LOS ANGELES, CA -- Over the weekend, as news of the tragic passing of Whitney Houston spread, speculation about the cause of death and the award-winning singer’s history of drug use caused many people to reconsider our nation’s failed war on drugs. Among them was fellow singer Tony Bennett, who called on attendees of a pre-Grammy gala to join him in the fight to end drug prohibition.
"First it was Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse, now the magnificent Whitney Houston," he told the audience. "I'd like every person in this room to campaign to legalize drugs. Let's legalize drugs like they did in Amsterdam. No one's hiding or sneaking around corners to get it. They go to a doctor to get it."
While Holland hasn’t actually legalized drugs, its policies are focused on reducing the harms associated with drugs, rather than arresting nonviolent drug users. Most significantly, the possession and sale of small amounts of marijuana are tolerated by the government, which has separated marijuana from the market for harder drugs. As a result of this policy and more readily available treatment options, drug use and addiction rates in the Netherlands are far lower than in the United States.
“Addiction is always tragic, but our nation’s knuckle-headed approach to drugs only makes matters worse,” said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. “Prohibition hasn’t stopped people – including Whitney Houston – from using drugs. And arresting a person for marijuana – like what happened to Whitney Houston in 2000 – is more harmful to the person than the use of marijuana itself, which even President Jimmy Carter publicly stated way back in 1977.”
“If we were to remove the threat of arrest, many people who need help for drug use would be more likely to seek treatment, and this is certainly true for marijuana, which is the most commonly used illegal drug,” said Kampia.
“If we took marijuana out of the criminal market, where dealers have an incentive to sell their customers harder drugs, a large number of marijuana consumers would never be exposed to harder drugs. Just think about alcohol stores – when you go to buy a bottle of vodka, is there a pile of cocaine sitting on the shelf?”
@Crw
I really don't see how you can defend Marijuana prohibition when the FACTs are that it does increase violence related to a relatively safe drug. It is your opinion that legalization will increase consumption, but the facts are that it does not, it actually leads to reduced use. Look at portugal. Read up a little bit and get the correct information before you post propaganda that further reinforces our need to legalize marijuana to enable a safer America. I don't want my 18 year old getting weed from some guy around the corner that could have it laced with actually harmful drugs. The trend for highschoolers using marijuana may also be because they've figured out that Marijuana is relatively harmless. If anything we need to push for Marijuana to be as easily accessable to young adults 18+ as possible to curb hard drugs. If you disagree then American reefer madness and propaganda has claimed another mindless sheep for their cause.
I don't know how anyone can sanely argue that prohibition makes addiction worse. The biggest toll of addition is on families, and the biggest offender is alcohol because it is accessible. Making other drugs more accessible is supposed to reduce the impact of addiction? I think not.
There are many argument for and against legalizing drugs. Reducing the impact of addiction is not an argument in favor of legalization.
For the first time in a while the trend for high school student consumption of marijuana has started heading upward. It is precisely because the de facto decriminalization in states with medical marijuana laws and the push for legalization that has made pot seem "less bad."
A simple truth is that legalization will *INCREASE* consumption of any drug. Any argument saying legalization will reduce consumption and addiction is simply wrong.