We Must Change the Current Outlook Against Drugs!

Yes, the United States must end the “war” on drugs.
The cost to our society has been far greater than many of us are willing to admit.

Currently the “war” on drugs costs the American taxpayers 40,000,000,000.00 a year and this total is climbing.
National Drug Control Strategy FY 2001 Budget Summary, Page 2, Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2000

Currently 18% of inmates in prison are there as a direct result of drug related crimes. The  vast majority of these incarcerated are Urban Minorities and people under the age of 30.
Department of Justice (2007) Bureau of Justice Statistics. Drug use and Crime, 2004 statistics, NCJ 213530

Currently there are no federally mandated treatment programs, and very few state ran programs meant to treat substance abuse versus punish it, 62% of federal prisoners reported being regular drug users- over 40% state prisoners report the same. A study by RAND found that treatment is far more successful than punishment.
Rydell, C.P. & Everingham, S.S., Controlling Cocaine, Prepared for Office of National Drug Control Policy, RAND (1994), p.xvi.

Crime has increased as a result of drugs being illegal, a net result of people still getting drugs while skirting the law.
Associated Press, “U.N. Estimates Drug Business Equal to 8 Percent of World Trade,” (1997, June 26).

The Federal Government has released many “facts” that are in fact incorrect with regards to drugs and the usage of them. They have stated in “factual” papers and findings that marijuana for instance is a “gateway” drug when in fact it is not. Here are a small list of the incorrect “facts” being fed to the average american by our government, who by the way profits from this “war” on drugs.

Government posted “fact”: Marijuana is a harmful substance because it has 421 chemicals.
The Truth: Of the 421 chemicals in marijuana, only 61 are unique to marijuana. The chemicals are known as cannabinoids. One of them, delta-9 THC, produces the psychoactive effect and is the focus of most research. The other 360 chemicals in the marijuana plant are found throughout other natural substances. (ones that we eat on a regular basis)

Government posted “fact”:Marijuana is far worse for the lungs than tobacco.
The Truth: Differences in dosage and frequency of consumption render comparisons between marijuana and tobacco consumption invalid, despite similarity in the composition of their smoke.

Government posted “fact”:Any use of marijuana is abuse, and marijuana has no medical value whatsoever.
The Truth: “Cannabis and it’s derivatives have shown promise in the treatment of a variety of disorders. The evidence is most impressive in glaucoma, where their mechanism of action appears to be different from standard drugs: in asthma…. and in the nausea and vomiting of cancer chemotherapy… Similar trials have suggested cannabis might also be used in seizures, spasticity, and other nervous system disorders” I can also verify from personal experience (due to high levels of nerve damage, and pain) that marijuana allows me to think and reduce my pain levels versus taking a potentially deadly medication such as oxy contin etc which in fact is synthetic HEROIN. I would rather lose some of my sperm count than lose my liver (which we must have to function) or decreased mental activity.

Quite simply put the Government made these drugs illegal during the “prohibition” and as a result only bad has come of it. It is time to change things to help addicts versus punishing them, and to stop incarcerating people based on minor offenses that occur BECAUSE drugs are illegal, and not because they are doing these substances.

Drug Clock