting each other? Of the 2.3 million people incarcerated in this country, more than half are in prison for drug-related offenses. That's unconscionable, and I believe future generations will see this fact, more than the pseudo-legalization of torture under the Bush Administration, as the great moral failing of our time. As the late, great Milton Friedman, an opponent of the War on Drugs from the very beginning when Nixon initiated hostilities, put it, "there is no light at the end of that tunnel. How many of our citizens do we want to turn into criminals before we yell "enough"?"

No one believes that illegal drugs are anything but harmful, but Americans, or at least our leaders, use that fact to stop any discussion of a rational policy to deal with the problem.

I hope the new guy will be different. For now my generation is much more progressive on this issue than older Americans. But I wonder what will happen to younger proponents of decriminalization as they grow up and have children. It's a fact that we can't prevent people from getting their hands on drugs in this country by locking up dealers and using F-16s to spray herbicides all over Colombia. We've tried for over 30 years, and the only thing the policy succeeds at is ruining lives.

What kills me is that nobody seems to care, not about the human cost, or even about the financial cost.

o The High Cost Of Medical Marijuana

Questions? Comments? Send them to millennialmoney@cnbc.com
© 2009 CNBC.com

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[Cathay]

Interesting article. CNBC is also airing a special about the business of Marijuana this Thursday.

I wonder if drug policy will be changed under the new administration with Obama. What does everyone else think?

[enquirewithin]

It's Time to End the War on Drugs: Obama's Marijuana Prohibition Acid Test

The parallels between the 1933 coming of Franklin Roosevelt and the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama must include the issue of Prohibition: alcohol in 1933, and marijuana today. As FDR did back then, Obama must now help end an utterly failed, socially destructive, reactionary crusade.

Marijuana prohibition is a core cause of many of the nation's economic problems. It now costs the U.S. tens of billions per year to track, arrest, try, defend and imprison marijuana consumers who pose little, if any, harm to society. The social toll soars even higher when we account for social violence, lost work, ruined careers and damaged families. In 2007, 775,137 people were arrested in the U.S. for mere possession of this ancient crop, according to the FBI’s uniform crime report.

Like the Prohibition on alcohol that plagued the nation from 1920 to 1933, marijuana prohibition (which essentially began in 1937) feeds organized crime and a socially useless prison-industrial complex that includes judges, lawyers, police, guards, prison contractors, and more.

A dozen states have now passed public referenda confirming medical uses for marijuana based on voluminous research dating back 5,000 years. Confirmed medicinal uses for marijuana include treatment for glaucoma, hypertension, arthritis, pain relief, nausea relief, reducing muscle spasticity from spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis, and diminishing tremors in multiple sclerosis patients. Medical reports also prove smoked marijuana provides relief from migraine headaches, depression, seizures, and insomnia, according to NORML. In recent years its use has become critical to thousands of cancer and AIDS sufferers who need to it to maintain their appetite while undergoing chemotherapy.

The U.S. ban on marijuana extends to include hemp, one of the most widely used agricultural products in human history. Unlike many other industrial crops, hemp is powerful and prolific in a natural state, requiring no pesticides, herbicides, extraordinary fertilizing or inappropriate irrigation. Its core products include paper, cloth, sails, rope, cosmetics, fuel, supplements and food. Its seeds are a potentially significant source of bio-diesel fuel, and its leaves and stems an obvious choice for cellulosic ethanol, both critically important for a conversion to a Solartopian renewable energy supply.

Hemp was grown in large quantities by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and many more of the nation's founders, most of whom would likely be dumbfounded to hear it is illegal (based on entries in Washington's agricultural diaries, referring to the separation of male and female plants, it's likely he and his cohorts also raised an earlier form of "medicinal" marijuana).

Hemp growing was mandatory in some circumstances in early America, and again during World War II, when virtually the entire state of Kansas was planted in it. The current ban on industrial hemp costs the U.S. billiions of dollars in lost production and revenue from a plant that can produce superior paper, clothing, fuel and other critical materials at a fraction the financial cost and environmental damage imposed by less worthy sources.

