We declared war on drugs and drugs won. It’s time to admit defeat and recall the troops.
But then it never really was a ‘War on Drugs.’ It always has been a war on the American people, a war on the Bill of Rights, and a war on the poor and minorities — especially a war on the poor and minorities.
It has brought rampant corruption of cops and judges, politicians and bankers; it is outrageously costly, and downright immoral; it encourages foreign intervention and wars; it is selectively applied to drugs currently out of favor — e.g. marijuana — while ignoring or encouraging others — e.g. nicotine and alcohol.
And, of course, it always was, and is, unwinnable: there is no shortage of drugs and demand remains high.
An increasing number of Americans realize this and are willing to entertain the idea that something should be done. They vote for ballot initiatives that legalize marijuana for cancer patients and that mandate treatment not prison for some offenders, for example. But those measures are like applying a bandaid to an amputated leg.
It’s time to get the government out of the drug business entirely by legalizing or at least decriminalizing drug use.
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