While growing up in the sixties ..I regularly bought, sold and used drugs. Mostly marijuana and psychedelics. The experience taught me that drug laws don’t work ..and interdiction is a war that cannot be won. Newspaper reports confirm it daily. The US spends a half-billion dollars a year on anti-drug efforts in Mexico ..while trafficking operations have progressed all the way to the Canadian border. For one thing, laws don’t make a difference to the regular user; they take it or leave it for reasons of their own. Local drug dealers don’t worry much either ..if they’re discreet; they stay mostly below the radar. Trafficking, however, is another story. Trafficking is a high-risk venture, which, in turn, makes it a high-yield enterprise. It is so lucrative that contrabandistas can afford to outfit private militias ..and, using weapons purchased from the US, outgun local law-enforcement agencies. It’s gotten so brutal; twice as many civilians were killed in the crossfire last year than all American service men who have died in Iraq so far. I grieve. I have a friend who lives in Austin Texas and regularly crosses the border at Nuevo Laredo to visit family in Mexico. Nuevo Laredo is considered one of the most dangerous border towns ..second only to Juarez in number of civilian casualties. Now, if anything should happen to her ..I am going to be far more outraged at US lawmakers than Mexican drug cartels. I don’t believe the cartels would exist if their trade weren’t so lucrative. It’s not US demand that’s keeping them in business ..it’s the US war on drugs that’s doing it.
8 comments:
Hmmm... that's food for thought. I've always believed that more people die as a result of drugs being illegal... but have never quite thought of it in these particular terms... but, I guess it comes out to the same thing, eh?
Half of the illusion created about marijuana was when William Randolph Hearst wanted to make newsprint from his lumber mills and forestry investments. Corporate manipulation for profit.
I'd heard that, Brad, no more paper from hemp...
I dreamed The Army Corps of Engineers was trying develop a power generator at Fort Roberts (on 101). The land was used to redevelop industrial hemp agricultural techniques to create a Greencoal for more energy with less carbon footprint. To address the pollution coming across the Pacific form China, this innovation could win a double credit for our debt to that Government.
Drug use IS the disconnect from symptomatic responsibility for the problems that provoke the need for treatment. Just the fact that illegal drugs fund ALL wars could inspire legalization funding.
Nice dream... keep on dreamin' it :)
I did not know Hearst was in on it …thanks Brad
I now see how the timber industry benefits ..thanks Shimmerrings
Unfortunately, I’m also aware how the legal establishment benefits. Legalization would put a lot of defense attorneys I know out of business.
Wasn't the whole marijuana thing originally intended to scare people into stopping Mexican immigration? It wasn't even outlawed at that point I don't think, but there was a stamp act and you had to have the federal stamp to possess it or something but the government never actually printed the stamps - it was one of those "oooh, those dirty Mexicans taking our jobs and smoking pot..." or some such crap - feel free to correct me...
I don't really know for sure. What I do know is : caffeine is the most widely used drug available and that's cool with folks, those damn "Patsy" commercials confuse my daughter ("Look, her mom thinks she stole something!"), and the fact that the Just Say No/Red Ribbon campaign at my kids' schools throw alcohol and cigarettes in with heroin really pisses me off.
That is all.
Cookie ~ You’re right. A marijuana tax was enacted during the depression out of fear that Mexican immigrants were taking away US jobs. You had to get a stamp and pay a tax to use marijuana. It wasn’t until the 70’s that the US actually outlawed marijuana. I’m sure there’s a lot more to this story. Thanks
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