Legalize drugs?
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Date: September, 2002
It's been an interesting century. It started with a most unusual
election. And then of course, the events of September 2001.
I think that one thing I've learned this century is that it's
okay to rethink long-held beliefs. Why not, right?
So I think it's time to take another look at the "war on drugs".
I'd like to refer you to a spirited
debate at Yale University,
between New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, and DEA Chief
Asa Hutchinson. In my opinion, Governor Johnson really lays
out a pretty good case.
What's my personal opinion? I think that anyone who carefully analyses
the situation will be dissatisfied with our current policy.
I think it's interesting how little public
debate that we have on this subject. There really are very
few politicians who will raise the issue of drug legalization,
because it's quite taboo. If we have a debate over war on Iraq, shouldn't
we have a debate on our war on drugs?
I think it is time for everyone to write a letter to your senator
and representative. Let them know that it is time
for a national debate on our drug policy. I'm not saying that
it is time to legalize drugs- but I am saying that it is
certainly reasonable to consider it. Don't just give
our government a blank check to keep on fighting the war on drugs
as it desires.
Part of America is its system of checks and balances. Who
is checking our government on the drug war? No one.
I sent my opinions to Senator Dianne Feinstein. Here is her reply, below.
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns with the government's efforts to combat the flow of illegal drugs into this country. I appreciate your taking the time to share your views with me and I agree with many of your thoughts, although I do not support legalization.
With regards to the demand for illegal drugs, both casual and chronic use have been declining, as well as the number of new users. According to a recent report by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), overall drug use in the United States is down 50 percent since the late 1970s. As a result, 9.3 million fewer people are using illegal drugs. Cocaine use is down by 75 percent during the past 15 years. Furthermore, the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and early 1990s has diminished in scope. We have also benefitted from a reduction in the number of new users of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.
On the supply side, the U.S. has been successful in many of our efforts to find and prosecute drug traffickers and decrease drug availability. The increased law enforcement presence at the U.S.- Mexico border since September 11th has resulted in increased drug seizures. Customs officials seized more than 16,000 pounds of cocaine along the border in the last eight months, almost twice as much as during the same period last year. At one of our ports in Texas, seizures of methamphetamine are up 425% and heroin by 172%. By stopping drugs at our borders, we prevent them from entering our communities and fostering the destructive cycle of violence, incarceration, and addiction.
We still have many problems to overcome. The emergence of the drug Ecstasy and a variety of other 'club drugs,' such as Ketamine and GBH, is a problem which must be addressed. Yet I still believe that the current policy of balancing prevention, enforcement, and treatment have kept drugs, and the problems associated with drugs, out of millions of American households. These benefits have had an even wider impact by leading to a reduction in the overall crime rate over the past decade. In a study released last year, the British Home Office found violent crime and property crime increased in the late 1990s in every wealthy country except the United States.
There is a perception that law enforcement officials target drug users and that our prisons are filled with offenders whose only crime is the possession of a small quantity of illegal drugs. In fact, only five percent of federal prisoners are serving time for possession-related convictions. Although slightly more than a quarter of state prisoners are jailed on possession-related charges, many of those prisoners are drug traffickers who plea bargained down to a possession charge or are repeat offenders. The large majority of first time drug offenders do not go to prison.
Even drugs such as marijuana, which is often believed to pose few risks to users, can have a devastating impact on chronic users. In 1999, a record 225,000 Americans entered substance abuse treatment primarily for marijuana dependence, second only to heroin. Moreover, 87,000 people sought treatment at hospital emergency rooms for medical problems related to marijuana. According to the DEA, marijuana impacts young people's mental development, their ability to concentrate in school, and their initiative to reach goals. I would, however, support a compassionate use program if the drug is prescribed by a physician to treat pain, nausea, and other serious conditions, such as are present in some cancer patients.
As a member of the California Women's Board of Terms and Paroles for six years, Mayor of San Francisco for nine years, and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee for nine years, I know that certain and swift punishment can reduce the crime and violence now plaguing so many of our nation's communities. This is why I am an advocate of strict sentences for serious crimes, including drug offenses. I also believe, however, that we must use a number of approaches to combat drug abuse, and support funding for drug awareness and outreach efforts, as well as treatment and rehabilitation programs for recovering addicts. Incidentally, the Delancey Street treatment center in San Francisco is one model I strongly support.
Once again, thank you for your letter.
I believe that any solution to our nation's drug problems requires a continuous dialogue on the issue,
and while we may disagree, please know that I appreciate hearing your thoughts. If you have any additional comments or questions, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. staff at (202)224-3841.
Sincerely yours, Dianne Feinstein United States Senator