Musings About the War on Drugs

The Wall Street Journal ^ | February 21, 2006 | GEORGE MELLOAN

[weegee]

Moving the DEA under the ATF (which currently regulates tobacco and alcohol) would keep the same paramilitary goons in business.

[weegee]

We've got people importing prescription drugs from Canada and Mexico to get a better price. There would still be an underground economy to get "the best" merchandise for the lowest price.

All beer is not the same. All cigars are not the same. I would guess by the marijuana competitions that all pot is not the same.

[CWOJackson]

Ronald Reagan

Radio Address to the Nation on Federal Drug Policy

October 2nd, 1982

The President. My fellow Americans, those of you who tuned in a few weeks ago may remember that the topic of my broadcast was crime. Well, this week I'd like to narrow that subject down to drugs, an especially vicious virus of crime.

In the last few days, I've had two reports on drugs in America. First, Nancy returned from a trip to Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas-one of the many trips she's made, talking to young people and their parents about the drug epidemic. Well, I thought it might be fitting if she told you herself of what she's learned about the drug problem. So, Nancy.

Mrs. Reagan. Thank you.

To everyone at home, I have to tell you that few things in my life have frightened me as much as the drug epidemic among our children. I wish I could tell you all the accounts I've heard—stories of families where lying replaces trust, hate replaces love; stories of children stealing from their mothers' purses; stories of parents not knowing about drugs, and then not believing that the children were on them, and finally not understanding that help was available. I've heard time and again of children with excellent grades, athletic promise, outgoing personalities, but who, because of drugs, became shells of their former selves.

I won't burden you with all the terrifying statistics, but there's one that's especially troubling. While the health of most Americans has been improving, young people between 15 and 24 have a higher death rate than 20 years ago. And alcohol and drugs are one reason for this.

But there are also some very positive signs on the prevention and treatment fronts, especially with the parents movement. People finally are facing up to drug abuse. They're banding together, and they're making real progress. And I just want to say a heartfelt "thank you" to all those people out there who are working so hard to get drug abuse under control. The President. Thank you, Nancy.

Now, regarding the other report I mentioned. In the next few days we'll announce the administration's new strategy for the prevention of drug abuse and drug trafficking. This is a bold, confident plan, and I'm elated. For too long the people in Washington took the attitude that the drug problem was so large nothing could be done about it. Well, we don't accept this sit-on-your-hands kind of thinking. We've decided to do more than pay lip service to the problem, and we started where narcotics crime was the worst: south Florida.

This garden spot had turned into a battlefield for competing drugpushers who were terrorizing Florida's citizens. I established a task force under Vice President Bush's leadership to help the citizens of south Florida fight back. As part of a coordinated plan, we beefed up the number of judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement people. We used military radar and intelligence to detect drug traffickers, which, until we changed the law, could not be done. We increased efforts overseas to cut drugs off before they left other countries' borders.

Well, the results of our task force have been dramatic. The Vice President tells me drug-related arrests are up over 40 percent, the amount of marijuana seized is up about 80 percent, and the amount of cocaine seized has more than doubled. The important thing is we're hurting the traffickers. It's true that when we close off one place they can move somewhere else. But one thing is different now: We're going to be waiting for them. To paraphrase Joe Louis, they can run but they can't hide.

The strategy I just received will help us duplicate the south Florida experience for the entire United States. We're undertaking a narcotics policy that might be termed "hot pursuit." We're not just going to let them go somewhere else; we're going to be on their tail.

Now, you probably wonder why I'm so optimistic. Well, for the first time, the actions of the different Government agencies and departments dealing with narcotics are being coordinated. There are 9 departments and 33 agencies of Government that have some responsibility in the drug area, but until now, the activities of these agencies were not being coordinated. Each was fighting its own separate battle against drugs. Now, for the very first time, the Federal Government is waging a planned, concerted campaign.

Previous administrations had drug strategies, but they didn't have the structure to carry them out. We now have that structure.

In addition to the enforcement element, our strategy will also focus on international cooperation, education, and prevention-which Nancy's very interested in—detoxification and treatment and research.

The mood toward drugs is changing in this country, and the momentum is with us. We're making no excuses for drugs—hard, soft, or otherwise. Drugs are bad, and we're going after them. As I've said before, we've taken down the surrender flag and run up the battle flag. And we're going to win the war on drugs.

Till next week, thanks for listening, and God bless you.

[cryptical]

Is it that important to you that we "claim victory and stand down"? Must we do that? I don't understand your thinking on this.

