THE FAILING WAR ON DRUGS

Most people would agree that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are
causing great stress on our country, whether or not they believe those
wars are necessary. But there is another war that America is fighting
that is not merely difficult but actually impossible to win - the War
on Drugs.

The War on Drugs is now entering its 40th year in U.S. policy, making
it our nation's longest-running war. And though extravagant efforts
have been made to eliminate the supply of certain drugs, we have not
seen great reduction in their availability. Drug enforcement teams may
occasionally catch a large supplier but another criminal entrepreneur
always fills the position.

So what can we do when efforts to eliminate drugs appear futile?
First, the war's goal must be clarified. Is our goal to simply reduce
drug use to an absolute minimum, even if that leads to increases in
violence and crime?

All aspects considered, the goal should be to reduce overall harm to
society, taking into account the harms caused by drug abuse and by
enforcement of drug laws. I say "harms caused by enforcement" because
many drug-related problems in our society are not a result of drug use
itself but rather of the surrounding policies - namely, prohibition.
Prohibition creates the black market that funds gangs and cartels.
This has led to massive amounts of violence in the U.S. and other
countries. In Mexico, the drug war is escalating, and
prohibition-related deaths last year numbered in the thousands.

This violence happened during the prohibition of alcohol and it's
happening again with the prohibition of other drugs. So how is this
current situation different? Unfortunately, the Drug War has been
going on for so long in our society that people lack the imagination
of a society where drugs are legal. This was not the case when alcohol
prohibition was repealed. This is one of the main reasons people
currently fear the legalization of drugs. It seems as though talking
about drugs is also taboo, and this certainly hinders any productive
discussion on how they should be treated in society.

Fortunately, the topic of legalization, particularly with regard to
marijuana, is beginning to be discussed in a much more open and honest
manner. As the executive director of the University's Students for
Sensible Drug Policy chapter, I couldn't be happier. The drug policy
reform movement is growing extraordinarily fast, and SSDP is
experiencing outstanding development and growth. We now have over 150
chapters at universities across the U.S., with a network building in
Canada, as well as parts of Europe and Africa. Our chapters often work
on local initiatives and campaigns as well as organize educational
events.

The SSDP chapter at the University is hosting the regional conference
for all Midwestern chapters this Sunday. The event is open to the
public and will be a great opportunity for education as well as
networking. More information on the conference and registration is
available at our website, ww.umdrugpolicy.org .

I would like to point out one last thing - I often get asked if the
SSDP organizes Hash Bash. The answer is, simply, no. Actually, it's
more like, "No!" (for the hundredth time). Hash Bash is mainly a
cultural event, and SSDP is strictly a political organization. Our
concern is drug policy, not drug use. It's important to understand
that although marijuana smokers are a part of the drug policy reform
movement, we are much more than that.

I would rather see people going to the Michigan Social Justice
Conference on Saturday instead, which will actually include a workshop
with SSDP. Making a difference and changing the world for the better
gives me the best high there is. Attend the conference on Saturday or
our Midwest SSDP Conference on Sunday, and you may just experience
that yourself.