Legal Commentary

The Time Has Come for Ending the War on Drugs

By Jeralyn

Arianna: Ending the War on Drugs: The Moment is Now :

So the question becomes: is the Obama administration really committed to a fundamental shift in America's approach to drug policy or is this about serving up a kinder, gentler drug war?

....But the cost of the drug war -- both human and financial -- is far too high to allow politics to dictate the administration's actions. Indeed, with all the budget cutting going on, how can anyone justify spending tens of billions of dollars a year on an unwinnable war against our own people?

[More...]

With three-quarters of the drug offenders clogging our state prisons there for nonviolent offenses -- and a disproportionate number of those young men of color -- the time has come to wage a full-scale war on the war on drugs.

It's great to have Arianna on our side.

Update: Retired Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper says despite all the shift in rhetoric, the drug czar's just-released budget summary actually pumps up spending for "drug war" supply reduction and diminishes resources for demand.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on May 15, 2009 (boomark / email).