King County’s sensible take on drugs
The Seattle Times: Opinion: King County’s sensible take on drugs
King County is sending minor street drug users and sellers through drug courts instead of incarcerating them; its average daily jail count is down from 2,800 to 2,000. The Washington Legislature was persuaded to cut back drastically on mandatory drug-possession sentences, apportioning funds to adult and juvenile drug courts, and family “dependency” courts. Tens of millions of dollars have been saved.
Finally, somebody, somewhere, is seeing sense.
Prohibition has failed to stamp out markets and quality, or increase street prices for cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana. The drug war kicked off by President Nixon in the 1970s costs $40 billion or more a year. It is a massive, embarrassing, destructive failure.
Just think, that’s $133/year for everyone in the US.
A realistic program could start with respecting young people, providing them honest information, on uses — and the demonstrable dangers — of alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Goodman notes that in the 13 states where medical use of marijuana is authorized, teen use is down. “It’s not as cool when grandma uses marijuana for cancer pain,” he says.
There’s surely no risk-free “exit” from today’s terribly destructive drug war. But we have to try — and should thank communities and states with the courage to lead.
Amen to that, hopefully this will be an unmitigated success, and we can trumpet it everywhere and end this foolish war.