We somehow did not learn from Prohibition.
The Prohibition Era is ingrained in the minds of Americans as one of our biggest mistakes. How could we possibly think banning alcohol was a good idea?! Let’s be realistic here people are at all times going to drink, whether the law says they can or not. And if they cannot get alcohol legally, they will get it the other way around. Enter the Mafia.
So why do not we feel the same way when the war on drugs creates vicious cartels?
In fact, the cartels have been responsible for enough violence and damage to be considered a war in its own right, spanning large parts of Central America. Initially, drug smuggling was carried out by sea from the Caribbean. After being discontinued, he moved to Colombia, a country legendary for its cocaine production and subsequent wars which brought its production to Bolivia and Peru. Those countries are now the biggest cultivation sites, while production has shifted to Ecuador and Venezuela.
Mexican drug cartels took over most of the business, and the trade quickly escalated into violence. The cartel has penetrated Mexicans so much that the most significant insurance to buy for a Mexican family is kidnap ransom insurance. Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico, did a good job of minimizing violence there. That means Honduras inherited air smuggling. The crackdown continues, and has now come full circle
back to the Caribbean. [1][2]
So now, cartels and drug smuggling operations have spread and infiltrated at least six countries.
Today’s drugs aren’t any different from alcohol in the Prohibition era where there’s demand, there will be supply.
We started legalizing marijuana almost half of the country has passed statewide laws. It’s a terrific start. This will impact the war on drugs considerably, by taking supplies out of the hands of cartel authorities.
Cannabis is the first step, but what about the next? Can decriminalization of drugs as a whole work?
We have already got a real life case study: Portugal in the early 2000s. Social scientists could never experiment with decriminalization for diverse reasons, but Portugal decided to go it alone.
Portugal’s decriminalization was fueled by the country’s almost uncontrollable drug problem. As a last resort, they give it a try. Not only certain substances, but decriminalization of everything. And it worked. Drug abuse cut in half. Fewer deaths, less addiction, lower user login rates. [3]
Yes, total decriminalization may be a long way off for America. But we must embrace the momentum behind hash legalization and critically examine the flowing evidence about the effects of the war on drugs. Currently, both of this stuff clearly lead to decriminalization.
[1] “Full circle.” The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, May 24, 2014. Web. Sept. 29, 2014.
[2] “Press Down, Pop Up.” The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, May 24, 2014. Web. 08
October 2014.
[3] Erik, Cain. “Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Has Halved in Portugal.” Forbes.
Forbes Magazine, July 05, 2011. Web. Sept. 28, 2014.