On January 16, 1919, fundamentalist crusaders help pass the 18th Amendment, making the sale of alcohol illegal. The ensuing Prohibition was by all accounts a ludicrous failure epitomized by gang violence and lethal "amateur" product that added to the death toll. Its only real winner was organized crime and the prison-industrial complex.

In 1933, FDR helped pass the 21st Amendment repealing Prohibition, which ended a costly era of gratuitous social repression and gave the American economy---and psyche---a tangible boost.

Marijuana prohibition was escalated with Richard Nixon's 1970 declaration of the War on Drugs. There was a brief reprieve when Steve Ford, the son of President Gerald Ford appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone barefoot and claiming that the best place to smoke pot was in the White House. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter’s last year in office, 338,664 were arrested for marijuana possession.

Ronald Reagan renewed the War on Drugs and declared his “Zero Tolerance” policy, despite his daughter Patti Davis’ claim the Gipper smoked weed with a major donor. Following Reagan, President George Herbert Walker Bush recorded a low of 260,390 marijuana possession arrests, but the numbers climbed again under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both of whom are reported to have smoked it themselves (though Clinton claims not to have inhaled).

On a percentage basis, at least as many American high school students smoke pot than students in Holland, where it is legal. In the midst of the drug war, U.S. students report virtually unlimited access to a wide range of allegedly controlled substances, including pot. Because so many Americans use it, and it is so readily available, the war on marijuana can only be seen as a virtually universal assault on the basic liberties of our citizenry.

In a 2005 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey, more than 97 million Americans admitted to having tried marijuana at least once. President-elect Obama makes it clear in his book Dreams From My Father that he has smoked---and inhaled---marijuana (he is also apparently addicted to a far more dangerous drug, tobacco). His administration should tax marijuana rather than trying to repress it. Like alcohol and tobacco, a minimum age for legal access should be set at 21.

As a whole, the violent, repressive War on Drugs has been forty years of legal, cultural and economic catastrophe. Like FDR, Obama must end our modern-day Prohibition, and with it the health-killing crusade against this ancient, powerful medicinal herb.

By BOB FITRAKIS and HARVEY WASSERMAN

http://counterpunch.com/

[leadcoffin]

Originally Posted by Potter

But perhaps we could make up some of those lost prison-guard jobs by opening up new rehab clinics and filling them up with addicts who need treatment.

I would love to see the six-week, intense re-education camp required to make this possible.

[nate81]

I believe Obama has already said he does not intend to use his "political capitol" on cannabis. Maybe a rally on the national Mall would do the trick?

[enquirewithin]

Originally Posted by nate81

I believe Obama has already said he does not intend to use his "political capitol" on cannabis. Maybe a rally on the national Mall would do the trick?

Obama is slippery politician. I'm not is the US, but I'm sure you are right in thinking that he needs to be pressured into doing anything constructive.

[Cathay]

Right now, domestic issues are taking a backseat to international affairs, and more specifically, the recession. I think drug policy, abortion, gay marriage, etc. won't be fully-addressed by him for at least 18 months or until the markets return.

[enquirewithin]

Originally Posted by Cathay

Right now, domestic issues are taking a backseat to international affairs, and more specifically, the recession. I think drug policy, abortion, gay marriage, etc. won't be fully-addressed by him for at least 18 months or until the markets return.

I hope I'm wrong but I would bet he no intention whatsoever of addressing these issues. (From outside of America, it seems like he has no idea at all about foreign policy. His advisor's are all hawks and the view from Gaza or Afghanistan must be grim.)

[Cathay]

Originally Posted by enquirewithin

I hope I'm wrong but I would bet he no intention whatsoever of addressing these issues. (From outside of America, it seems like he has no idea at all about foreign policy. His advisor's are all hawks and the view from Gaza or Afghanistan must be grim.)

