In 1971, President Nixon acted on a bright idea. In the belief that drugs were destroying our youth and hurting families brought about declaring war on drugs. Times were different back then, and peace loving hippies were the main concern. Smoking marijuana and protesting against war caused a lot of damage, and cursed our homecoming soldiers. These kids were simply stagnant. They were not going to college, or beginning careers and families as tradition would indicate that is what should be done. They were hanging out, and drifting in overwhelming numbers. Fear that an entire generation would simply stop, and refuse to carry on the torch of what the United States stood for over the past 200 years sparked the movement to eradicate drugs from our society.
The beginning of the war was something else all together. The two sides were simple and well founded. Traditional parents and the government took the position that drugs were intolerable. Meanwhile the other side was enflamed because they believed that recreational drug use was not a bad thing at all. “How can smoking pot be wrong when we are not hurting anyone?” There were of course other drugs, such as cocaine and LSD, but marijuana was the monster.
Thirty eight years later the war on drugs has transformed immensely. Due to drugs being deemed illegal, they became worth something. Selling drugs is a very profitable and appealing business, even if the consequences might be spending the rest of ones life in prison. The life is so appealing that more people are drawn into this business day in and day out that the law is not able to keep up with the new recruits. Knowing who these people are is one thing, but having the prison space for these people is somewhat of a problem.
The law is now left with being selective on who gets to go to prison and who does not. Money now being the main priority for dealing drugs has transformed the war into profit as opposed to recreation. Marijuana is no longer the only choice for anyone would like to experiment. There are several drugs for any personality such as methamphetamines, cocaine, painkillers, heroine, mushrooms, ecstasy, and so on. They are usually defined into one of three groups; uppers, downers, and hallucinogens. One might try marijuana first, but can then experiment to find the perfect drug to fit their needs.
With as many different drugs to choose from as a normal pharmacy can offer, the illegal drug business is booming. Not only because of so many choices, but because drugs are not the only product offered in the life of drugs. First there is acceptance without having to earn it. So many people have a hard time gaining social acceptance that to have it handed to them is intoxicating itself. Second there is the exciting life style that manifests itself as well dressed people laughing and playing around without a care in the world. Comparing this with going to work every day to come home and sit in front of the TV in a nightly ritual can be very appealing.
There is also the drug addict. An addict needs to be enticed into the world of drugs just like everyone else, but immediately stays due to the addiction. A drug addiction is just like any other addiction. According to Mate “what if we recognized the uncomfortable truth that, at heart, many of us are addicts: attached to behaviours [sic]that give relief and pleasure in the short term but cause ourselves or others or the planet itself grave harm in the long term? Cigarette smoking falls into this category. So do food addictions that lead to obesity. Gambling addictions can be devastating. Alcohol addiction is widespread and harmful, sometimes lethal. Shopping addictions have led to personal and family ruin. Workaholism blights many "normal" families. Who has not been affected by such addictions?” Oddly enough we have a great many different programs and support groups to deal with these other addictions, but we deal with drug addiction mostly with the war on drugs. This tactic does not work.
Very few people become involved in drugs with the upfront intention of preying on the weak, standing guard at a window with an AK-47, and/or stealing from their families because they are the place that’s easiest to penetrate. Most everyone who becomes involved with drugs does not end up in the intended position. It is more of a gradual decline that no one, not even the person going through it sees until it is to late.
Money is the primary motivation for the war on drugs. According to the drug war clock, as of 7:51 pm on the 8th of April 2009 the clock estimates 13,901,280,000 dollars has been spent this year fighting the war on drugs. 504,832 people have been arrested this year for drug related offenses. Drugwarfacts.com offers an interesting account “According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, "[T]he value of the global illicit drug market for the year 2003 was estimated at US$13 bn [billion] at the production level, at $94 bn at the wholesale level (taking seizures into account), and at US$322bn based on retail prices and taking seizures and other losses into account. This indicates that despite seizures and losses, the value of the drugs increase substantially as they move from producer to consumer."
The economics are very interesting because if we add the United Nations numbers together: 13 + 94 + 322 = 429 billion dollars ran through the world in 2003. According to the drug war clock, in 2003 the United States Government spent 19 billion dollars fighting the war on drugs. If the Government spent 19 billion dollars fighting the war on drugs, and there is 429 billion dollars in drug money to be siezed; then the government has the potential to seize many times more than the amount spent on the war. The amount estimated to have run through the United States: "In 2000, Americans spent about $36 billion on cocaine, $10 billion on heroin, $5.4 billion on methamphetamine, $11 billion on marijuana, and $2.4 billion on other substances." Totalling 64.8 billion. The war rages on, but how much drug money is seized?
There is no reference available to the general public inside the United States that will explain the amount of money made on seizures. Because of this we have to use 6 year old information from the United Nations, not the United States. Even if we underestimate the amount of drug money floating around, the government has the resources to seize many times more money than spent. There is no way the government will confiscate all 429 billion, but the potential to make twice, three or even ten times the amount spent makes the government’s role a business as well.
