Drug policy since Richard Nixon's presidency has had racist and imperialist overtones. Policy is driven by political opportunism, not by considerations of effectiveness or justice. The policy has failed to reduce drug-related deaths, drug abuse, drug availability, and crime. laws against drugs not being an effective solution. Drugs are still produced and distributed everywhere, and are taken by many. The reasons people use drugs still exist. Arresting people for drugs does not kill their desire to use them. Punishing those who have committed crimes does not eliminate the reason they were committed. Addressing drug offenses after they have been made is not effective because the desire for the drug's effect still remains.
2. By keeping things the way they are now, the government benefits from their own corruption. If the war on drugs were to end, all the American people would benefit, but mostly the poor and the minorities due the prejudice and stereotypes that our government has associated with them since 1969. If the war were to shift from the criminal justice system to the medical and therapeutic systems, the main beneficiaries would be the judicial system and those in the medical profession. The judicial system would be able to reduce the amount of prisoners in our prisons, allow more time for the courts to have other matters put to trial and reduce the number of police officers need to combat drug related matters and use them for other well needed aspects of the law. Those in the medical and therapeutic fields would have the opportunity to become more educated on drug use and its effects, make more of a monetary profit with the increased flow of patients, and possibly develop treatments or vaccines for other diseases.
Every American suffers from the war on drugs. Black, white, elderly, middle-aged, rich or poor, we all suffer. Every dollar that we earn is taxed. Some of that money is deducted for this, that, and the other, however a percent of that is spent on drug research, drug education, and various others.