You definitely have that right. Yes, foreign issues and the economy are center stage right now, but you have a point that it is unlikely that he will handle them well in practice. As for domestic issues, they don't require as much experience in handling them as foreign policy does, but I know that he holds relatively liberal views when it comes to domestic issues, so perhaps we will see some changes in drug policy.

[Sippin40oz]

Iam from the UK but i hope Obama does set our American brothers free from senseless prosecution. Especially as if it worked then maybe this example will be followed by the rest of the west.

But i fear that Obama will not address an issue which is still very controversial with the senate and the general public. Ive watched his inauguration speech today and it just seems like he has 'more important' things to deal with then drugs. Theres also the possibility that as the first black president he may not want to rock the boat too much as too restrict the opportunities of coloured individuals in the future. You can just imagine the racist fascists having a field day if he did legalise drugs. 'Dont elect that black man he will allow your children to inject heroin!' I really wish that race wouldnt play a part in his decision making but i dont feel that we have arrived at that point yet which is a shame.

[doggy_hat]

I personally Think Obama is full of shit. People think that just because he's black and not as blatant of a warmongerer as McCain that he's going to actually do something. One of the Important parts of his campaign was ending the war in Iraq, yet he plans on increasing funding for the US military, even though our military is about as big as every other military in the world combined. Because we need to protect ourselves from the horrible "threat" of terrorism that is responsible for the death of a few hundred Americans each year.

I think this presidency will be a big dissapointment. Just say people "Change", "Hope" and a bunch of other bullshit enough times and people will believe it. I bet he'll just lead a quieter presidency than Bush but won't do anything significantly good. And then when it's time for him to leave, people will think "Wow, what a great president, he's done so much to free us." When in reality he just seemed that way because he wasn't Bush and we were told to think he was good so we believed it.

[Horser]

He who places their hpes and Dreams in Politicians is either extemely Naive or maybe delusional. Obbama will NOT decrim'ize. Why? the Big Brewers would have his balls for Garters!
Not being fom the US I don't undeerstand why that Country spends such huge sums of $$$$ on the War on Terrifically good substances anyway!
Gawd, they put so much pressure on My humble Abode not to grow Pharmacutical Poppies in Tasmania but thank-fully "we" told them (Raygun Ifink it was) to stuff-off!
This decision means for Swim that Ph'cal Quality seeds are availble by the Kilo in the local Organic food shop. Swim has grown them on the balcony of their balcony and saved a packet on Pain-meds! It isn't a crime here (in Horsetrailer) to grow them, it's only when you scratch-score the Pods that it becomes a crime (that's 1 reason I love "Herbal Tea"!
You can even go to Tassie and pick up the seed-pods by the side of the Rd and do what-ever you like with them (provided you don't do the above^).
But yes it is Time! Swim sphinks that "Harry the Horse" is the perfect Lover! (the same can be said for flax!) She is always there for You, she doesn't cheat and her loving embrace is like no-other. The Ancients knew of her great powers and respected them. What Modern Gum-Nuts have done is turn Swims lover into a Whore! Mob bosses now pimp her, greedy Dealers cut her up, Society frowns on even the mention that You don't hate her!
Obama likes to liken himself to ol Ab Linc, so please BHO, Free My lover (and her lovers) from Social and criminal Slavery.

[enquirewithin]

Remember Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys and Lard? He has always had outspoken political views. This comes from an open letter to Obama:

RETHINK AND SHUT DOWN THE WAR ON DRUGS

Prohibition is as absurd and fruitless today as it was when Eliot Ness ran around shooting up Chicago trying to stamp out illegal beer. The world is laughing at us while real people are being robbed, jailed, assaulted and even killed. We have more people locked in prison than any country in the history of the world. But our drug use rate has barely dropped at all. The blood and violence from gangs and narco-traffickers that have left Colombia and Mexico on the verge of becoming failed states is spilling across our borders. This is no country for old men—or old laws.

