15 Ways the Drug War has Failed and How to get Involved

The War on Drugs in the U.S. is one of the most damaging and expensive courses of action the country has ever seen. From a huge increase in spending to an even bigger increase in prison population, here are 15 reasons why to end the Drug War and a few ways you can help end it.

1. Mass Incarceration

American Civil Liberties Union / Via (aclu.org

Most of America’s prison system is filled with nonviolent drug offenders. Prisons are becoming privatized and built everyday while our education system is crumbling. The land of the free holds 25% of the world’s prison population (SSDP)

2. Institutional Racism

Philadelphia Magazine / Via cdn.phillymag.com

While minorities and white American’s use drugs at the same rate, minorities are arrested at a much higher rate. African Americans make up only 13% of drug users, but account for 38% of drug arrests and 62% of drug convictions (SSDP)

3. Civil Liberties

Southern Coalition for Social Justice / Via southerncoalition.org

Responsible people should have the right to put things into their own bodies if it doesn’t harm anyone else in anyway.

4. Hemp Capabilities

Grow Switch / Via growswitch.com

Industrial hemp has over 100 different uses and no psychoactive properties but is still treated the same as smokable marijuana

5. Black Market

The Denver Post / Via thecannabist.co

Drug Cartels and other criminal organizations rely on the illegality of drugs to make huge profits in the black market. In a regulated system, these illegal funds could be turned into tax revenue for the country.

6. Treating Addicts as Criminals

Via dualdiagnosis.org

People who have a serious problem with addiction are treated as criminals and punished rather than given the help they need. Harm reduction and education techniques help find and treat the underlying causes of addiction while preventing unsafe drug use in dangerous environments like the streets or prison.

7. Police Militarization

CBS News / Via cbsnews2.cbsistatic.com

As tension builds between people and the police due to the Black Lives Matter movement, police forces are upgrading vehicles, weapons, and tactics to military status.

8. Medicine Is Unavailable

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies / Via upload.wikimedia.org

Medical Marijuana patients may be forced to move or stay in hiding to treat their conditions where expensive and dangerous pharmaceuticals cannot. Other research is being done into MDMA and LSD assisted psychotherapy. Significant success has also been found in using a non psychoactive derivative of LSD to treat cluster headaches

9. Harms of Legal Drugs

Via tumblr.com

Classic psychedelics are being proven through research to be much less harmful and addictive than legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol which are leading causes of death in the United States

10. Asset Forfeiture

Via danieljmitchell.wordpress.com

When arrested, some offenders have personal property and cash seized with no possibility of return, even for a simple non violent drug offense. A person may have their car seized if it is determined that it was used for a drug transaction.

11. Mandatory Minimum Sentencing

Via wordpress.com

Drugs are punished with different sentences, where crack has a sentence 18 times that of the same amount of powdered cocaine. Until only recently, the penalty was 100 times more. Crack is much more likely to be found in minority communities due to price.

12. Permanent Employment Restrictions

Via philadelphiacriminallawyers.com

A criminal record for nonviolent drug offenses can keep people, including medical patients and recovered addicts, from getting a good job.

13. Separation of Families

Via cdn-ugc.cafemom.com

Nonviolent offenders and those guilty by association can have their children taken away or be forced to miss out on their childhood

14. Taxpayer Cost Burden

Matador Network / Via cdn1.matadornetwork.com

The drug war costs taxpayers who do not support it billions of dollars where taxed and regulated marijuana could generate billions per year in tax revenue. The war on drugs costs an average of $15 billion annually (SSDP)

15. IT'S NOT WORKING

Via thewire.com

If the war on drugs had any effect on drug use in America, we would see a steady decline over the years since the controlled substances act. Drug use has flat-lined in the United States while spending has skyrocketed (thewire)

Ways You Can Help

Drug Policy Alliance / Via drugpolicy.org

Shocked and looking to help make a change? Here are some ways to help get involved in drug policy reform:

* Volunteering

Helping organizations and nonprofits can help influence change in public policy

* Contacting Elected Officials

The personal touch from constituents can persuade officials to do as the people want

* Phone Banking

Phone banking can help spread the word as well as strengthen the movement in number

* Canvasing

Another way of spreading information and gaining support

* Rallys

Great for networking and public exposure

* Petitions

Easiest way for regular people to say they were involved and send a message

* Organizations

SSDP

If your school doesn't have a chapter already, think about leading the conversation by starting a chapter today! Visit http://ssdp.org/chapters/start/ for more info

NORML

MPP

Regulate RI

LEAP

DPA

Join the Movement Today!

Students for Sensible Drug Policy / Via ssdp.org

Help end the war on drugs! Visit www.drugpolicy.org and www.ssdp.org today to learn more.