The stupidity of the war on drugs

A make-work project for the police, a source of income for crooked politicians, drug gangs and terrorists

Harry J. Anslinger was an outspoken racist and the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, a unit of the treasury department between 1930 and 1962. Known as the “father of the drug war” and as the “first drug scar”, Anslinger helped fight against opiates, cocaine and marijuana.

He was the man who brought the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 to the floor of the Senate, where it was passed. These are some of the statements said by Anslinger, during the hearing:

There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S. and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.”

“The primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.”

“Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its user’s insanity, criminality and death.”

“You smoke a joint and you’re likely to kill your brother.”

“Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.”

WHAT NONSENSE!

The world relates to the term “global economy”. Banks, auto manufacturers, insurance companies, energy companies and pharmaceutical companies sell their services and products world-wide. Governments are in constant communication about the state of affairs of world business. The U.S. government, by promoting credit to poor risks created a recession world-wide. What has this got to do with illegal drugs? It shows that American laws can instigate turmoil world-wide. In spite of the most stringent drug policies and punitive laws in the world, the U.S. has the highest levels of cocaine and marijuana use per capita, according to a study of 54,000 people in 17 countries. 16.2% of people in the U.S. have used cocaine at some point in their lives. This rate was about four times the rate of the second place country, where 4.3% said they had tried cocaine. The researchers found that 42.4% of people in the U.S. reported marijuana use. New Zealand was second with 41.9%. Drug use is related to income and not simply related to drug policy. Statistics show that liberal drug policies do not encourage more use since countries with more stringent policies towards illegal use did not have lower levels of people using illegal drugs.

In the U.S. there is an organization called “Law Enforcement against Prohibition” (Leap).
It is composed of 10,000 policemen, prosecutors, judges, and others who make up the membership of this organization. Howard Wooldridge, Leap’s Washington representative, is a former policeman, detective who lectures civic groups on the futility of punitive drug laws.” It is a waste of time, effort and money.” Our society has a perverse value system. The Kellogg’s cereal company had no problem using Michael Phelps on their advertising program, although he had an arrest for drunk driving. He was arrested, fined and sentenced to 18 months probation and community service after pleading guilty. This happened before his success in the Olympics Yet when he was caught on camera taking a puff of Marijuana, they cancelled his contract. Drunk driving is acceptable but smoking Marijuana, which is far less dangerous, will harm the company image.

Pakistan is fighting a war for survival against Islamic radicals and Mexico is waging a do-or-die battle with the world’s most powerful drug cartels. In Afghanistan, Canada’s soldiers are being killed by the Taliban. The money from the sale of Heroin, Cocaine and Marijuana to Americans pays for these activities. Killings, kidnappings and bribing of Mexican police are rampant in border cities. Hillary Clinton, the U.S. secretary of state said theU.S.`s “insatiable appetite for illegal drugs was to blame for much of the violence plaguing Mexico”. Mexico’s former president, Ernesto Zedillo along with three other heads of state of countries from Central America stated that they could not afford the war on drugs. Could the U.S. explore the possibility of an alternative like decriminalization of Marijuana.

The war on drugs is an absolute disaster. It funds crooked politicians, the criminal element in our society and the war by terrorists on the west. The answer of course is a policy of “Limited Acceptance” similar to the methadone treatment for heroin addicts. The government would buy and distribute the drugs, with the help of health professionals .The addicts would be closely monitored and attempts would be made to break them of the habit. The criminal element would be completely eliminated. Barack Obama, the new American president, may be the person to make the change. He has appointed R Gil Kerlikowske as drug czar. It appears this man is more interested in harm reduction, and policy reform than enforcement.

The conservative element in our society is sure that with lenient laws the use of these drugs would increase. That is a theory that has never been proven and by starting with liberalization, one drug at a time, can easily be disproven or verified.

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