Could we do worse than to at least try the Harm Reduction programs used most successfully in Holland and other parts of Europe? As unorthodox as this sounds, decriminalizing (not legalizing) even harder drugs, making them available on prescription from the government for free, along with a safe place to use them, has led to a much lower crime rate—and even addiction rate—than ours. Why? The free prescriptions mean the addict does not have to rob and kill people to pay the drug gangs' high prices, and the gangs are put out of business. Dealers are still treated harshly and rehab is strongly encouraged. This could also save up to $50 billion a year for rehab and education that is otherwise wasted by throwing people in prison.

This also frees up billions and billions of dollars to treat the addicts when they want to get off drugs—which will be sooner rather than later. Rehab costs 2/3 less than prison. Our mushrooming prison-industrial complex is draining our money so badly that state after state is slashing funds for education—education!—to pay for throwing more and more people in prison. In California, a prison guard now makes more money than a teacher. So much for family values.

What is wrong with this picture?!??? As president I suggest the commuting of federal prison sentences of all small-time non-violent drug offenders to time served and releasing them immediately. Then strongly urge governors to do the same at the state level. Again, think of all the wasted taxpayer dollars this will free up for more important things like education and rehabilitation. Estimates run as high as $50 billion nationwide.

This does not mean any of these drugs should be legalized, just decriminalized. That is, strictly regulated like alcohol and tobacco, with big-time dealers and gangs treated as harshly as ever. For another way to fight the drug lords, consider this. In 2005 the United States spent $780 million on drug eradication in Afghanistan. Where on earth did it all go? It worked so poorly that $600 million of poppies and heroin escaped into the market anyway.

Do the math: We could have saved a whopping $180 million if we had simply gone to the suppliers and bought the drugs, and then destroyed them so they won't keep making people sick and killing my friends. As sickening as it is to even think of doing business with drug cartels, can anyone think of a better way to cut off the supply? A counter-argument is that this will actually force the gangs to drive the street price way up. But with Harm Reduction programs already in place they will have nothing to sell, no place to sell it, and no suckers willing to buy.

And for crying out loud, isn't it time to finally get real and decriminalize marijuana? If current strains are more potent than the old days, so what? Study after study still proves that marijuana is less harmful—and less addictive—than alcohol or tobacco. Nowadays, going overboard against marijuana has not only flooded our prisons to the breaking point, it has driven the price of cannabis so high that young people are going straight into crack cocaine and methamphetamines. Is this wise?

On top of that, it is not just oil we are dangerously low on, we are running out of wood. If we ever hope to turn the tide on global warming and save what is left of our forests, we must remove all bans on the cultivation of cannabis for its many industrial uses—including the strain of hemp that has no THC in it to get anyone high but is still banned anyway. Recycling is not enough. Why chop down millions of trees to make paper when we can use hemp or kanaf and then grow another crop of paper a few months later? It does not get any greener than this. It will also help rescue a lot of family farms.

Finally, the Joe Biden-authored Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act (formerly known as the RAVE Act), passed as a rider to the Amber Alert Bill, is as big a disgrace as the PATRIOT Act. It has no place in a free society and should be repealed immediately. Long-term rescue of our social fabric and society, not to mention our southern neighbors, depends in major part on enacting humane drug laws.

Joe Biden, Obama's deputy, is going to be an enormous obstacle to any constructive change.

[Pondlife]

I don't think this bit is quite right:

This does not mean any of these drugs should be legalized, just decriminalized. That is, strictly regulated like alcohol and tobacco

Alcohol and tobacco are legal, so saying that drugs should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco is saying that drugs should be legalised. My understanding of decrimilisation means there would be no criminal penalties, but the act would still remain unlawful (as distinct from illegal).

I'm also not totally impressed by the argument that the Government should buy up the world's stock of drugs. That sounds like it hasn't been fully thought through to me.

Although the underlying concepts in this letter are sound, I think we need better thought through and better presented arguments if we want politicians to listen.

[Cathay]

Here are Obama's views of the drug war and marijuana legalization. Of course, it's from 2004, and with him now in 2009 sitting in the oval office, his views may turn out to change.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wQr9ez...layer_embedded