Ever since a declaration on the war on drugs was made a few decades ago, controversies have not been far off. Top on the list of these controversies has been the issue of drug legalization. There has been sharp criticism on this declaration and the resultant courses of action with some analysts equating it to Albert Einstein’s definition of madness; repeating the same thing over and over while expecting different results. In a nutshell, it has not produced the desired results (Bernd, 2008).
Up until the year 2000, half of the U.S. drug-control budget, about 9.2 billion dollars, was pumped directly into the various enforcement strategies while a paltry one-sixth was allocated into treatment (Alter, 2001). The time is ripe to consider legalization over prohibition, given the comparatively high cost, and the failed efficacy of the prohibition strategies that have not worked.
A change of drug policy is an idea whose time has come as seen from the various studies that are already conducted. The U.S. citizenry has added their voice to calls for policymakers to consider legalization first as an option that is extremely potent in terms of its efficacy, then preventing any further waste of many needed resources. In fact, during President Obama’s inauguration back in 2009, ending certain drugs prohibition was among the most popular ideas presented to the president through an online survey. Public opinion has grown strongly in favor of the consideration for some form of legalization (Citizen’s briefing book, 2009).
By legalizing drugs, the illegal cartels will immediately lose a significant number of customers and make the drugs cheaper. On the other hand, the correlation between crime and drugs is all too clear if we consider the inverse. The more stringent and punitive the punishment or associated the laws become, the more costly the drugs will be to acquire. With the high cost of acquisition, drug users will be more likely to engage in criminal activities so as to get money for purchasing expensive drugs. The youth are particularly easily lured into the flashy and glamorous lifestyle of drug dealers and the erroneous notion that they can make quick money (Kane, 1992).
One of the most controversial results of the prohibition strategies is the incarceration rates. The U.S. features among the top in incarceration rates. About a quarter of the world’s incarcerated population is behind bars in the U.S. and most of these offenders are incarcerated for drug-related offenses. This is proving to be costly for both the various states and, ultimately the government to sustain these growing numbers (Terance, 2005). From an economic and efficacy point of view, prohibition strategies have been wanted and the costs and burdens are usually spread unfairly to the citizenry of whom the majority are not even remotely involved in drugs in any way. Taxpayers in the U.S. fund the entire prohibition strategies’ costs including the costs of their implications (Davis, 1998).
The legalization of drugs in the U.S. is not the silver bullet in its own right to the war on drugs. Nevertheless, it would go a long way in significantly reducing the widespread and harmful effects of drug use. It will further do away with the profits and even corruption from the drug trade. In truth, this might increase drug use due to the reduction of street prices; however, this may be checked through the introduction of excise taxes on the manufacturers similar to other European nations that have successfully implemented legalization. The revenue collected from these taxes can then be used for other preventive, educative, and treatment initiatives (Becker, 2001).
Proponents and stakeholders of prohibition, however, insist that they have made significant progress and that these should not be abandoned in favor of the legalization rants that are becoming too popular. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) which falls under the U.S. Department of Justice released a summary report challenging the calls for drug legalization through the presentation of facts about the progress on the war against drugs. These facts include the progress since the 1970s (just about the time the war on drugs was declared) until recent years. The DEA claims that the number of drug users has dropped by nearly 10 million in the U.S. and that cocaine use has declined by 70% in the last decade and a half alone – about 4.1 million users less (DEA, 2003).
However, before diving into the rants for legalization and controlled access to drugs through say, a regulatory scheme of whatever kind, it will also be critical that policy and lawmakers consider the potential for abuse. The value for their legitimate use also needs to be properly calculated and, this may mean evaluation of each of the drug types to avoid a blanket policy that might be counterproductive (Moore, 1990).
It seems to be a consensus that the issues that have plagued the war on drugs are based on the drug laws and policies laid down, and not the drugs themselves. Whichever way one looks at the war on drugs, the case for decriminalization or legalization of drugs seems much stronger than the case for criminalization. This is because even from a moral standpoint, it is easier and more efficacious to prevent drug use by persuading people than it would be through incarcerating them (Henderson, 1991).
References
Alter, J. (2001). The War on Addiction. Newsweek, February 12, pp. 37-43.
Becker, G. S. (2001). It’s Time to Give Up the War on Drugs. Business Week.
Bernd D. (2008). Einstein, insanity and the war on drugs. Web.
Citizen’s briefing book (2009). Seen on change.gov website. Web.
Davis, W. (1998). Consequences of Illegal Drug Control. Southwestern Journal of Economics 2(1): 165-178.
DEA (2003). Speaking Out Against Legalization. Web.
Henderson, D. R. (1991). A Humane Economist’s Case for Drug Legalization. U.C. Davis Law Review 24(3): 655-676.
Kane, J.P. (1992). The Challenge of Legalizing Drugs. America. Rpt. in Should Drugs Be Legalized? Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Health and Society. 2nd ed., Eileen L. Daniel, ed. Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing Group.
Moore, M.H. (1990). Drugs: Getting a Fix on the Problem and the Solution. Yale Law and Policy Review 8: 701-728.
Terance D. M. (2005). Punishment: a comparative historical perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.