Is it even feasible to claim victory and stand down? Doing that may cause use to increase.

No need to claim victory and stand down, it's a war in name only.

[SandfleaCSC]

Ping

[Doctor Stochastic]

The War On Drugs hasn't been a failure. It's kept many pepole employed for years. It's also let to much greater government control over things like allergy medicines. What's not to like?

[Phantom Patriot]

There is no war on drugs. In application it is a war on AMERCAN citizens who use drugs.Several years ago I was arrested for marijuana the evil weed. Don't drink or use other illegal drugs.Started at the bottom ranks on my job. Now I'm at the top position.Thanks to good old fashioned up bringing and values. I obey as many laws that I know of and can,except one that I know of.
Now how I got arrested was because of my son going thru his teens. Constantly in trouble and following the wrong people. One day while sneaking into my bedroom and going thru my belongings he came upon something that was normally hidden from plain sight. During his next court visit the judge instructed me to get control of my son anyway I had to. Because he was placed on restriction that he did not like he reported his finding to a school Police officer who turned it over to the jack boots. They came into my home after I let them in. They threatened to shoot our small dog who was just barking because he was frightened of all these people in black screaming with helmets and faces covered. I have always helped law enforcement so without delay I turned over all I had. They laughed and taunted my wife and myself. They said ya know we still have to tear the house apart and they did including all of my vehicles and out buildings. When I was being transported the officers taunted me some more that they would be smoking my dope. After bonding out and returning home I found my home was not secured nor any of my vehicles all left wide open and I don't mean unlocked. My family pet was walking in and out of my front door.The house was a total mess everything was everywhere. They relocated my son to his mothers which is where he had come from because she could not control him. Needless to say he never improved. This was his way of not being supervised and the government helped him yet did not keep tabs on him after wards to make sure he had an opportunity to be successful or even to make sure he attended school. $ 15,000.00 later I ended up with a probation before judgment verdict by the judge because I had absolutely no other activity on my record.I ended up loosing my home. after several years I have rebuilt what I lost. But my son has almost died from an assault and never improved. Now you tell me who is the bad guy here. I'm sure some will blame me. I feel differently, I am successful I have good up bringing. The only problem is my thoughts on the phrase pursuit of happiness seem to be wider than owning a home which is what some in government will tell you is all that means.I feel the bad guys came into my home with government backing which is another reason I despise government destroyed my families life and for what, probation. It has not changed my opinion what so ever. All they have done is created resentment on my part. All though I feel legalizing marijuana is in order and should be done that is not what this post is about it's about tactics. Had this incident been done differently they may have achieved their goal at least partially without destroying lives. What they did created a hatred that will not die. You be the judge who was the real bad guy here.And before you comment, think in terms of this being cigarette say 10 years from now.

[Supernatural]

Ping for later.

[Eagle Eye]

When cocaine was legal we didn't have runaway crime or cartels.

And the government wasn't corrupted by the money or death threats by the cartels.

I'd say legalize cocaine now, not ten years from now.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

No. Because their constituents don't want it and would vote them out of office.

They think their constituents don't want it. We elect officials to lead. If the people disagree with the issue, they'll write the Congresscritter or Senator and tell them so. But you don't know what people want unless the said issue is brought to the floor for a vote, now do you?

They do it today, don't they? They could buy legal alcohol, but they don't.

Yes, they are doing it today and drugs are ILLEGAL. Would you rather have dopeheads buying drugs legally from a pharmacy or drugstore such as Walgreens or buy them off the streets, which wastes more tax dollars on law enforcement and local programs?

You're saying that if marijuana is legal, people won't buy heroin.

That's exactly what I'm saying. Legalize marijuana and users would disregard the other drugs because the incentive to buy the other drugs would disappear.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Yeah, dopers wouldn't still want LSD, ecstasy, xanex, etc. if they could get pot, heroin, and meth.

LOL oh come on.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I just think marijuana should be legalized. Cocaine and heroin & the other drugs should remain illegal because it's tied to border security & illegal immigration. These drugs can't be grown here in the U.S. Marijuana (and industrial hemp) should be legalized so our farmers can make money & we can get rid of our farm subsidies at the same time.

[robertpaulsen]

"Legalize marijuana and users would disregard the other drugs because the incentive to buy the other drugs would disappear."

Why aren't they buying legal alcohol today and disregarding the other drugs?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Why aren't they buying legal alcohol today and disregarding the other drugs?

