The war on drugs began during the administration of Richard Nixon.
At the time, Nixon and his contemporaries used the fears of American suburbanites to rally votes and enthusiasm for what they claimed was a monster coming to claim the lives of their children and loved ones.
But the problem is – Nixon’s efforts made things worse.
The flow of cocaine in the US, for instance, has surged since Nixon’s time. Overdoses of opiates have skyrocketed.
And it’s not just ease of access, increased purity of drugs, or any other variables that modern life could adjust for.
The war itself is a problem. By ostracizing and criminalizing drug users, the country has set up a system where they’re punished for trying to break the cycle – so few do.
By driving drug dealers underground, they’re richer than ever – and getting smarter at dodging legal accountability. Instead, their clients (the addicts) are caught and suffer, and the cycle continues.
Recently, President Biden pardoned approximately 6,000 Americans convicted of possessing a small amount of marijuana. And it was a step in the right direction. But as long as prohibition remains for hard drugs across the country, the war will rage on – and good people will continue to lose their lives.
Biden has to get braver – and it doesn’t seem like he’s inclined to try. In part because the for-profit prison lobby is massive, and they’re lining the pockets of politicians to keep the addict pipeline flowing. To fill cells, they need people to break the law – and addicts always will in pursuit of remedies for their disease.
This would help Joe with his son Hunter. Do it Joe!
Just make sure that you, as journalists, have the actual facts, instead of reading memes from Instagam. This statement: “Recently, President Biden pardoned approximately 6,000 Americans convicted of possessing a small amount of marijuana” is patently incorrect.
Lets discuss this a bit. Not a single person in the Federal prison system is there because of “possession of small amount of marijuana.” What happens under Federal guidelines is that drug dealers get arrested and charges with possession with intent to distribute. Based on plea deals, they will often plead to simple possession to avoid a more serious sentence. Thus, nearly all the people that Biden “pardoned” were, in fact, drug dealers, not simply marijuana users.
I am fine, BTW, with most drugs being completely legalized and taxed/regulated by the Fed Government (provided that our effective tax rate would be lowered significantly). If that’s what we want to do – but lets not spin this thing into how great Joe Biden is at crime….