10 Shocking Reasons to End the Drug War (And Consider Legalization and Regulation)

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http://www.buzzfeed.com/copssaylegalizedrugs/10-shocking-reasons-to-end-the-drug-war-and-consi-yvr7


1. Mass Incarceration


The U.S. currently has less than 5% of the world’s population, but nearly 25% of its incarcerated population. We imprison more people than any other nation in the world. Our high levels of imprisonment are largely due to current drug policies – drug arrests account for more than 50% of people in federal prison, and more than 16% of people in state prison. Nowadays, about 500,000 Americans are behind bars on any given night for a drug law violation, 10 times the amount in 1980.


2. Racial Bias In Arrests


According to Human Rights Watch, as of 2009, black people were arrested on drug charges at more than three times the rates of whites and sent to state prisons with drug convictions at ten times the rate of whites. All this despite the fact, the Washington Post informs us, that whites and blacks use drugs at about the same rates and white people are more likely to sell drugs.

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1. One unshocking reason not to end the Drug War

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