Fatal Features of the Prohibition Blunder: Ignoring Legalization’s Successes
Although the US is still mired in the outdated and ineffective modus operandi of seize-and-destroy when it comes to drugs, there have been some heroic voices of dissent over the course of the past few years that bear mentioning (and emulating).
As Justice Minister for Jamaica, Mark Golding, stated at a U.N. hearing in August of 2014, “The eradication of drugs hasn’t happened, despite decades of war waged on it.” Golding soon persuaded the cabinet to decriminalize cannabis in small amounts for personal use—a step towards ending Drug Prohibition in the country—though laws remain intact that allow for large-scale sale by the gangs and cartels, fueling the drug war between dealers and law enforcement.
And, of course, there are the hard facts from Portugal: in the 25 years since the country decriminalized the personal use and possession of all illicit drugs, drug-related deaths have dropped by 80%.
The sensible path forward is as clear as the current landscape is littered with the deaths of innocents: only by legalizing drugs so they can be successfully and strictly controlled will America achieve similar levels of success.
Read the full article and compare with more recent cases of Prohibition-ending policies and legislation. It is only through effective regulation via legalization that the immoral War on Drugs can be stopped and millions of lives—young and old—can be saved.
Watch our video The Prohibition Blunder: Why America Needs Drug Legalization Now to learn more about the effort to legalize and regulate drugs and how #YourPowerfulVoice is the key to shifting to this winning strategy.
Comments