It might be interesting to note that anything and everything associated with drugs will be seized whether or not it was purchased with drug money. According to judge Adams “On August 14, 2006, the State of Georgia issued a summons and complaint for forfeiture in response to two claims for recovery of confiscated property, one from Ronald Woods and one from McDowell. Woods's property is not at issue in this appeal. The complaint alleged that McDowell sought the return of $13,500 in currency and a 2001 Ford truck. The complaint further alleged that in connection with the drug trafficking investigation, a search warrant had been obtained for the truck; a backpack containing eight ounces of suspected marijuana and the cash was found therein; and the truck and currency were subject to forfeiture pursuant to OCGA § 16-13-49. Detective K. L. Biggs verified that these facts and others within the complaint were "made from my own personal knowledge and[] are true and correct to the best of my belief."
It becomes increasingly suspicious because it is impossible to find out the amount of money associated with seizures. This amount is posted no where and is guarded with absolute secrecy. With both sides of the war on drugs having a booming business, neither side would want the war to end. This begs the question, who wants the war to end? The people that are being exploited through pain and misery want the war to end.
Over 450 billion dollars can be associated with the trafficking of drugs in a single year. What is this money used for besides a constant supply of taco bell nachos for a cheese loving drug dealer? According to Saavedra “The war in Colombia, involving government security forces, right-wing paramilitaries and left-wing guerillas, has claimed more than 35,000 lives in the last 10 years and left some 1.2 million people displaced. Both right-and left-wing groups finance operations by trafficking drugs.”
Attempting to force people to not do drugs has transformed the war from good intentions on both sides to a business on both sides. Forcing people is simply not working. If we truly want to fix the problem of drug addiction we need other alternatives. Legalization would end the illegal profiteering, and force the entrepreneurs that would remain out into the open. The remaining people would not make nearly as much money as if it were illegal. Both sides would win. The profiteering and exploitation would have little more use, and drug dealers would need to get real jobs. Meanwhile the drug dealers would get what they were fighting for all along; the right to use and deal drugs, freely and openly.
Once legalization is done, we can begin to focus on other alternatives to rid ourselves of the immense problem of drug addiction. Drug users would no longer need to hide in the shadows, and would in turn, paint a clear picture of what that life has to offer. Therefore an education program to teach our young could be put into place. Right now what we have is a few different speeches against drugs from a few different people throughout k-12 schooling. Meanwhile the other side sneaks right up next to our youngsters and works constantly with persuasion. The balance of persuasion is seriously leaning to one side.
Showing our children exactly what they are in for when choosing a life of drugs would be an invaluable tool, and would give our children the ability to make the choice knowledgably. They would also benefit from being able to choose between drug use and non drug use, as opposed to choosing between breaking the law and living within the law. These are two very different choices.
The war on drugs will end eventually whether we end it or not. If we end it now we can better control the damage that will result when it ends. If the war on drugs ends with the collapse of the United States Economy, the damage will add to all the other problems that would result in such a calamity. Chaos would reign supreme.
Do we or do we not live in a free country? Our founding fathers gave us a free country or so they believed. We have had to create laws left and right to make this country habitable for 300 million people, but where is the line drawn and our freedom ends. We should be able to choose whether or not we do drugs. The choice to do them may destroy our lives, but the choice should be ours. Hurting ourselves should be the choice that we are able to make for ourselves, but hurting others should not be our choice to make. Because of this we need laws to protect ourselves from others that would do us harm. Would doing drugs within the confines of our own homes be considered hurting others?
This is the debate that is still at the forefront of this battle. Should we have the freedom of choice, or should we not?
References
Drugwarfacts.com (2009) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), World
Drug Report 2005 (Vienna, Austria: UNODC, June 2005), p. 127
, retrieved on April 8th 2009 from
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node%2F38
DrugSense (2009) World Clock, Retrieved on Mar 06 2009 from
http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm
Novemer.org (2009) Federal Prisoner Population 1914-2008, retrieved on March 29th
2009 from http://november.org/graphs/Federal1914.gif
Saavedra, Luis Angel. "Colombia's drug war: safety concerns grow about U.S.-
funded spraying." National Catholic Reporter 38.4 (Nov 16, 2001): 13(3). General OneFile. Gale. Apollo Library. 26 Apr. 2009
...
"CRIMINAL PRACTICE: Forfeiture." Fulton County Daily Report (March 26,
2008): NA. General OneFile. Gale. Apollo Library. 26 Apr. 2009
...
Mate, Gabor. "Prisoner of war: meet the enemy in our so-called war on
drugs." Vancouver Magazine 41.3 (April 2008): 28(3). General OneFile. Gale. Apollo Library. 26 Apr. 2009
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