OK. That’s not really news. But this report is kind of a big deal. So says the BBC, the “Global war on drugs has ‘failed’.” Imagine that. The panel included former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the former presidents of Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil, the former US Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, the current Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou, former US Secretary of State George Schultz, and Virgin rich man Richard Branson. That’s a heavy lineup.
The White House?
“The White House rejected the findings, saying the report was misguided.” Thanks, Obama. Hope you enjoyed that blow when you were younger. And the fact you weren’t arrested for it.
The BBC story is worth quoting at length:
Their report argues that anti-drug policy has failed by fuelling organised crime, costing taxpayers millions of dollars and causing thousands of deaths.
It cites UN estimates that opiate use increased 35% worldwide from 1998 to 2008, cocaine by 27%, and cannabis by 8.5%.
The authors criticise governments who claim the current war on drugs is effective:
“Political leaders and public figures should have the courage to articulate publicly what many of them acknowledge privately: that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that repressive strategies will not solve the drug problem, and that the war on drugs has not, and cannot, be won,” the report said.
Instead of punishing users who the report says “do no harm to others,” the commission argues that governments should end criminalisation of drug use, experiment with legal models that would undermine organised crime syndicates and offer health and treatment services for drug-users.
It calls for drug policies based on methods empirically proven to reduce crime and promote economic and social development.
The commission is especially critical of the US, saying it must abandon anti-crime approaches to drug policy and adopt strategies rooted in healthcare and human rights.
…
The office of White House drug tsar Gil Kerlikowske rejected the panel’s recommendations.
PCM here's some more reports coming out in the near future that the White House will accept:
-Arrest quotas are the best policy for community relations.
-Privatization of our police makes economic sense
-Drug addicts should be in a revolving door of justice.
-Pot is an evil, destructive, and physically addictive drug (see Reefer Madness).
-Alcohol is awesome (Drink Bud Light, it's almost water!)and synonymous with Freedom.
-Monolithic multi-national drug corporations (see: "People")are looking out for your interests.
-Prisons are so effective, we're moving to debtors prison as well.