ENDING WAR ON DRUGS WOULD HELP ECONOMY

Want a good way to start pushing our economy back in the right
direction?

The answer to the question is to end the spectacularly failed costly
war on rugs.

When is the U.S. government going to finally realize that it can't
legislate morality? Many people believe the answer to solving our drug
problem is to simply tell people to say "no" to drugs -- but after
being in practice for decades now, the evidence shows this has failed
miserably. People have been doing drugs for thousands of years and
it's never going to stop. There will always be people who do drugs and
those who become addicted.

Didn't we learn from the mistakes of alcohol Prohibition in the 1920s
and '30s? It didn't work then, and drug prohibition certainly isn't
working now. The failed drug war has cost the U.S. taxpayers more than
$1 trillion.

The real tragedy is the violence associated with the drug war and
illegal drug trafficking. Drugs are more readily available and the
drug war has created a black market; gangs in every U.S. state; and
powerful violent cartels south of the border and in other countries.

The laws have done more damage to this country than the drugs
themselves. We have created more criminals out of drug users/addicts
who should really be treated as medical patients. Wouldn't we be
better off spending the drug war funding on education, drug treatment
and rehabilitation instead of failed law enforcement and
incarceration? And not having to build more prisons?

We need to re-evaluate our position on drug use in this country. I
firmly believe we should decriminalize all drugs. Legalize marijuana
and regulate it like alcohol in regards to the law, and create an
atmosphere that doesn't stigmatize the drug user. I would never
advocate anyone use dangerous hard drugs such as meth, cocaine,
heroin, etc. But people will choose to use such drugs and become
addicted. Countries in Europe have tried different strategies that
have reduced the problems associated with drug use. Why can't the
United States. take these same approaches?

And what are the ramifications of manufacturing, importing and selling
the drugs here in America? Wouldn't that create a new industry? Jobs?
Tax revenue? And stop funding the violent cartels and take away their
power?

Shayne Felberg

Augusta