Doe1
Johnny Doe
Mr. Ersinghaus
Composition II
October 17, 2011
Legalization and the War on Drugs
The United States and Mexico are at war. The war is not being fought thousands of miles away in a dessert or a foreign jungle, this war is being waged right on the US-Mexico border. The fight is to prevent and prohibit the use of illegal drugs in both countries. Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroin, and many other substances are consumed in massive amounts in the United States. A large portion of these drugs come from Mexican drug cartels that have taken over the illegal drug trade since the fall of the Columbian drug cartels. Although there have been countless arrests and massive amounts of drug products have been confiscated and destroyed, many believe that this war has long since failed and new methods to end to the violence death must be sought.
With the death toll in Mexico consistently growing due to the increasing violence of the drug cartels that are still fighting for control of the American drug trade, US and Mexican officials are being urged to explore new alternatives to all out war with the cartels. According to a 2011 New York Times article named US Widens Role in Mexican Fight by Mark Mazzetti and Ginger Thompson, American officials have realized that the violence of the cartels has begun to spill over the border into the US itself. In attempts to prevent further violence on both sides the US has started to work closer with Mexican law enforcement exploring new methods of drug prevention. According to Mazzetti and Thompson, “American Predator and Global Hawk dronesnow fly deep over Mexico to capture video of drug production facilities and smuggling routes. Manned American aircraft fly over Mexican targets to eavesdrop on cell phone communications. And the D.E.A. has set up an intelligence outpost staffed by Central Intelligence Agency operatives and retired American military personnel on a Mexican military base” (6). While working closer with Mexican law enforcement, the US hopes to actively prevent drugs from being smuggled into the country, as well as disrupt the cartels’ operations in the United States.
Despite these new methods of disruption and prevention the question remains, are these the correct methods to end the drug problem, or should we explore options other than all out war? Some believe that the war has all but failed and that there has been little or no change in America’s consumption of illegal drugs. According to the June 2011 Report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, we must explore the option of legalization of all illegal drugs. The report uses expert opinion and data to back up a very strong argument, that legalization or decriminalization would have a profound impact on the use of drugs in the US. “A key idea behind the ‘war on drugs’ approach was that the threat of arrest and harsh punishment would deter people from using drugs. In practice, this hypothesis has been disproved many countries that have enacted harsh laws and implemented widespread arrest and imprisonment of drug users and low-level dealers have higher levels of drug use and related problems than countries with more tolerant approaches. Similarly, countries that have introduced decriminalization, or other forms of reduction in arrest or punishment, have not seen the rises in drug use or dependence rates that had been feared”(10).
The report also uses case studies of other countries’ efforts to end drug problems with methods of legalization and decriminalization. “In July 2001, Portugal became the first European country to decriminalize the use and possession of all illicit drugs. Many observers were critical of the policy, believing that it would lead to increases in drug use and associated problems. Dr. Caitlin Hughes of the University of New South Wales and Professor Alex Stevens of the University of Kent have undertaken detailed research into the effects of decriminalization in Portugal. Their recently published findingshave shown that this was not the case, replicating the conclusions of their earlier studyand that of the CATO Institute” (10). The CATO Institute is an organization that deals with public policy. The report done by CATO is an in depth study regarding the effect of the decriminalization law that was implemented in 2001 by the Portuguese government. The report written by Glenn Greenwald, a lawyer and civil rights litigator, outlines how Portugal has experienced great successes with their decriminalization and drug treatment programs. Studies like this prove that there are alternatives to the drug war that should be explored by the US and Mexico alike.
Despite their projected benefits, the belief in alternative options is not without criticism. Many believe that the drug war is working and is accomplishing its goals. In a 2006 article named Arguments Against the War on Drugs Are Based on Dangerous Myths, Attorney General Dan P. Alsobrooks, claims that the war on drugs is in fact working and that legalizing marijuana and other drugs is dangerous for the United States. Alsobrooks contends that the movement to legalize drugs mainly marijuana is based largely on harmful myths that are perpetuated by media outlets that this well funded movement. These myths include,the belief that jails are full of people with petty drug crimes and that drug abuse is a victimless crime. “A final myth being advanced by legalization supporters is that decriminalization will not increase drug use. This is a fatalistic kind of a "que sera, sera" argument: "whatever will be, will be." Decriminalizing drugs sends the dangerous message that drug abuse is not harmful. This, an obvious lie, ignores the fact that drug abuse claims the lives of 14,000 Americans annually and costs taxpayers nearly $70 billion. In conveying this message, society would be tacitly approving the use of drugs. If drugs were legalized and market forces prevailed, what, for example, would stop the marijuana industry from sponsoring commercials for children to see during Super Bowl halftime” (17)? Despite Alsobrooks’ attempts to instill fear in his audience, his statements lack supportive evidence, his claims that if drugs were legalized children would see “marijuana commercials” are baseless. Should we ban beer commercials since they advertise a drug as well?