What is the ratio of people who purchase alcohol to those who purchase illegal drugs?

Plenty of dopeheads buy alcohol. Ever hear of the 40oz malt liquor? That and a "blunt" goes together like tomatoes and pasta.

[robertpaulsen]

"When cocaine was legal we didn't have runaway crime or cartels"

Nope. Just a bunch of addicted people.

[weegee]

You believe that they would give up illegal psychotropic drugs for other legal highs? That they just want "some kind" of buzz?

[PLMerite]

Paragraphs and spacing are our friends.

[weegee]

Fat chance selling politicians on marijuana as they are prohibiting tobacco use in public and private.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[TKDietz]

"Of the $60B in illegal drugs consumed in this country, only $10B is marijuana."

That can't be true. It is obvious that more marijuana is consumed in this country than the 1009 metric tons that $10 billion figure was based on. The real amount Americans spend on marijuana could very well be $100 billion or even more than that. That $10 billion figure is based on a consumption estimate of 1009 metric tons of marijuana the government came up with by taking the national survey on drug abuse and extrapolating some guesstimate of how much marijuana Americans consume. This all comes from looking at responses from people who admitted to the government that they have smoked marijuana in the past 30 days. They used other methods to come up with the consumption estimates for other drugs.

If you believe that Americans only consume 1009 metric tons of marijuana in a year, you would have to believe that law enforcement seizes the majority of the marijuana on the market in this country. Between the state and local law enforcement and the feds, a good bit more than 2000 metric tons are seized every year. I've seen some estimates putting state and federal seizures of marijuana at over 2500 metric tons. They don't keep the best records or share their data with each other well. Regardless, law enforcement seizes a good bit more pot than those who prepared the "What Americans Spend on Illegal Drugs" chart claim that Americans consume. This is preposterous. No one with any sense believes that law enforcement are actually seizing most of the drugs.

I've heard an awful lot of testimony from both DEA and local narcotics officers in big drug mule cases where they are talking about the workings of the system, organized crime, and so on. Often these officers are asked what the general consensus is on the percentage of drugs that end up being seized. Most will say about 10%. If they were actually seizing 10%, and the total seized was 2000 metric tons, there would be 20,000 metric tons total on the market before they seize what they were going to seize. If they seize 2500 metric tons, the total would be 25,000 metric tons.

This low consumption estimate is not the only estimate the government makes with respect to the amount of drugs on the market. The government also does supply estimates for drugs. Their cocaine supply estimates end up being about the same as their consumption estimates. Their marijuana supply estimates, are way higher than the marijuana consumption estimates, several times higher. In fact, in the latest supply estimate, they said that between 12,000 and 25,000 metric tons of marijuana are available on the market in a year, after they seize all they are going to seize. That's considerably more than the consumption estimate, which is obviously way low.

These are all just estimates. The consumption estimate is clearly way low. The supply estimate may be too high. Who knows? If one believes the low end range of the supply estimates for marijuana are accurate, the latest ones anyway being more than ten times higher than that 1009 metric ton consumption estimate, he'd pretty much have to believe that instead of spending $10 billion on marijuana, Americans are spending better than $100 billion on it. Even if we split the difference between the consumption estimate and the lowest supply estimate, we'd still be looking at a good bit more than $50 billion worth of pot.

There is just no doubt in my mind that the the amount of money spent on marijuana in this country dwarfs the amounts spent on all other drugs. You can see that by carefully inspecting the government numbers. You can see that on the streets. I can see it in my work representing everyone from people caught with small amounts of drugs for personal use, dealers, and drug mules carrying hundreds of pounds of drugs in their vehicles. The quantity of all other drugs seized is just a tiny fraction of the total amount when you factor marijuana in the equation. I realize these other drugs are more expensive, but far far less of these other drugs are seized. The marijuana industry is just massive. Demand for marijuana is huge. We have a few million super heavy pot smokers each consuming several pounds of the stuff every year, and millions and millions more consuming less than that. It all adds up. The numbers from the National Survey on Drug Use & Health are obviously low. That's why the government won't rely on them for their cocaine consumption estimates. Why they rely on them for marijuana, and even leave out data on casual marijuana users, is beyond me. I kind of suspect they don't really want Americans to know just how much money is spent on marijuana because if people did know they might want to start taxing it. That, and I'm sure they'd like for us all to believe that most of the money they are wasting is going toward fighting against the hard stuff, when that clearly isn't the case.