cannabisnews.com: Legalize Drugs? 





Legalize Drugs? 
Posted by FoM on October 30, 1999 at 11:20:07 PT
Too many politicians addicted to drug-war rhetoric
Source: Sacramento Bee
New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson said something revolutionary the other day. He called for the legalization of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other illegal drugs. "Control, regulate, tax, educate and prevent." That's the drug policy the conservative Republican advocates.
The nation isn't ready to go nearly that far. Given the addictive quality and the serious social and physical harm drug abuse causes, wholesale legalization is not the path to follow. Still, a conservative Republican governor's willingness to say out loud what so many Americans say privately is welcome.Somewhere between legalization and the cruel, expensive and wrongheaded war on drugs that grips America today lies rational balance. The country needs to start moving toward that balance. If Johnson's pronouncement only serves to bring the growing doubt about the nation's harmful drug strategy into the open, it will serve a useful purpose.President Clinton smoked marijuana. Al Gore and Bill Bradley, the Democrats vying to succeed Clinton, have both admitted they did too. The likely Republican nominee for president, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, neither admits nor denies illegal drug use, but when asked about it confesses to having once been "young and irresponsible."Johnson himself admits he smoked marijuana in college and even tried cocaine a few times. Should he be in prison? An estimated 400,000 American drug users are.Privately, police, judges, prosecutors -- the people on the front lines of the drug war -- confess their frustration and their disillusionment. The nation's drug budget has grown from $1 billion to $18 billion in two decades, two-thirds of it going for law enforcement. Even now U.S. officials are considering proposals to spend to pour another $1 billion to fight a bloody, losing effort against drug traffickers in Colombia.Drug abuse is a terrible problem. It causes enormous pain, tragedy and harm to users, children and loved ones. But an effective strategy would be one that offered likely candidates treatment instead of prison, and that brought not just drug cops into drug-infested communities, but also health care, clean needles and after-school programs. Sadly, most politicians are addicted to drug war rhetoric. Maybe Johnson -- who was re-elected in a landslide after admitting his own drug use -- can help them and the nation break the drug-war habit.Newshawk: Jean CowsertPublished Oct. 29, 1999Copyright © The Sacramento Bee Related Articles:Gov. Says He's Tending To Business - 10/29/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3471.shtmlA Lonely Stand for Drug Legalization - 10/25/99 http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3408.shtmlN.M. Gov. Wants Drugs Legalized - 10/21/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3368.shtmlMaking Legalization of Drugs a National Issue - 10/19/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3339.shtml 
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