There is a war going on within the United States, a war that lacks known enemies, has more cons than pros and is a little younger than President Barack Obama. The War on Drugs — much like the occupation in Iraq — is a failed mission.
Something politicians cannot seem to understand is that the War on Drugs is a tremendous waste, one that needs to end. America spends about $600 per second on this futile battle. According to Time Magazine, the government has fueled this war for more than 40 years, spending more than $2.5 trillion.
So far this year, the federal government has spent nearly $14 billion on a war that rips poverty-stricken minority families of their fathers and stuffs men in penitentiaries alongside murderers and rapists for crimes like marijuana possession.
The fact is, minorities are not the only ones who get put in jail for dealing or possessing weed, but they comprise the majority. Nobody disputes that in the minority “convict league,” the majority are men of color.
Other nations and countries with problems pertaining to drugs have already started attacking the problem. For example, Argentina recently decriminalized the private consumption of illicit drugs, including everything from cocaine to marijuana. Mexico eliminated jail time for persons caught with small quantities of illegal drugs.
Progressive countries attempting to reduce the number of convicts overcrowding their prisons, in most cases provide treatment and rehabilitation as alternatives.
The Golden State takes first place in a competition with the federal government over who can spend more on fighting drugs. California’s prison recidivism rate is extremely high, with many people getting tossed back in the pokey for parole violations.
Most of the violations are for absconding — using drugs while on parole. It’s a vicious cycle that imprisonment is not going to solve. Revolving-door justice and redundant law enforcement is breaking the piggy bank. Many law agencies go after minor drug offenders because it’s easy pickings, important for fluffing up bloated budgets.
So far this year California has spent about $21.6 billion on fighting drugs and has no money. If the state didn’t see the need to lock up every Tom, Dick and Harry found with more than an ounce of weed, maybe more money could be allocated to our starving colleges.
Legislators tend to forget that we have to pay for feeding, housing and providing medical care for the people locked up in the prison industrial complex. To them, it’s safer to look tough on drugs than to do the real hard work; making compassionate laws that suit the needs of our society.
According to FBI statistics, there have been about 1.3 million people arrested for drug offenses this year, with more than 600,000 being arrested for simple possession of cannabis. Drugsense.org states that every 38 seconds an American is arrested for minor cannabis possession.
Taxpayer dollars should be allocated to important things like education, health care, creating jobs and improving our decaying infrastructure. It is time to get realistic. We certainly need to lower many felony crimes to misdemeanors and pour more resources into impacted communities.
Giving low-level drug abusers the help they need would allow us to lose the cost of paying for bright orange jumpsuits and three hots and a cot.