The Drug War: Absurdity is U.S.

The definition of insanity attributed to Einstein has become hackneyed from over use, but how else would you describe America's war on drugs? This country tried alcohol prohibition in the earlier part of the 20th century and it didn't work. Americans still consumed illegal beverages with abandon. Bootleggers brought alcohol in from Canada, the Caribbean and any other country they could. Gangsters made millions of dollars from the illicit trade and consumption of alcohol. There were gun battles on our streets and innocent people as well as criminals died.

Since alcohol prohibition didn't turn out so well, this country decided to apply the same illogic to drugs and so began the Great American War on Drugs, another shining example of American absurdity. Consider this - Americans still consume illegal drugs with abandon. Drug dealers and cartels are importing drugs from Mexico, the Caribbean and any other country they can and they are making billions of dollars from the illicit trade and consumption of drugs. There are gun battles on our streets and our borders and innocent people as well as criminals are dying.

Finally, one state is attempting to push aside the great big blob of stupid this country has been wallowing in for years.

California Proposition 19 would make the sale and use of marijuana for many purposes, beyond medical use, lawful and taxable in California: Proposition 19, also known as the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, is a California ballot proposition which will be on the November 2, 2010, California statewide ballot. It legalizes various marijuana-related activities, allows local governments to regulate these activities, permits local governments to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes, and authorizes various criminal and civil penalties. In March 2010 it qualified to be on the November statewide ballot.

Marijuana is the number one crop in California valued at 16 billion dollars. Legalizing and taxing marijuana would bail the state out of the financial mess they are in, but more importantly Prop 19 would remove the financial incentive for lawbreakers. Legalization would reduce the stress on the prison system and some of the tax dollars could be used for education and rehabilitation. The case load for law enforcement agencies would be reduced and it is estimated that legalization would save over $200 million per year in enforcement costs.

Of course, the voice of insanity has to be heard and that voice belongs to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder who has promised that should Prop 19 pass the feds will pursue with a vengence all avenues to contradict the decision of the voters. Damn the will of the people! And, his reasons? Holder says that legalizing marijuana would seriously hamper the Fed's "joint" efforts with state and local law enforcement to target drug traffickers and would seriously undermine efforts to keep California communities safe. Safe from what...the existing drug related gang wars on the streets?

What about those so called joint efforts? Several years ago I sat on a extended Federal Grand Jury in the Middle District of Florida. During those years we jurors heard a hundred or more drug cases. Every single one of those cases to be prosecuted by the U.S. Assistant Attorney's General were street users and low level dealers with just barely enough illegal substance to satisfy requirements for prosecution. The local police were busting every user they could find in a Palmetto ghetto. They popped a man sitting on a park bench in Robles Park who had a couple of rocks of coke but was too stoned to realize there was a uniformed cop standing next to him. None, absolutely none, of the people we indicted were higher up the drug chain.

Holder and his superiors are idiots if they think we can win the war on drugs, besides...there are too many people in government and big business who have too much to lose if the drug war insanity is not perpetuated.

Let's hear from a voice of reason:



Judge Jim Gray currently presides over the civil trial calendar for the Superior Court of Orange County.