Guest writer

Rethink prohibition

Should treat drugs as medical issue

Two recent headlines disturbed me: "100 million for new prison to go before legislators in '15" and "AG candidates favor more drug courts."

Both actions waste money and are futile. We did the same thing with alcohol until 1933. The end of Prohibition marked the end of the black-market crime related to alcohol, and greatly increased revenue from taxed liquor. Of course, it did not eliminate the problems related to the abuse or misuse of alcohol, nor will repeal of drug prohibition end drug-related problems. More importantly, where prohibition has ended, drug-related crimes and problems have been greatly reduced.

This is a world of human beings, and all the ramifications of being human apply.

In the days before the introduction of drugs to society, a teenager breaking the age-restriction regulation on alcohol purchase risked punishment, but nothing like the punishment inflicted on those being caught with drugs today.

Sadly, I am too familiar with a young man who at age 19 became a convicted felon. He was in a car containing drugs. Because he had access to a $10,000 lawyer, he did no prison time. The other kids in the car, all minorities, got prison sentences. Still, the conviction keeps him from getting a good job.

On July 4 of this year, I heard a presentation by Jack A. Cole that made good sense. Jack, a retired New York undercover cop, founded "Law Enforcement Against Prohibition."

His organization has over 100,000 police and judges as members. LEAP works to create a system of legalization and regulation that will end the violence, better protect human rights, safeguard our children, reduce crime and disease, treat drug abusers as patients, reduce addiction, use tax dollars more efficiently, and restore the public's respect and trust in law enforcement. Find the website at www.leap.cc or contact Jack at [email protected].

Paraphrasing one of three examples from a LEAP document, in 1994, Switzerland began treating drug use as a disorder rather than a violation of the law. Because of this shift, there has been a 60 percent drop in felony drug crimes for persons enrolled in their maintenance program. There is a reduction of 80 percent for those in the program at least a year. Rates of HIV and hepatitis among drug users plummeted. Most importantly, there was significant reduction of illicit heroin and cocaine.

In every country where drugs are treated as a medical issue instead of a crime, the goals of LEAP have been attained. According to one of Jack's handouts, "by eliminating prohibition of all drugs for adults and establishing appropriate regulation and standards for distribution and use, law enforcement could focus more on crimes of violence, such as rape, aggravated assault, child abuse and murder, making our communities much safer. ... sending parents to prison for nonviolent personal drug use destroys families. We believe that in a regulated and controlled environment, drugs will be safer for adult use and less accessible to our children. ... by placing drug abuse in the hands of medical professionals instead of the criminal-justice system, we will reduce rates of addiction and overdose deaths."

Here is a recent headline from the Huffington Post: "If Legalizing Marijuana Was Supposed To Cause More Crime, It's Not Doing A Very Good Job." The article shows a drop in crime where legalization occurred. Something else is happening as well. Colorado made over $35 million on the sale of marijuana as of January of this year.

Are Arkansans going to waste an unspeakable amount of money because a few people think legalized drugs are sinful? Is the state responsible for the moral code? If you are willing to let the moral questions be answered by those affected and their advisers, then state regulation, education and taxation is a reasonable choice.

Realistically, ideologically closed minds are in control (just like 1920-1933), and after the elections, we will get more prisons and drug courts.

At some point, the cost of regulating morality and drug behavior will become too expensive. Common sense will prevail, and drug use will become the medical problem it is instead of a legal issue. I wonder what they will do with all the ugly prisons when they no longer need them to house drug users.

Assume we end prohibition in some form. What happens to the folks in prison for drug violations and those outside prison that are convicted felons? Drug laws are constitutional, so all convictions would stand. Drug use would become legal on the day of repeal.

However, why not reduce our prison load even more by giving freedom for drug crimes not involving distribution or other criminal acts? Next, we should open the door for gainful employment by treating all those released and with drug-use felonies under the new law.

Of course, that would require pardons, and I think that would be a legitimate use of that power.

------------v------------

Richard Emmel of Little Rock is a retired teacher.

Editorial on 07/28/2014

Upcoming Events