War on drugs exacerbates issue, deemed counterintuitive
Sam Woo
September 15, 2014
In a world where you can be arrested and incarcerated for being in possession of a harmless plant, it is time to reform our drug policies and rethink the war on drugs altogether.
The Global Commission on Drug Policy reported the war on drugs is both counter-intuitive and harmful to society. Not only is prohibition completely ineffective, but in many ways it only exacerbates the problem and has led to a wide array of social and health issues throughout the globe. After a half century of failure, it is time to stop wasting time, tax money and resources and finally put an end to this ridiculous war on drugs.
Drug abuse is an unfortunate side of our society. It takes innocent lives every year and has led to the creation of an underground drug market. Violent street gangs prosper at the expense of public health and safety. While it is obviously important to combat drug abuse, the public needs to realize the current war on drugs is doing the complete opposite.
On June 17, 1971, President Nixon declared that “America’s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse.” Not only was the man behind Watergate wrong in 1971, but he is still wrong in 2014. Drug abusers make up a fairly insignificant fraction of the population and there are far more pressing matters, like healthcare, ISIS, poverty and food security.
Since the United States first launched its campaign to rid the country of all illegal substances nearly a half century ago, not a single thing has been accomplished—other than the fact that we have wasted money we do not have. According to DrugSense.org, the U.S. federal government spent $15 billion in 2010 on the war on drugs; state and local governments spent an additional $25 billion.
The war on drugs has done much more harm to our society than good. Our prisons are fuller than ever, crime continues to plague our cities and drug addiction has remained at a steady level.
“Harsh measures grounded in repressive ideologies must be replaced by more humane and effective policies shaped by scientific evidence, public health principles and human rights standards,” reports the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
Ever wonder why you are so horrified by a plant that has grown naturally on this planet for centuries? Maybe it is because that is how you were raised. I always find it laughable when people that abuse alcohol and tobacco on a weekly basis try to condemn users of marijuana. To be blunt, no pun intended, it is time to let go of your senseless fears and accept that marijuana is not the evil, life-altering poison that your great-aunt Helga said it was. Try doing some research of your own and then base your opinion off of scientific findings, not conservative ideologies.
Continued here http://www.redandblack.com/views/wa...cle_fef2e4e0-3c4e-11e4-aa4d-0017a43b2370.html
Sam Woo
September 15, 2014
In a world where you can be arrested and incarcerated for being in possession of a harmless plant, it is time to reform our drug policies and rethink the war on drugs altogether.
The Global Commission on Drug Policy reported the war on drugs is both counter-intuitive and harmful to society. Not only is prohibition completely ineffective, but in many ways it only exacerbates the problem and has led to a wide array of social and health issues throughout the globe. After a half century of failure, it is time to stop wasting time, tax money and resources and finally put an end to this ridiculous war on drugs.
Drug abuse is an unfortunate side of our society. It takes innocent lives every year and has led to the creation of an underground drug market. Violent street gangs prosper at the expense of public health and safety. While it is obviously important to combat drug abuse, the public needs to realize the current war on drugs is doing the complete opposite.
On June 17, 1971, President Nixon declared that “America’s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse.” Not only was the man behind Watergate wrong in 1971, but he is still wrong in 2014. Drug abusers make up a fairly insignificant fraction of the population and there are far more pressing matters, like healthcare, ISIS, poverty and food security.
Since the United States first launched its campaign to rid the country of all illegal substances nearly a half century ago, not a single thing has been accomplished—other than the fact that we have wasted money we do not have. According to DrugSense.org, the U.S. federal government spent $15 billion in 2010 on the war on drugs; state and local governments spent an additional $25 billion.
The war on drugs has done much more harm to our society than good. Our prisons are fuller than ever, crime continues to plague our cities and drug addiction has remained at a steady level.
“Harsh measures grounded in repressive ideologies must be replaced by more humane and effective policies shaped by scientific evidence, public health principles and human rights standards,” reports the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
Ever wonder why you are so horrified by a plant that has grown naturally on this planet for centuries? Maybe it is because that is how you were raised. I always find it laughable when people that abuse alcohol and tobacco on a weekly basis try to condemn users of marijuana. To be blunt, no pun intended, it is time to let go of your senseless fears and accept that marijuana is not the evil, life-altering poison that your great-aunt Helga said it was. Try doing some research of your own and then base your opinion off of scientific findings, not conservative ideologies.
Continued here http://www.redandblack.com/views/wa...cle_fef2e4e0-3c4e-11e4-aa4d-0017a43b2370.html
