The reason why the “War on Drugs” continues to grow is because of the benefits it gives to those in charge. This “War” feeds the Prison Industrial Complex that has many politicians and CEOs making money hand over fist due to the amount of people being sent to prison. This major increase in prison rate ever since the creation of the Mandatory Sentencing Guidelines in 1987 was planned. People knew that the incarceration rate would increase because all they were doing was widening the net (creating more laws) in order to catch the “bad guys” that make up the 8 percent rule, where 8 percent commits 70 percent of the crime.

Something that I disagree with you on is that forms of legalization would force us to spend billions more that we already do. We currently spend billions of dollars a year on the “War on Drugs” with continued failure to show for it. Some options would be decriminalization. It would be similar to Amsterdam where drugs are tolerated in small amounts and to have a needle exchange. What this would do is to stop overcrowding the courts and prison system and decrease disease. A second option that I think might work better would be a deprofitization/monitored distribution. The government would be in charge of distribution sites where drugs would be sold with recyclable hypodermic needles and rehab program information. This would be monitored similarly to how medications are sold in drug stores. This would help decrease the possibilities of disease because of the clean needles. This would also take every drug dealer out of business. The drugs would be sold at a much lower price than anywhere else. it would automatically take them all out of business because people would most definitely go for the lower price.

This option would also dramatically help our economy. The government would have specific companies grow/create the drugs (which would take out drug impurities) and the profits would go towards drug education, rehab programs, and many other ares that need enhancement. Legalizing the growing of hemp is another great option for raising the economy. Hemp does not have anywhere close to the amount of THC desired by marijuana users and can be used for many different things. It is currently being used in Europe in door panels of BMWs, clothing, and paper. It takes 100 acres of trees to make the amount of paper 1 acre of hemp makes and hemp grows in a year where trees take decades. This would also create a lot of jobs.

Once again, I do agree with the idea that families and social bonds need to be strengthened but I think that the best way to do this is by decreasing the prison population. Increasing the population (primarily African American males, but recently, many females) is taking fathers away from children, income away from a household. Single female headed households lead to a much higher chance of the children ending up in prison. Attacking the policies and laws that make up the “War on Drugs” is going to be the most effective way of helping our children and communities.

I was refering to those that are in prison for selling it. Sorry for not making that transition clear.

I don’t think drug use is about economics at all and I don’t believe people are saying economics is part of the problem.

The problem is primarily the void, as you mentioned. Love, self worth, something is missing. For some, it’s a matter of finding something that fills that addictive personality.