Despite the death and destruction, many argue that he War on Drugs is not working, and that it is too expensive to fund a program that does not work. Recently, the European Commission has echoed this sentiment by finding that the War on Drugs has not reduced "the production, trafficking, availability, or use of drugs" (O'Keeffe, 2009, para
The plane crews obtain approximately 5,000 pesos per kilo for their work. Marijuana is more profitable than any crop that is grown legally in a countryside that, besides its beauty, is not meant for human living (Castaneda, 1999)
The Congress established, in 1932, a unit in the Treasury Department called the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) which was charged with the enforcement of federal anti-opiate and cocaine laws. At the same time, the functions of the Federal Narcotics Control Board and Narcotics Division were consolidated by the Congress (Lurigio, Rabinowitz and Lenik, 10)
Another reason for the failure of the war on drugs is dealers who have been caught have overwhelmed the United States justice systems and elsewhere in the world. In the United States for instance, prosecutors declined to file charges in 7,482 drug cases in the previous year simply due to lack of time (Neal 162)
Their first endeavour targeted the Medellin cartel that was one of the profitable cocaine trafficking organizations at the time, and their method of extortion initiated the kidnapping of a member's sister, namely Jorge Ochoa. The result was not as favourable as they had hoped as the organization responded by launching a counter attack and used the trafficked money to fund a death mission Muerte a Secuestradores" (Death to Kidnappers) killing and destroying as many people and outlets of the terrorist group till the kidnapped victim was returned safely in early 1982 (Duzan, 1994)
This was where it all began, the link between the drug and terrorism industries that so strongly exists today was first formed here in a way where both parties were equally benefited in the short and long run. That negotiating pattern is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why this link sustained and still remains so strong (Ehrenfeld, 1990)
$311 million resulting from extortion and nearly U.S.$551 million resulting from drug links (Falcoff, 2000)
Cocaine was a much stronger and much more popular drug and most drug dealers more money in its trafficking than any other drugs. This was a pattern that was also fast emerging within the United States and was the reason President Nixon pioneered the concept of War on Drugs in an attempt to nip the problem at the bud (Hudson, 1995)
At times, in recent years we have also seen that with such a strong relationship between the drug industry and terrorism, the Columbian government has stepped forth with violent opposition that has yielded significant results. This research will thus focus on the organizations FARC and AUC and their overall background and input in the drug-terrorism link (Kempe, 1990; Hudson, 1995)
Furthermore, the constant monitoring and examinations by the government does not allow the free flow of illegal drugs. Hence, the terrorists borrowed the idea of taxes for protection in order to suitably and regularly fund their terrorist activities (Laqueur, 1999)
Compared to 1969, when only 12% supported legalizing pot, the majority of Americans today support legalizing recreational use of the drug. Sixteen states have decriminalized the possession of marijuana -- it is not legal in these states, however there is not criminal consequences to possessing the drug (Bloom, 2015)
The World Health Organization (WHO) found 3.3 million deaths in 2012 were attributed to alcohol consumption and a comparative assessment published in Scientific Reports found alcohol to be 114 times more deadly than marijuana (Castillo, 2015)
" However, this "war" has become largely unpopular with the American people. The federal government is spending over twenty-two billion dollars alone on a so-called war that 76% of the population view as a failure (Head, N
Furthermore, there is growing evidence from other countries that legalization is an effective way to combat drug abuse. For example, health experts in Portugal have stated that Portugal's decision 10 years ago to decriminalize drug use and treat addicts rather than punishing them is an experiment that has worked and there is no doubt that the phenomenon of addiction is in decline in Portugal (Kain, 2011)
Sixteen states have decriminalized the possession of marijuana -- it is not legal in these states, however there is not criminal consequences to possessing the drug (Bloom, 2015). Furthermore, It is legal to purchase marijuana in four states -- Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington -- as well as in the District of Columbia (Stebbins, 2015)
Retired prosecutors, judges, police, and probation officers who had a firsthand experience about the war on drugs came to the conclusion that the downsides are far greater than the potential advantages. The group does not favor drug use, but advocates for a new system of legalization and regulation it believes will bring an end to all drug-related violence, minimize crime rates, safeguard the children, minimize addiction, and put tax payers' money into better use (Green, 2015)
Defend your Position Drug legalization is a very complex issue. Most Americans are not in favor of it, but there is still a powerful and very audacious lobby in the United States that is of the opinion that the proper course to take is legalization (Hartnett, 2005)
As earlier mentioned, some are of the belief that it is possible to tax drugs eventually, thereby creating the much-needed revenue. One central legalization tenet is that it would remove underground drug markets, since drugs would be openly available (Mineta, 2010)
Buckley, the columnist and conservative icon, has long campaigned for the legalization of drugs. According to Congressman Rangel, legalization is a very dangerous idea that should be buried once and for all (Rangel, 1998)
They were also of the opinion that legalization would create more emergency room visits, ambulance calls, and fire and police responses. In 2002, the costs of direct health care attributed to cases of illegal drug abuse were $52 billion (U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, 2005)