War on drugs a trillion-dollar failure by Richard Branson

CNN ^ | 12/06/2012 | Richard Branson

[Responsibility2nd]

Editor's note: Richard Branson is the founder of Virgin Group, with global branded revenues of $21 billion, and a member of the Global Drug Commission. Sir Richard was knighted in 1999 for his services to entrepreneurship. Watch today for Branson's interview with CNN/US' Erin Burnett Out Front at 7pm ET and tomorrow (12/7) with CNN International's Connect the World program at 4pm ET

(CNN) -- In 1925, H. L. Mencken wrote an impassioned plea: "Prohibition has not only failed in its promises but actually created additional serious and disturbing social problems throughout society. There is not less drunkenness in the Republic but more. There is not less crime, but more. ... The cost of government is not smaller, but vastly greater. Respect for law has not increased, but diminished."

This week marks the 79th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition in December 1933, but Mencken's plea could easily apply to today's global policy on drugs.

We could learn a thing or two by looking at what Prohibition brought to the United States: an increase in consumption of hard liquor, organized crime taking over legal production and distribution and widespread anger with the federal government.

~snip~

As part of this work, a new documentary, "Breaking the Taboo," narrated by Oscar award-winning actor Morgan Freeman and produced by my son Sam Branson's indie Sundog Pictures, followed the commission's attempts to break the political taboo over the war on drugs. The film exposes the biggest failure of global policy in the past 40 years and features revealing contributions from global leaders, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

It is time we broke the taboo and opened up the debate about the war on drugs. We need alternatives that focus on education, health, taxation and regulation.

[GeronL]

They do not just want to legalize pot.

That is just for starters.

[rottndog]

Here here....

...As I often point out - there is no serious conservative anywhere who endorses legal drugs. This is a leftist issue.

Poster of this thread doth project too much...It is the primary tactic of the left to personally attack rather than engage it a factual debate.

BTW...isn't it the primary tenet of conservatives in America that the federal government strictly adhere to the constitution? Where in the constitution is the federal government granted the power to enforce drug prohibition? And, IIRC, William F Buckley, one of the godfathers of modern conservatism, himself advocated for the end of the WOD.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

We declared a War on Poverty, and poverty is more prevalent than ever. We declared a War on Drugs and drug use is just as bad and maybe worse than before.

We also have a lot of dumb people in this country. Maybe the federal government should declare a War on Education?

[Responsibility2nd]

This should very much be a republican issue. It’s about smaller government and freedom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You may some day get your wish. I hope not, but as the Republicans move further left, they may indeed some day put leftist issues like support for drugs, abortion and gay marriages on the table.

If you think the GOP is irrelevant now, just wait till this happens!

[bert]

For the record, I am presently conducting a taste test. I have pretty well determined that Jack Daniels Black label has a superior flavor to Wild Turkey

The Wild Turkey is very smooth but has a stronger alcohol flavor than the Black Jack.

Going on Memory, I think the previously tested George Dickel is superior to the wild Turkey as well although not as smooth

[GeronL]

Once they get it legal they will start pushing for people to be allowed to smoke pot in public places and in college dorms where it will still be against the law.

Then they will want cocaine and other things made legal because the “War on Drugs” doesn’t go away with pot legalization. Does it?

Then Medicare will be paying for it and EBT cards will be buying it. Do you think tax dollars should do that?

Oh and of course libertarians really do want to abolish the age of consent.

[avacado]

These legal drugs are a much bigger problem and way more addictive.

[Wolfie]

Nobody REALLY cares about the Constitution. We want the Government to do what we want the Government to do. Period. There is no principle. And that, my friend, is how the country became the mess it is today.

[AmusedBystander]

Legal drugs would mean tremendous reduction in deaths, prisoner populations, less urban blight, more tax revenue, and less welfare. But as you say, these only concern leftists so never mind.

[GeronL]

Libertopia dude, anything goes man!

[GeronL]

I seriously doubt potheads go to jail often. Pot DEALERS are the people you are getting all weapy-eyed for

[Responsibility2nd]

Ahhhh..... Buckley.

I wondered when someone would drag his name into the mix. One of the “godfathers of modern conservatism”?

FRiend. You could not be more wrong. Buckley was a Libertarian. I daresay if he were alive, he would support either Gary Johnson, Ron Paul or even Barack Obama over any RINO or conservative.

Thanks for bringing up Bill Buckley. He would make a good poster child for the pro-dope liberals.

[SpaceBar]

The 800 lb gorilla in the room is that some recreational drugs already are legal. People pretend that legalizing pot would open some door that up till now has remained shut.

[familyop]

There’s been inadequate discipline in investigations at local levels for a long time. Not enough patience to bust the secondary and primary dealers. Not even enough discipline for long term stakeouts. Also, the usual, local, yocal “untouchables” (money fronters, all—pillars of the community). Meanwhile, local governments receive big federal funding for more trivial pursuits.

[Mister Da]

Should the government have the right to tell you what you may or may not consume?

I believe that is a conservative question, not a Libertarian or Leftist one.

[Nowhere Man]

I used to be a knee-jerk reactionary myself, legalize pot, heck no! As I’ve gotten older and in my 40’s, I think pot legalization is not a bad idea. Let people grow hemp, hemp has a lot more uses besides smoking it. If you’re dumb enough to smoke it, it’s your business unless your operating a vehicle, beating your wife/kids or end up on the dole because you can’t hold a job. I think if we tax it, we could pay off the deficit. IIRC, it wasn’t conservatives or classical liberals like the Founding Fathers behind a lot of prohibitions, that fell mainly on the progressives’ shoulders. Hard drugs, well, I’d still keep them illegal, pending further study, but I don’t think we need to bust wrong doors down and shooting pets is the way either. BTW, I’d never smoke it if it was legal, I don’t want to and know the consequences.

[Magic Fingers]

“And no political conservative inside or outside the Beltway supports legal dope.”

Except for the tons of legal dope sold by their pharmaceutical company donors.

[Notary Sojac]

We can't eliminate the drug trade inside maximum security prisons.

And yet some still think we can eliminate it in a free republic.

[Wolfie]

These legal drugs are a much bigger problem and way more addictive.

We all know there's nothing wrong with profiting from human misery as long as the "right" kind of people are doing the profiting.

[GeronL]

Legalizing pot does not end the war on drugs. It does end any of the things the libertines claim to want an end of. In fact I bet they also want to legalize ALL drugs, they just do not want to say it- they think pot is the low-hanging fruit- they know trying to legalize them all will be a complete failure. They keep it quiet just like they do not want to talk about the age of consent and legalizing incest, they know they won’t fly right now.