“I 've never had a problem with drugs. I 've had problems with the police.” This quote, told by Keith Richards, represents a major problem affecting the rights of the American people. Contrary to what former presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan and much of the American population believed, the effects of illegalizing drugs and declaring the “War on Drugs” have been far more detrimental to the wellbeing of the nation than if all of the drugs on the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) were made legal or even decriminalized. Although many people believe drug legalization may eventually lead to an increased crime rate, each and every drug on the Controlled Substance Act deserves to be legalized because organized crime would be crippled, taxpayer money would be saved, and the government would generate revenue. Legalized drugs would be much safer and would also help in slowing the spread of deadly diseases, like HIV/AIDS.
"The simple fact is that transnational organized crime is big business in an increasingly globalized economy. From China to Nigeria to Mexico, entrepreneurial criminals will navigate around laws and across borders, supplying illegal or illegally acquired goods and services to meet the demands of the highest bidders" (Haken, Jeremy pg. 1). This quote offers insight into the scary truth behind organized crime gangs and terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda, the cartels of South America, and the different Mafia syndicates by helping to give an understanding to the rate in which they are spreading, multiplying, and wreaking havoc all over the world. All of these groups control a major share of the black market drug trade and are in control of the drugs that enter the country as well as used by millions of people every day.
The consumer is left clueless as to what he or she is buying and what harmful chemicals the drugs have been cut with, for example, most street heroin is only 3 to 6 percent pure and