Drug War Has Failed And Governments Should Explore Legalizing Marijuana, Says Report The beginning of the end of the drug war?
Every politician has dismissed it and the newspapers are putting "celebrities against drugs" on every title. Nobody really cares.
Still, it's a start. When successful, influential people come forward with rational arguments for legalization, the government can't dismiss them as hippies and stoners anymore. Even if lawmakers ignore the report, it at least shows the public that serious, intelligent, sober people support legalization, and that's half the battle.
The GCDP is not entirely composed of "celebrities". For the UK, I've been finding articles like: BBC News - Dame Judi Dench and Sting head drug rethink call War on drugs has failed and caused 'devastating consequences for societies worldwide' claims global narcotics watchdog | Mail Online Which details of a separate action(from the GCDP) by 30 celebrities like Sting and Judi Dench to petition the Prime Minister.
From the article, "The 19-member commission includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former U.S. official George P. Schultz, who held cabinet posts under U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Others include former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, former presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, writers Carlos Fuentes and Mario Vargas Llosa, U.K. business mogul Richard Branson and the current prime minister of Greece." How in the hell could they possibly title it celebrities against drugs? That's fucking ridiculous.
Because around 30 people(not quite all celebrities, some articles indicate something like 3 former police chiefs, and maybe other non "celebrities") signed an open letter calling for the Prime Minister of the UK to consider decriminalizing drugs. This occurred on the same day as the GCDP releases their report and has their press conference(in about 5-10mins). The open letter is related to and inspired by the GCDP, but it is NOT the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Now if only some American politicians and celebrities would show some balls and sign an open letter to the President.
3 Hours later, and I still haven't seen any video of the press conference, maybe none exists. Latest news regarding the GCDP Report: Here's this quick ITN News report: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGpR7JeBuWw]YouTube - War on drugs 'not working'[/ame] Washington Post is asking: Marijuana legalization: Is the war on drugs working? - BlogPost - The Washington Post Report: The Global War on Drugs Has Failed. Is It Time to Legalize? - Global Spin - TIME.com War on drugs has failed, report finds - CNN.com World Leaders Urge An End To Marijuana Prohibition - Toke of the Town Major Panel: Drug War Failed; Legalize Marijuana - FoxNews.com White House Pushes Back on Report Declaring War on Drugs a Failure - FoxNews.com Major panel: Drug war failed; legalize marijuana - US news - msnbc.com
I found it funny how they said the report was misguided. Haha how can under minding organized crime be misguided??
Not just organized crime, but terrorism. The FARC guerrillas in Colombia supply the US with cocaine and the Taliban grows poppies for Europe's heroin, and Mexico's cartels are at least as violent as most terrorist organizations. Western governments are spending billions on the drug war while our worst enemies are exploiting prohibition to fund themselves.
I read another article yesterday, entitled, "If Monterey falls, so too does Mexico." To see how little attention this report is getting makes me think this is how the 1971 Schaeffer commission largely went down as well- unnoticed. My local paper had it buried as the last story under "National" news. Still, I cannot think but what a strange consortium of individuals the panel is made up of. Paul Volker? Former Fed Head? Has he really had a change of heart after presiding over prohibition's best interests (Wall Street.) Sorry, but something smells funny about this commission. Plenty of people are posturing to make themselves the benefactors of a legal landscape. I think they see $$$$ and are pushing the agenda their way. Perhaps the Schaeffer Commission was filled with similar special interests and was largely ignored for that reason as well??
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2va0BeAXmI&feature=feedf]YouTube - Global Commission On Drug Policy Calls For Drugs Legalization[/ame]
The age old saying came into my mind "The cat's out of the bag" This is definitely the start of the legalization process because these power house speakers aren't going to give up their platform until they win. It's only a matter of time. This WHOLE scenario reminds me of the end of Pirates of the Caribbean 3 when the captain went down with his ship but knew it was coming. It's the same thing, marijuana is going to be legalized and then because of that unemployment WILL drop, I can practically guarantee that.
Ecstasy wont be legalized. That shit scares me anyways since you never know when you'll OD on that shit.
Don't write something like this when it's 100% wrong. It's no joke when most the people I know would rather have an honest system that educates everyone about safety precautions of drug use. In a time where there are more fake synthetic drugs being sold than real drugs we need to get rid of this underground market and promote harm prevention.
it's great that most people are noticing how much of a waste this drug war has been. politicians are such spineless bastards by just ignoring this.
Its really really hard to overdose on MDMA. However, Prohibition allows people to buy MDMA cut with amphetamines, methamphetamines, coke, caffiene, or ketamine and call it "ecstasy". The main reason MDMA is cut with harmful drugs is because its cheaper for whoever is making it. And since theres no regulation....its more difficult to get pure MDMA, which is obviously the only part of 'ecstasty' that you want...