After meeting together on Thursday, President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon are now recommitting themselves to the drug war.
The legalization and regulation of drugs — most notably marijuana — is an issue both presidents are open to considering. Yet, both are still pressing on with the war, according to a Law Enforcement Against Prohibition spokesman, Tom Angell.
President Calderon and especially President Obama are both receiving an outpouring of criticism from the pro-legalization group. According to LEAP, the persistence of both presidents to continue cooperating with the drug war is in fact “counterproductive” and a turn in the wrong direction.
LEAP does seem to have a point in this matter. Throughout history it has been evident that prohibitions do not work.
Just take the prohibition that took place in the United States from 1920-1933, for example. Due to the ban on the manufacturing and selling of alcohol in our country during that time, an enormous black market for the product arose, with national underground criminal activity becoming quite prevalent. Is this not the same thing happening now with the drug war?
Sure, there will always be black markets around — we know this. However, the hesitation to legalize marijuana — among other drugs — is becoming a huge setback for the United States’ economy.
What is more, a person should have the right to do whatever it is he or she wants to do. The control the United States’ government has over the American people has once again reared its ugly head.
We have already lost too many lives to the cause and if legalization occurred, many lives would be spared and countless dollars would be saved. Hell, we’ve already spent more than 1 trillion dollars on this pointless war.
With legalization present in the United States, there would certainly be people who abuse this newfound freedom to use. But, would that not be their own fault? I mean, let’s face it. Sometimes we need the crazies around to make things interesting, à la Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus and Charlie Sheen, but I digress.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week there is way too much invested in the drug war to even hope to be able to get out of the whole thing, and sadly, she is correct on many fronts.
Illegal drugs ― especially marijuana ― bring in money to prisons, alcohol companies, pharmaceutical companies, DEA agencies and many more corporations, and — like it or not — our politicians have strong relationships (cough, get a lot of money) with many of them. As messed up and corrupt as this might sound, it is the truth and so it should be acknowledged.
Until politicians are able to ditch their selfish agendas — as they are definitely profiting off the illegal drug crusade — Americans will not be witnessing the legalization of any type of drugs in the near future — or at all.
So, instead we will continue to waste more time, money and apparently disposable lives fighting a war that, with time, could be ended. Yes, with legalization comes certain problems, but these problems do not compare to the amount of resources being wasted and the lives being lost today.
Jessica Wood is a senior biology major and a columnist for the Daily 49er.
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