War on Drugs: EPIC FAIL

Talk about the legalization of marijuana is picking up, due to many factors. Cash-strapped states like California are considering it, and the more liberal Massachusetts. With the recent dramatic crackdown on the tobacco industry, people will still need an outlet for their stress, frustration and spare cash. But legalization is topic for another post. This is about the demise of the 'War on Drugs.'
Even the White House has realized that the 'War on Drugs' is going even worse than any of our other failed wars, with such a minimal impact on the availability and cost of drugs (particularly weed) as to be completely irrelevant. They don't even want to keep the title anymore. Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times has written a wonderful op-ed about the idea the drugs have effectively 'Won the War.' Forty years, over a trillion dollars, an incarceration rate 5 times the world average, a 1200% increase in drug-related arrests in 30 years, and I can still make a couple calls and have a bag of weed in a few hours. And I don't know any dealers.
And what about the rampant corruption within the law-enforcement system? How do you police illegal substances when you can't even trust the police? Recent stories hint at the continuing problem that much of which could be alleviated by a different approach to narcotics. Many other problems could see solutions with legalization, including a reverse in the flow of cash to stop drugs and an increase in education and treatment. Now, these may seem like crazy ideas, but I'm not the only one spreading them around. A lot of reasonable people are sick of the wasting of their tax dollars particularly on a substance that has never caused a single direct fatality. The 'why not' approach seems to be gaining some headway, since the far-right is too busy screaming about Obama, dead abortion doctors and jokes made at the expense of the Palins'. I would like to see an end to all major operations in this useless war within my lifetime.

Legalize Hit

Twenty-five million Americans lit up last year, and ten billion was spent to keep them from doing so. About $400 was spent per user to halt its use, and guess what? It did nothing. Potheads and hippies have been clamoring for decades to legalize marijuana; in a country where legal drugs like alcohol and cigarettes kill tens of thousands a year. But there has never been a recorded death attributed to marijuana. So why all this expensive effort to keep down a drug that is still easily acquired and used every day? Legalizing marijuana could save 7.7 billion in wasted taxpayer money, and generate 6.2 billion, according to an article on Alternet.
This decriminalization would also get nearly 30% of our prison population free, those charged with drug offenses, most from marijuana. this would free up much needed space, reduce costs, and may eventually change our status as the World's Incarceration Capital. We have more prisoners in out country than China does. It says something when a communist nation with four-times our population sends less people to prison than we do. Our priorities are seriously screwed up.
On a CNBC clip I watched, a round table discussed the pro's and con's of legalization. A former DEA head spouted distorted or untrue facts purporting the dangerous nature of marijuana, while a calm and logical advocate ripped him to shreds, philosophically. There is no reason that it should remain illegal. Alcohol is more of a gateway drug than weed cold ever hope to be. The sad truth is that the conservative right are maintaining an antiquated view of this 'evil drug,' and continually pumping up a war on it that has remained almost completely ineffectual since its inception.
Just because one group of people think something is a good idea, or that it's a good idea to cater to misplaced and unnecessary fears doesn't mean it is. Look how well Prohibition worked out. Thirteen years after it was passed, it became the first and only amendment to be repealed. Thirteen states have decriminalized the use of marijuana, mostly for medical usage, and I feel others will soon follow. However, the biggest stumbling block to ending an expensive and fruitless war, keeping the billions spent on weed in our country, and effectually putting many drug-lords out of business would be for the Federal government to take to step and remove that stumbling block.
For the detractors, no, this will not lead to the legalization of dangerous, deadly drugs like heroin and meth, which is where money spent fighting weed should be utilized, and yes, there will be safe usage requirements on it just like alcohol. There has to be. Usage may go up, but is that more detrimental than sending thousands of people to prison for wanting to relax with a bowl or spending ungodly amounts of money in what amounts to political masturbation? I don't think so.
For the record, I have not ever smoked marijuana, I merely advocate for its legalization, and to be used wisely. Although no one has ever overdosed on pot, you shouldn't ever get behind the wheel of a car intoxicated with ANYTHING. There, that should cover my ass.

War - 0, Drugs - 1

Anyone who knows me can testify to my adoration for Reagan and his policies, including his escalation of the "War on Drugs," beloved by politicians for decades. But how goes this war? The only time I ever hear about it is on Prime-Time news, whenever the DEA makes the occasional large bust. This comes off as more a 'see, we're trying' attitude than any actual progress. Even though I do not currently having any drug-consuming friends, I could make a few phone calls and easily procure just about anything. I'm sure many others could say the same thing. But this is just in America, Land of the Free and Home of Cheap Available Drugs.
What about the worldwide efforts to curb the supply and trade of drugs? After the U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, opium production soared, due to the chaos that followed, and remains today. Heroin comes from opium, and I knew several addicts a few years ago, during the height of poppy production in Afghanistan, and they had no trouble whatsoever obtaining it. All you need to do to understand the current availability of this drug is to look at a recent study done in the UK, which shows how cheap it has become. Cheaper than a glass of wine for your average line of coke. This doesn't necessarily mean that less people are doing drugs, but the availability is still so broad that prices have dropped in half, according to this article.
The Federal Government will spend around 20 billion dollars this year on fighting the drug war, not counting the 30 billion local and state governments will spend. Where does all this money go? Now, since I didn't feel like researching that particular subject, I will open up with some wild speculation. Gold-plated carbines, the Annual Spring Flak Jacket Modeling competition, weekly keggers and that high-quality shit from Columbia are my guesses. There are over 2 million persons incarcerated in the U.S. prison system, more per capita than any other country in the world. At least twenty percent are in for drug offenses, that's about four hundred thousand people. All where they can still get the drugs that put them there. So what good is a war on drugs if you're losing?
Propaganda. You can still SAY that you are doing something, even if it is ineffectual and flushing billions of dollars away on armor-plated underwear for DEA agents. It's easier to throw money at a serious problem than to actually try and dig up the roots of the problem and address them. It's time for a song quote, kiddies.

"All research on successful drug policy shows that treatment should be increased; and law enforcement decreased, while abolishing mandatory minimum sentences." - System of a Down - Prison Song

Now when a metal band can reflect a better drug policy than the United States Government, you know something sinister is going on. I'm not going to even attempt to unravel this Gordian Knot of politics, kickbacks, contracts and public image, I don't have the time to do it. Besides, all you smart people out there know propaganda when you hear it. The battle is a losing one, and the War can never be won. But just make sure you don't let anyone take your picture holding a bong, especially if you're a famous Olympic swimmer. Enjoy the song, and listen the words, they're the important thing.