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Defeat in the Drug War.(International)(drug trafficking)
Byline: Adam B. Kushner
Not so long ago the only people who called for decriminalizing drugs were extremists on the left and right who distrusted the state. Now heads of state are making the call, led by those on the front line of the failing war on drugs. Five former presidents of Colombia, Brazil and Mexico (including incumbent Felipe Calderon) have called for some decriminalization. In the U.S., President Obama (who once called the war on drugs an "utter failure") halted raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in California, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed taxing pot to close the deficit. Last week, Obama's new drug czar said the "war on drugs" is outdated.
THE IDEA: The drug war stigmatizes users of drugs that aren't truly bad (pot), costs billions, and doesn't stanch supply or demand. Decriminalization could sideline violent traffickers and free up money for prevention and addiction-treatment. (Outright legalization violates a treaty the U.S. helped write; decriminalization would make drug possession a misdemeanor or a civil offense resulting in a fine, rather than a felony.)
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...Mayor Bauman's call for a truce in the drug war, a counterproductive campaign if there...to the amount it spent last year on the drug war?" The answer is 2:5. That boggles...a great deal, the requirements of the drug war for just one year dwarf that amount...
