US Senate Committee To Debate Reevaluating The Drug War!

[The Reanimator]

I'd put this in news myself, but I don't have the power! From Norml:
This Thursday: US Senate Committee To Debate Reevaluating The Drug War! | Norml Blog

Senate Bill 714 will establish a `National Criminal Justice Commission’ to “undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system … and make reform recommendations for the President.” The lead sponsor of this measure, Democrat Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, has remarked that this review ought to include a debate of federal marijuana policy, including regulating marijuana like alcohol.

Click here to see if your Senator is on the this committee!

Click here to contact your senator and tell them you want them to support Senate Bill 714

Link to the text of SB 714.

Some relevant snippets of what will be reviewed if passed:

4) the costs of current incarceration policies at the Federal, State and local level, including the relevant costs of law enforcement, the proportion of that cost associated with gangs and drug enforcement, the costs of constructing and administering prison facilities, the costs of post-incarceration supervision and reentry programs, and the cost of lost economic opportunities associated with the stigma of incarceration;

(6) an examination of current drug policy and its impact on incarceration, crime and violence, sentencing, and reentry programs, to include an analysis of the general availability of drugs in our society, the impact and effectiveness of current policies on reducing that availability and on the incidence of crime, and in the case of criminal offenders, the availability of drug treatment programs before, during, and after incarceration;

(6) restructure the approach to criminalization of, and incarceration as a result of the possession or use of illegal drugs, decreasing the demand for illicit drugs, and improving the treatment for addiction;

Damn, this is exciting. I'm going to contact my rep now. And being the excessive nonconformist that I am, I suggest everyone do the same.

 

[Rogue Robot]

Homeless -> DiTM

 

[Blacksoulman]

This will be as effective as the uk drug policy and commission. Maybe some congressmen of relative influence will go on board and make it more effective.

 

[The Reanimator]

The uk didn't have such a fucked up prison system to deal with (Portugal did). The cost of maintaining our overcrowded prisons with nonviolent offenders should be a huge incentive to do something more significant than the Britons. Maybe you should lobby your congressman.

 

[Huaca]

Honest science does not seem to be considered when the government bans something. Drug prohibition is like some sort of religion based on faith in political policy. Illicit drug users are treated like heretics during an inquisition.

 

[pirat3]

I agree. I get so tired of being looked down on because I use a different chemical to get altered than alcohol. Alcohol is a drug to, just a substance that gets put into your body that f's you up. I like to pretend in my head that drugs are just currently in their own little strange version of prohibition and that at some point during my lifetime people will come to their senses.

 

[pukingcells]

If you all wondered what happened on the 3rd, this bill never came up.

It was introduced in March, and every time it comes up on the agenda, they never get to it (along with many others). They talk about their first agenda item and run out of time.

Congress as usual.

 

[The Reanimator]

Rescheduled for Dec. 10th

Jesus, you guys are apathetic, especially considering that

it’s been many years since a federally appointed commission has taken an objective look at American criminal justice policies, and it’s been nearly 40 years since federal lawmakers have undertaken a critical examination of U.S. marijuana policy.

That quote from NORML refers to the Shafer Commission which was rejected by the Nixon administration. White House Conversations Reveal Prejudices, Culture War Behind Nixon's Drug War

The Nixon White House tapes from 1971-1972 demonstrate that the foundation of the modern war on marijuana was Nixonian prejudice, culture war and misinformation. CSDP's Doug McVay spent several days at the National Archives listening to the Nixon White House tapes to find conversations about drug policy, especially regarding the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse ("the Shafer Commission"), appointed by President Nixon. He found: Nixon blaming calls for marijuana legalization on Jews; Nixon blaming the decline and fall of ancient Rome, and of the Catholic Church, on homosexuality; and Nixon criticizing the CBS sitcom "All in the Family" as a show which promoted homosexuality.

More importantly, Nixon made clear several times that he wanted a report which supported his views and 'tough on crime' policies, no matter what the facts might be. To his credit, Governor Shafer delivered instead an honest report, with conclusions based on all the evidence -- even though at the time he was being considered for a federal judgeship (needless to say, he didn't get it).

This isn't the Nixon administration. Nor is it the Regan or either Bush administrations. Our current leadership might actually listen. Most importantly though, the massive financial implications that could result from reforming our drug laws were never as severe or apparent as they are now. Honestly, I find it very pathetic that I have to persuade people in a drug using community to click on a link to contact your senators. You guys are bitching about being treated as second class citizens, yet it seems like you're not doing much at all to change that. I doubt you're all masochists, so stop acting like you are. I don't want to sit here arguing about what may or may not be more productive (if it's going in that direction) because it is so painfully clear that the most minuscule action to promote drug law reform is more productive than that.

 

[The Reanimator]

Perhaps this may better explain my frustration.