End The Racist War on Drugs

Most people believe their body is their "temple" and that they should be able to consume any substance they believe except certain types drugs. These are the drugs which the government has claimed unfit for public consumption. The mass of the public has recognized that alcohol prohibition was failure during the 1920's. State violence against the consumption of this tasty beverage only created a black market environment which led criminal gangs controlling the distribution of alcohol. As a result, of the still continuing consumption of alcohol under prohibition and the government influenced violence that came along with it, the masses had enough and alcohol prohibition was repealed. The unemployed army of anti-alcohol enforcers then turned their eyes to other substances. Government officials and religious figures proclaimed that drugs, like marijuana and cocaine, were said to cause blacks and Mexicans to attack whites. Furthermore, opium was said to cause Asians to exhibit the same behavior. Of course, like then and now , whites consumed more drugs than any other race and every other race is disproportionally imprisoned. The main issue, however, is that drugs should not be illegal in the first place since the act of taking drugs, like alcohol, is not harming anyone but the individual user. Drugs were legal throughout most of our history and there were not bodies littering the streets. The drug war was and continues to be perpetuated by government propaganda and thankfully the American people have been waking up to the fact that the drug war is failure. So, why end the drug war?

1. A massive boost to the economy (Especially in California; a state that needs a boost the most). Marijuana is already a multi-billion dollar industry and it is only legal for medicinal purposes. Imagine the thousands of jobs created by legalizing this relatively harmless plant (compared to alcohol). Even more jobs created when considering legalizing hemp, a plant you can't get high off of, which is used in the production of paper, rope, jewelry, and clothing.

2. Lower crime rates. Crime would obviously plummet since the victimless crimes of drug possession and distribution would no longer be crimes. Violent crimes would also be reduced since the price of drugs would decrease. This would allow addicts to "get their fix" without feeling the need to steal and potentially kill to have enough money to buy the drug. By the way, how often do you here bums killing people for alcohol? With not having to worry about drug-crimes, police could actually spend their time on violent crimes. Consider this an economic boost since billions of dollars would be kept by taxpayers and there will be no more funds confiscated through taxation to pursue drug users and distributors. Prison populations will also decline saving the taxpayer millions and perhaps billions of dollars in the future.

3. Less death. Drugs in a free market equal cleaner drugs. In other words, manufacturers will have access to every type of material that will allow them to give customers with a product that will have less immediate and damaging effects on their physical health. Drug addicts will then have more time to get the available treatment necessary to help kick their habit. Leaving happier families and more people to teach the negative effects drugs have on the person. People should remember the dire effect that poorly made "bathtub gin" had on alcohol consumers which left many people blind or dead.

4. They won't be cool. Most teens get involved with drugs because it is a rebellious activity. Drug use declined substantially in the Netherlands which lead a health official to conclude, "We've succeeded in making drugs not cool anymore".

5. Government would no longer have the legal precedent to regulate everything else we put in our bodies; from raw milk to natural supplements. You know, the stuff that is actually good for you!

Let us reclaim our natural right to treat our "body as our temple" and end the "War on Drugs"!