"The war on drugs is largely a war on pot smokers. This effort is a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that should be dedicated toward combating serious and violent crime, including the war on terrorism." - Keith Stroup, Executive Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Marijuana related arrests have been increasing every year and I personally think that our effort and money is being completely wasted. DEA agents are spending countless hours busting people for using the drug recreationally and 88% of pot related arrests are for solely possessing the drug. There are so many negative side effects for these high arrest rates and can all be avoided by the government’s actions to legalize and regulate weed. Hundreds of thousands of US citizens are rotting away in prison, USING up our tax dollars and not PAYING taxes. Their families have one less breadwinner and basically, society as a whole is negatively affected. A group called NORML is advocating for “the removal of all penalties for the private possession and responsible use of marijuana by adults, including cultivation for personal use, and casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts.” This organization has been supporting reform of marijuana laws for over ten years and their website is full of information about legalizing marijuana. Another sobering fact is that the number of marijuana arrests made in the US is more than the number of arrests for murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault combined. Granted, more US citizens use pot than commit violent crimes, but it’d be more beneficial for the police force to concentrate on rape and murder crimes than harmless, nonviolent pot violations.
I agree with your points full-heartedly. Though I do not personally use drugs or promote such behavior, I feel that it is incredibly stupid to try and ban marijuana. Look at the Prohibition movement that existed in the early 20th century for example.
ReplyDeleteWhen alcohol was banned, it didn't free the country of alcohol as the Prohibitionists had hoped; instead, it had the opposite effect. Alcohol consumption actually increased, as crime lords raised underground empires based around the alcohol black market.
Your quote of Stroup is accurate: we spend way too much money on the war on drugs. Such money could be redirected for much more positive usage. Instead, the government wastes countless amounts of dollars pursuing drug users in a futile attempt to snuff out drug use. Like alcohol during the Prohibitionist movement, marijuana is creating an unnecessary crime underground and funneling our money into a black hole.