Further arguments against legalization of drugs include the belief that this would do nothing to stop the violence brought forth by the illegal drug trade. In his 2009 article Up in Smoke John Walters, former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy claims that illegal use of marijuana directly funds the Mexican drug cartels. “Marijuana sales are the single largest source of drug profits for these criminals on top of funds from kidnapping, protection rackets, alien smuggling, and car theft. Not enforcing our marijuana laws makes these terrorists stronger. Pretending to take legalization seriously makes them stronger still” (11) claims Walters. Although Walters may be correct by saying that marijuana sales are the cartels’ largest source of income, his claim that taking legalization seriously makes them stronger is unproven. Some believe that the cartels actually fear American belief in legalization. These criminal organizations murder and kidnap in order to secure control of the illegal drug trade in the US. Removing the legal ramifications of possession of these substances could in fact reduce American dependence on marijuana grown in Mexico because it would be legal to grow in the US.
The increasing violence in Mexico and along the US-Mexico border has prompted a growing debate about the effectiveness of the war on drugs. Despite thousands of arrests and drug seizures throughout both countries, availability of illegal drugs remains constant. In fact according to the Global Commission Drug Policy Report, since the beginning of the war on drugs forty years ago, organized crime control of the drug trade has actually increased. The report states,“When the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs came into being 50 years ago, and when President Nixon launched the US government’s war on drugs 40 years ago, policymakers believed that harsh law enforcement action against those involved in drug production, distribution and use would lead to an ever-diminishing market in controlled drugs such as heroin, cocaine and cannabis, and the eventual achievement of a ‘drug free world’. In practice, the global scale of illegal drug markets largely controlled by organized crime has grown dramatically over this period” (4). This tells us that the current methods being used to fight the war on crime have been ineffective in putting an end to drug use and sales in the US.
Regardless of the apparent lack of success in the war on drugs, the US continues its campaign which grows more costly at every turn. A September 2011 article in The Los Angeles Times called Mexico Under Siege,by reporter Ken Ellingwood describes the cartels’ dumping of 35 bodies under a busy overpass in Boca Del Rio. The bodies are believed to be those of people involved with the drug trade in Mexico. Mass murders like these have become commonplace in Mexico, where the death toll continues to rise. “The grisly scene Tuesday was the latest sign of the spiraling violence that has engulfed Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched a military-led offensive against drug cartels soon after taking office in late 2006.The death toll nationwide has climbed above 40,000, largely as a result of fighting between trafficking groups that have shed old alliances or split apart as leaders have been arrested or killed during the government crackdown” (10) says Ellingwood. This was a brazen move by the cartels and what is believed to be a message to Mexican law enforcement as well as rival cartels.
There are reasonable assertions on both sides of this issue, and in spite of their differences they do recognize that the drug problem in America and Mexico has reached a boiling point. Amid increasing violence and a rising death toll, this war with the cartels threatens the security of both countries. The US must open up to new possibilities and ideas to combat this threat. Considering the legalization or decriminalization of illegal drugs is simply a step in some direction other than all out war. As the cartels fight for control of the drug trade we must consider that America happens to be one of the world’s largest consumers of illegal drugs. This presents us with a large degree of responsibility to correct the problem. It is clear that the methods we have used in the past such as prohibition have proven ineffective at best. Much like the 1920’s we have organized crime at war with one another as well as the law, and similar to then, all sides are encouraged by prohibition as this battle continues to draw closer to American streets.
Works Cited
Alsobrooks, Dan P. "Arguments Against the War on Drugs Are Based on Dangerous Myths." At Issue: Legalizing Drugs. Ed. Stuart A. Kallen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Tunxis Community College. 17 Oct. 2011.
Ellingwood, Ken. "Mexico Under Siege." Los Angeles Times 21 Sept. 2011: 1. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.
Johnson, Gary, Gov. "Hitting the Cartels Where it Hurts; Legalization of Marijuana Would end Drug Profiteering and Violence." The Washington Times 8 Aug. 2011: 1. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
"Global Commission on Drug Policy." Global Commission on Drug Policy. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.
High: The True Tale of American Marijuana. Dir. John Holowach. Perf. Keith Stroup. Terra, 2008. HD-DVD.
Mazzetti, Mark, and Ginger Thompson. "U.S. Widens Role in Mexican Fight.(Foreign Desk)." The New York Times. (August 26, 2011): A1(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Tunxis Community College. 18 Oct. 2011.
Mike Miliard. "The Time Is Right to Abolish Federal Prohibition of Marijuana." Current Controversies: Medical Marijuana. Ed. Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Tunxis Community College. 26 Sep. 2011.
Walters John. "Failing to Enforce Federal Marijuana Law Supports Mexican Criminals." Current Controversies: Medical Marijuana. Ed. Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Tunxis Community College. 17 Oct. 2011.