Don't single out the Bush administration. Clinton, Bush 41, and Reagan, would have made the same desicion.
Doesn't change the fact meth labs are 100x more dangerous but this idea that pot is the keystone of the illegal drug trade is one that is deeply ingrained in american society.
It may not be the "keystone" of the American drug trade but it is certainly an extremely important part of it. Marijuana is by far and away the most popular drug. The government estimates that between 12,000 and 25,000 metric tons of it were available on the American markets in 2002. Compare that to cocaine, the second most popular illegal drug in this country. The government estimates that only approximately 255 metric tons of that drug were available in this country in 2002. That's a huge difference.
2005 Drug Threat Assessment - click on "Availability" sections for listed drugs for estimates on amounts available:
http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs11/12620/
There are millions of people in this country involved with smuggling and transporting and distributing it, from the big guys dealing in tons of it, or dirty border cops who will let in pass through for a fee, on down to the guy in your neighborhood who would sell a joint or two out of his bag if a friend asked. The distribution networks are huge and it's through these vast and wide networks that most other illegal drugs pass. Most of the people involved with smuggling, transporting and distributing the hard stuff get their start doing these things in the marijuana trade. They are recruited because they already have proven their ability with marijuana, have established contacts and customers if they are dealing the stuff, and they are already involved in an illegal business so they aren't likely to go to the police when they are offered more illegal work. If marijuana were taken out of the equation there would be far less people involved in the illegal drug trade and it would be more difficult to recruit people to participate in it, especially at the retail sales level. There wouldn't be these millions of people at the bottom of the distribution pyramid selling small amounts of pot to end consumers who are now tapped to distribute drugs like cocaine to their existing customers.
Don't single out the Bush administration. Clinton, Bush 41, and Reagan, would have made the same desicion. Marijuana Arrests Soar Under President Clinton
In 1999, 704,812 people in the United States were arrested for marijuana "crimes." * This was an increase of over 85% from the 380,399 arrested in 1993 **, Bill Clinton's first year in office.
Many more were arrested for other drugs. Evidently, the era of big government is not over yet.
Numerous public leaders have admitted to smoking marijuana, like President Clinton, Vice President Gore, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
One question, if you will:
If Clinton, Gore, Gingrich and Thomas don't belong in jail, why do all those other people belong in jail?
Bonus questions:
If smoking marijuana kills your ambition, how do you explain Clinton, Gore, Gingrich and Thomas?
If sharing marijuana with a friend is a felony, why don't we feel the same way about Clinton, Gore, Gingrich and Thomas as we do about rapists, robbers and murderers?
US Court of Appeals Judge Douglas Ginsburg admitted smoking marijuana for years. All he was able to achieve during this time was to serve for several years as Professor at Harvard University. Imagine what a good job he could have gotten if he had not been smoking pot.
Charles Rogers admitted using cocaine almost daily while a college football player at University of South Carolina. All he was able to achieve at this time was winning the Heisman trophy. Imagine how well he would have done if he were drug-free.