WESTERN LEADERS MUST BACK COLOMBIA'S COURAGEOUS STAND ON DRUGS

President Santos's call for a new approach to drugs must be supported
wholeheartedly

Spineless politicians abound on both sides of the Atlantic. In the
2008 elections in the United States, more residents in Massachusetts
voted in favour of a referendum on decriminalising cannabis than
voted for candidate Barack Obama. With a record 50% of Americans now
in favour of cannabis legalisation, cannabis is polling better than
the president. Yet Obama has reneged on a campaign promise to respect
states' rights with regards to medical cannabis legislation. At a
time when local governments are laying off police, firefighters and
teachers, a US government crackdown on medical cannabis dispensaries
is in full force.

Medical cannabis is supported by an overwhelming majority of
Americans. This means politicians such as Obama are either beholden
to the prison-industrial complex or on the payroll of cartels.
Mexican drug cartels are no doubt thrilled with the clampdown on
medical cannabis. If the US government destroys the domestic medical
cannabis industry, international drug cartels will move in to meet
demand and reap the profits. Replacing domestic growers with
organised crime groups that also sell cocaine, meth and heroin is not
a good thing.

Robert Sharpe

Policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington DC