TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE WAR ON DRUGS IS LOST

The most vociferous opponent of the war on drugs was none other than
Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize-winning economist, former economic
adviser to President Ronald Reagan, and one of the most respected
economists in the world until his recent death.

So, what does an economist have to do with what is generally seen by
most as a moral issue?

People are economic creatures, meaning our interests and actions are
almost always self-serving, even when they are not consciously
considered and/or might appear altruistic.

Adam Smith, the father or modern economics, referred to this
phenomena as the "invisible hand."

This was not a religious reference but an economic explanation, as
well as a biological acknowledgment.

People make economic judgments based on risk/benefit analysis. If
doing something carries great risk and little reward, they are
unlikely to do it.

On the other hand, if the risk is low but benefits great, temptation
to act can become enormous, even if it involves a violation of law.

When the Nixon administration decided to involve the federal
government in a war against drugs, it elevated risk/benefit levels to
a point that virtually guaranteed expansion of drug use.

People who had been growing their pot on windowsills suddenly
realized they could make tons of money with very little risk. Drug
cartels in South America also realized they could cross the
3,000-mile-long U.S. southern border as easily as do ants.

Friedman wrote that he opposed another round of Prohibition, because
"most of the harm that comes from drugs is because they are illegal."

The same was true during alcohol prohibition. By making alcohol
illegal, we created a huge underground economy run by criminals of
the worst nature.

By making drugs illegal, we created an even bigger underground
economy that is sapping the wealth of the nation and passing it to
the worst criminal gangs the world has ever known ---- they are so
large that they are capable of taking over entire nations.

Albert Einstein said: "Nothing is more destructive of respect for the
government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be
enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase in crime
in this country is closely connected with (Prohibition)."

William F. Buckley, the leading conservative of our time, said:
"Marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than
marijuana ever did."

The risk of being caught dealing drugs today is substantially less
than the potential reward.

Indeed, the DEA ironically measures its success or failure by the
cost of drugs it is trying to suppress.

Unfortunately, the more successful it is, the more people will take
the risk. Today, drugs are cheap and getting cheaper. The cartels are
even using submarines to bring in their contraband. The risk of being
caught has never been lower.

The drug war has failed and must be undone. We need to acknowledge that fact.

This November, Californians can do a small part toward that end at the polls.