The War on Drugs: Persisting in Failure

http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/the-war-on-drugs-persisting-in-failure

News item after news item underscores the futility of the War on Drugs. Yet Congress and the President want to continue the same failed policies, no matter how many innocent people are caught in the crossfire.

Please send a letter telling Congress to end the failed, unconstitutional War on Drugs.

You may borrow from or copy this letter . . .

In November, the American Medical Association urged Congress to reclassify marijuana as a "drug with possible medicinal benefit." http://tinyurl.com/yl8fywl

I believe you should go further than that, and re-think the entire War on Drugs . . .

* 87% of drug studies found that drug law enforcement was associated with increasing levels of drug-market violence http://tinyurl.com/ycrvkkc
* this is no surprise in Mexico, where 18,000 have died in three years of war between the government and drug cartels
* which is expanding to once-calm cities http://tinyurl.com/y97vzoy

But the Administration's response is to pour more aid into Mexico's unwinnable war. http://tinyurl.com/yz3hsow

Even "success" leads to failure. Look at what happened when the U.S. made strides in stopping the flow of drugs at the border . . .

* drug gangs began cultivating marijuana in America's national parks and forests
* where they use animal poisons that can pollute mountain streams and groundwater meant for legitimate farmers and ranchers. http://tinyurl.com/yfo2bhn

And cash-strapped states can no longer afford to fight this war . . .

* lack of funds actually led to a decrease in the prison population http://tinyurl.com/ybyuxe2
* 14 more states will consider legalizing medical marijuana or lessening penalties for pot possession this year
* and California is considering a bill to legalize and tax marijuana http://tinyurl.com/yl8fywl

The writing's on the wall. More and more people want this Drug War to end. I urge you take the lead. If Congress decriminalized drugs at the federal level . . .

* drugs would be distributed by legitimate businesses instead of by violent thugs
* which will lead to safer streets and neighborhoods in both the U.S. and Mexico
* and will make it less likely for minors to get access to drugs

Ending the federal War on Drugs will also . . .

* empower each state to decide the best balance of control, treatment, regulation, and taxation for itself
* save tens of billions of dollars
* and restore some of our Ninth and Tenth Amendment rights

END LETTER

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James Wilson
Assistant Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org