Excellent post on the Audacious Ideas blog by Dan Morhaim, emergency medicine physician and state delegate from Baltimore County, on the failed war on drugs. Go read it.

Jammed prisons, AIDS, destroyed families, crime victims, terrorist funding: the toll is immense. Addiction treatment is a critical step but just a beginning. Isn’t it time our society had a full, open, honest, and intense discussion about drugs? Shouldn’t we admit that the War on Drugs has failed and that other policies deserve exploration?

The answer, of course, is hell yes. Carefully controlled legalization of heroin and cocaine would improve society from Baltimore to Mexico to Colombia to Afghanistan. It's a radical move, but it can't be any worse than what we have now. Just do it.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: War on Drugs
        

Libertarian and George Mason University Professor Don Boudreaux sends this sensible letter to the New York Times:

While in Mexico, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will pledge U.S. help in the fight against violent Mexican drug suppliers ("Clinton Says U.S. Feeds Mexico Drug Trade," March 26).

It's interesting to reflect that when Mrs. Clinton visits France she need not pledge U.S. help in the fight against violent French wine suppliers. Or that when she visits Belgium she need not pledge help against violent Belgian chocolate suppliers. Or that when she visits Colombia she need not pledge help against violent Colombian coffee suppliers. Or that when she visits Japan she need not pledge help against violent Japanese automobile suppliers.

I detect a pattern! When goods and services can be produced, sold, and consumed legally, suppliers of these goods and services are peaceful and not violent.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux

Imagine the overnight plunge in killings, government expense and support for terrorism -- from Baltimore to Bogota to Kabul -- if cocaine, heroin etc. were legalized and carefully regulated.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: War on Drugs