T
The420Guy
Guest
If we take a look at America's 30 year policy on drug control, we find millions of citizens in jail and billions of dollars spent. Yet the question still remains, what has the War on Drugs accomplished?
According to a recent report by the Department of Justice, 1 in every 137 US residents is incarcerated. 22% of this prison population is being incarcerated for drug offences. This means that the United States operates the biggest prison system on the planet. In addition to incarcerating over 2,000,000 citizens, the nation spends more than $70,000 per inmate on corrections, judicial, legal and police costs. In addition, according to Craig Haney, Ph.D. and Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D., "Department of Corrections data show that about a fourth of those initially imprisoned for nonviolent crimes are sentenced for a second time for committing a violent offense. Whatever else it reflects, this pattern highlights the possibility that prison serves to transmit violent habits and values rather than to reduce them."
Many drug reform advocates question the government's policy on drug control. Especially considering that a 1994 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) study indicates that marijuana is less dangerous than nicotine or alcohol. Even the DEA's own Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young states that "in strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."
Yet, we spend billions of dollars fighting "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man." In fact, since 1981, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has increased its spending from $1.5 billion to $18.5 billion. In spite of all the research on the failure of the War on Drugs, the United States is increasing its spending, even in the face of more financially viable alternatives. Theodore R. Vallance, former chief of the Planning Branch of the National Institutes of Mental Health analyzed the result of "legalization" in economic terms. According to Mr. Vallance, "legalization" would result in a conservativly estimated $37 billion in annual savings.
It is not surprising that there are so many inconsistencies in the governments handling of the War on Drugs. Bill Bradley, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Representative James P. Moran, Susan Molinari, Newt Gingrich, Senator Connie Mack, Lincoln Chafee, Governor Gary Johnson, Governor George Pataki, Lieutenant Governor Mary Donohue, Governor Dr. Howard Dean, Dick Lamm, Bruce Babbitt, and Mike McCurry have all admitted to using drugs. In fact, both Al Gore and George W. Bush have admitted to using drugs in the past.
There may be alternatives to the War on Drugs. Australian researchers found that regions giving on-the-spot fines to marijuana users rather than harsh criminal penalities did not cause marijuana use to increase. With innovative new methods on drug reform, the War on Drugs can finally be considered an accomplishment.
by Jonathan Kavner
According to a recent report by the Department of Justice, 1 in every 137 US residents is incarcerated. 22% of this prison population is being incarcerated for drug offences. This means that the United States operates the biggest prison system on the planet. In addition to incarcerating over 2,000,000 citizens, the nation spends more than $70,000 per inmate on corrections, judicial, legal and police costs. In addition, according to Craig Haney, Ph.D. and Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D., "Department of Corrections data show that about a fourth of those initially imprisoned for nonviolent crimes are sentenced for a second time for committing a violent offense. Whatever else it reflects, this pattern highlights the possibility that prison serves to transmit violent habits and values rather than to reduce them."
Many drug reform advocates question the government's policy on drug control. Especially considering that a 1994 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) study indicates that marijuana is less dangerous than nicotine or alcohol. Even the DEA's own Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young states that "in strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."
Yet, we spend billions of dollars fighting "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man." In fact, since 1981, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has increased its spending from $1.5 billion to $18.5 billion. In spite of all the research on the failure of the War on Drugs, the United States is increasing its spending, even in the face of more financially viable alternatives. Theodore R. Vallance, former chief of the Planning Branch of the National Institutes of Mental Health analyzed the result of "legalization" in economic terms. According to Mr. Vallance, "legalization" would result in a conservativly estimated $37 billion in annual savings.
It is not surprising that there are so many inconsistencies in the governments handling of the War on Drugs. Bill Bradley, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Representative James P. Moran, Susan Molinari, Newt Gingrich, Senator Connie Mack, Lincoln Chafee, Governor Gary Johnson, Governor George Pataki, Lieutenant Governor Mary Donohue, Governor Dr. Howard Dean, Dick Lamm, Bruce Babbitt, and Mike McCurry have all admitted to using drugs. In fact, both Al Gore and George W. Bush have admitted to using drugs in the past.
There may be alternatives to the War on Drugs. Australian researchers found that regions giving on-the-spot fines to marijuana users rather than harsh criminal penalities did not cause marijuana use to increase. With innovative new methods on drug reform, the War on Drugs can finally be considered an accomplishment.
by Jonathan Kavner
