The Nation: The War Against the 'War on Drugs'

[marmar]

The War Against the 'War on Drugs'
By Sasha Abramsky

June 17, 2009


As California goes, so goes the nation.

If that old adage still holds true, then the nation may soon see a gradual backpedaling from the criminal justice policies that have led to wholesale incarceration in recent decades. For the most populous state in the union is on the verge of insolvency--partly because it didn't set aside a rainy-day fund during the boom years; partly because its voters recently rejected a series of initiatives that would have allowed a combination of tax increases, spending cuts and borrowing to help stabilize the state's finances during the downturn; partly because it has spent the past quarter-century funneling tens of billions of dollars into an out-of-control correctional system. Now, as California's politicians contemplate emergency cuts to deal with a $24 billion hole in the state budget, old certainties are crumbling.

The state with the toughest three-strikes law in the land and a prison population of more than 150,000 is facing the real possibility of having to release tens of thousands of inmates early in order to pare its $10 billion annual correctional budget. At the same time, an increasing number of the state's political figures are challenging the basic tenets of the "war on drugs," the culprit most responsible for the spike in prison populations over the past thirty years; they argue that the country's harsh drug policies are not financially viable and no longer command majority support among the voting public.

Similar stories are unfolding around the country; in Washington, federal officials are talking about drug-policy reform and, more generally, sentencing reform in a way that has not been heard in the halls of power for more than a generation. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090706/abramsky

[hfojvt]

1. seems to be lots of that going around

The cover of the latest Mother Jones says

"totally wasted - We've blown $300 billion. Death squads roam Mexico. Cartels operate in 259 US cities. This is your War on Drugs. - any questions?"

I couldn't find any of the articles on-line though.

[Merlot]

2. That $300 billion wasn't blown

It was spent on prisons, guns, police, law enforcement, etc. A LOT of people got very rich in that war, just like they have in the Iraq war.

What was blown was the opportunity to create better schools, better healtcare, better infrastructure.

[panader0]

3. When you combine the money wasted

and the revenue that could come from legalizing marijuana, it's more like 600 billion.
Marijuana is the only "drug" that IMO should be legalized.
There are many Big Pharm drugs that should be illegal.

[IDFbunny]

4. This isn't just about pot you're missing the point of WoWoD

I think all drugs should take one step to the left on the DEA schedule. The naturals like peyote and mushrooms should be legal as well. Anabolics, ephedrine, and many other drugs are over-controlled creating black markets.