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On DrugsAmerica is entrenched in a so-called "war on drugs." This "war" is the criminalization of all things relating to drugs, including, but not limited to, possession, and distribution. As anyone with an open mind may see, this "war" is an abysmal failure, and is based upon faulty assumptions, which give rise to illogical actions. The situation in the United States is a grim one, but there is hope. One way to correct the system is through the legalization of narcotics. While for many this is far too liberal a solution, one may see why it is the correct one by looking at why the current system is a failure. One of the primary faults in the war on drugs may be uncovered by looking at the simple economics of the situation. Here, one must accept the fact that drugs are, as defined by economists, a product or good. They are scarce in supply, in that there is a limited quantity of drugs in the world. Due to this fact, drugs are subject to the laws of supply and demand, as would any other good. Before going further with this argument, it is necessary to look at the people involved in the drug trade. Despite possibly severe consequences, untold numbers of people enter into this market for the same reason anyone starts a business: to make a profit. With this in mind, we may continue with the previous discussion. The laws in the United States making narcotics illegal greatly restrict the supply in the marketplace. What this fact guarantees is that the price of drugs will be higher than if there were no outside forces affecting the market. In truth, this restriction pushes the price of drugs well above what it costs to produce them. That fact is what creates the profits that make the drug business appear so lucrative. This fact also creates problems which point out the failure of the current system. One problem that people have with drugs is all the violence that occurs because of them. Drugs, however, are rarely the actual issue. What is at stake, though, are vast sums of money. Because of the profitibility of the drug business, violence ensues. Desperate people, who, by virtue of entering the drug trade of are already criminals, will take desperate measures. If these actions require breaking other laws, it is of little consequence. What conditions could lead one to such actions could be the topic of another essay that dealt with the various injustices of the American political, economic, and social systems. Suffice it to say, however, that there are underlying causes which make the drug issue one which sows the seeds for violence. Now, one sees that there are flaws in the economics of the drug war. What one must then look at is how the situation would be if there were many fewer restrictions on supply. As any first-year economics student could tell you, when the supply of a product increases, the price will decrease. In the case of drugs, though, one must be careful to note that it would not be a slight increase. The market would be flooded, and as a consequence, the price would decrease dramatically. This would severely hinder the prospects of making a substantial profit. This would also help to greatly curtail violence related to drugs. One may counter this economic argument by saying that if drugs were legal, more people would use them. This, however, is hardly an absolute conclusion. Most people would, most likely, continue not to use drugs. It would even be possible to see a downward trend in consumption. This idea is further developed later. The current institutional view on drug policy also fails to take cues from history. Case in point is the Prohibition-era United States. This failed attempt to keep America sober failed for the same reasons that this attempt to keep America "clean" will. First of all, people continued drinking during that era. No law or consequence could stop a great many people from consuming alcohol. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, are the negative consequences of this child of the temperance movement. The best example of these horrible, albeit unintended, side effects was the rise of organized crime. Organized crime groups came about for the same economic reasons that has created the violence associated with the drug trade of modern America. The public simply continued to demand a product that was illegal. As a result of this, groups formed to take advantage of the highly profitable situation. The same holds true today as it did last century. Another aspect that one must consider when looking at how to treat drugs are the reasons that people use them. One obvious reason is to become inebriated, or to escape from reality. Most people who would use drugs for these reasons most likely already do so, even while it is illegal. There would be, at most, a modest increase in users, as most people would choose not to use drugs citing the health risks involved. Another reason that people do drugs is for purposes of rebelling against authority. Adolescents quite often begin to use drugs as a way to rebel against various authorities -- parents, school, government, and society in general. With the elimination of laws banning drugs, the usage of drugs would no longer be the rebellious act that it is presently. This factor could help to reduce the number of new drug users. At least one additional social dimension demands attention. This issue is the unfair rates at which African-Americans and other minorities are convicted of drug-related crimes. With vastly more minorities being punished, a vast injustice is being served. This issue helps to further strain race relations in the United States. The cause of this has been claimed that it is "easier" to catch those involved in the inner cities across the country -- and those areas simply happen to be predominantly minority. While this may happen to be true, it is not fair, as well as not legal. With various laws requiring equal protection under the law, it follows that the laws are meant to apply universally. But in the case of prosecuting drug crimes, this is not so. They are applied in larger numbers where it is "convenient." This is a sort of geographic discrimination. It punishes inner city minorities, while, in a manner of speaking, "protects" those in the suburbs and rural areas -- primarily whites. Laws must not be applied only where they are easy to do so. This is yet another reason why the drug laws are illogical, and unjust. To further my point, I will point out some of the benefits of the legalization of narcotics. It would allow the government to do what it does best: tax. Excise taxes could be placed upon drugs, as is already the case with tobacco, and alcohol. This money, combined with the savings from less crowded prisons, could be earmarked to rehabilitation programs -- a far superior choice to jail. This tremendously helps society. Legalization would also allow for regulation. Restrictions could be placed upon who could sell, as well as at what age one could purchase drugs. To better protect society in general, laws could be strengthened or enacted to stiffly punish those who cause harm to others while under the influence of drugs do such things as drive. The war on drugs is proving everyday to be a dismal failure. It breeds violence, strains race relations, and causes many other adverse effects. The legalization of drugs could provide an excellent way to correct these ills of society. |