19. WAR ON DRUGS

brief history

President Nixon inaugurated the war on drugs in the early seventies, and the US has spent over $1 trillion on the war on drugs.

They failed to achieve what was envisioned not to mention many unintended highly negative consequences like extreme violence and overcrowding the entire American criminal justice system.

This war has disproportionately affected minorities, especially black communities…

To some, this war originally might have sounded good on paper but was and is a catastrophe that must end now.

selective enforcement must end now

The war on drugs has only enabled the police and justice system to selectively arrest, prosecute, and sentence minorities.

it’s a racist policy

It is a racist policy. Blacks are not more likely to use and sell drugs, however they are several times more likely to be arrested and convicted for drug offenses and serve longer prison sentences. Enforcement is often concentrated in poorer neighborhoods that are predominantly black.

records must be expunged

Prisoners who committed drug crimes who did not commit violent crimes must be pardoned, and criminal record related to drug crimes erased.

Drug use is still a problem despite of availability.

must follow example

While no policy, plans and solutions are perfect, we can investigate other countries that have adopted a similar policy with success. We should take a close look at countries that decriminalized all drugs such as Portugal.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

Erase non-violent marijuana-related criminal records.

Surely, we can find a way to distribute this in a controlled way that leads to health treatment and recovery, which means more jobs, and is better for the community instead of being in back alleys. This affects all of us, and this senseless war on drugs must end now, and forever. Uruguay is one such country that legalized Marijuana.