A year after the stock market crashed, 1930, and president Hoover is in office, America is in a state of existential crisis and people are looking for answers and distractions. The Treasury Department created the Federal Bureau of Narcotics under Harry J. Anslinger who directed the agency until 1962 “and molded America’s drug policy” (The United States War on Drugs). Anslinger who was also a prohibitionist, who believed progress could only be achieved by controlling each individual’s impulses and thought that if enough people were put in jail that America would rid itself of drugs. Nonetheless, with these same beliefs, Anslinger, used these to fight the war on drugs. Armed with a Depression snug budget, and an uphill battle Anslinger tried and failed to get state governments involved with the war effort.…
The 18th Amendment, ratified on January 16th 1919, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, export, import and transportation of alcoholic beverages, happened because of the Temperance Movement. It was believed at the time that alcohol was the main problem in society and that it needed to be removed. This moral issue divided people up between those who were “dry” and those who were “wet”. Either way, it was eventually repealed because of the problems that came from it. While that was at the beginning of the 19th century, today we are facing a similar moral issue: the war on drugs.…
my first instinct about decriminalizing drugs is absolutely not, but if you really think about it, it could work. You know when your parents take your phone away, you just really want it? Or in general, you can’t get something you really want. It’s a struggle. But when you do have it, it’s not as much of a priority anymore in your head. It becomes less relevant. I believe that by decriminalizing drugs, it would create a similar reaction. We would work to make these drugs less potent. The drugs wouldn’t be promoted worldwide, instead, be filled with warnings. Then you find the drugs that are more potent, and you take caution with them. Doctors would oversee the dosage and use, while also looking to the addicts. Legalizing these drugs draws out…
Prohibition and the War on Drugs are not so different; both are useless and cause more harm than good to the economy. In time, as what was shown during Prohibition, this “war” will die out. Many “unions” were created to fight the consumption of Alcohol and is shown today for use of Marijuana. Prohibition and the war on drugs have also caused much unnecessary violence that could have easily been avoided if these items were just legalized.…
United States needs to reform their policy on illegal drugs to save taxpayers money and give focus to more important matters. The United States drug policy is way past due for an overhaul. The current policy is outdated and continues to place a huge burden on the justice system ( Nordstrom, 2011). United States of America will benefit from a drug policy reform and a better look on drugs that could serve a medical purpose like Marijuana. The United States has a constant burden put on its judicial system by its current drug policies. Communities around this great country will benefit from a change in its drug policies. Other countries that have a more relaxed approach to their drug laws than the United States have, do not have the problems with illegal drugs like the United States does. Many of the United States drug policies have made its jails and prison overcrowded and dangerous ( Nordstrom, 2011).…
During the beginning of the roaring 1920’s, the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. constitution banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors. It became known as the “Prohibition” era. The Prohibition era left a long lasting effect on the nation still to this day. Banning the sales of liquor manufacture, transportation, and sales created large organized crime/gang activity in the big cities across the United States. Prohibition was difficult to enforce, with many disobeying the law and going around it. A situation very similar today in the U.S. with other illegal substances, is America making a mistake it’s already made?…
In the essay “America’s Unjust Drug War” by Michael Huemer, Huemer discusses the facts and opinions around the subject on whether or not the recreational use of drugs should be banned by law. Huemer believes that the American government should not prohibit the use of drugs. He brings up the point on drugs and how they harm the users and the people in the user’s life; he proves that the prohibition on drugs in unjust. Huemer believes that drug prohibition is an injustice to Americans’ natural rights and questions why people can persucute those who do drugs.…
Many people would claim that President Richard Nixon started the war on drugs. Although it is less well-known today that the Nixon Administration also repealed the federal 2–10-year mandatory minimum sentences for possession of marijuana and started federal demand for reduction programs. He also endorsed drug-treatment programs, and that Nixon only made an effort of continuation towards the states original acts of prohibition dating back to 1905-1914. Even with these programs the U.S. still has a high incarceration count for drug related arrest when compared to other countries. So, are these methods effective for reducing addiction, or is there a better alternative to the war on drugs?…
Many have said that the war on drugs is a failure and needs reform. Others have lamented that the war on drugs is a war that cannot be won and valuable resources and money has been used up. Drugs are cheaper, purer, and more easily obtained than ever before. The war on drugs is futile. This paper will discuss why the United States should end the war on drugs.…
One of the arguments against legalization of drugs is what we have all grown up hearing which is “drugs are bad”. This reason has been said throughout most of our life and is what we learn in schools. However, legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco have caused more harm than illegal drugs. Another argument against legalization is that it would send mix signals to children. Drugs are bad and “just say no” have been sayings we have all learned growing up. However, if drugs were suddenly legal children would be confused. The rates of use can fluctuate in high school students with their confusion about drugs. Another argument against legalizing drugs is that the drug epidemic for late 1800s to 1900s ended because of society’s shift in attitude…
Legalizing drugs could be one of the smartest, most useful things we could do as a country. Only the ones who chose have to participate. If you don’t want to do drugs, works at a drug store, etc. you are not being asked to. But if these things become a reality, the country will be safer and more prosperous…
Drug wars would also be diminished; it is estimated that earnings from drug sales are between 14 billion to 50 billion dollars. By 2013, there were 120,000 deaths that have occurred by the Mexican drug cartel and 27,000 missing. If we legalized drugs in the United States we could make the product here, so that there wouldn’t be any need for the Mexican drug cartel. Not only would we be helping the United States but also we would be contributing to the demise of the Mexican…
I think the “War on Drugs” had a negative impact on the affected communities because of the institutional racism that existed. Many individuals, especially minorities in low socioeconomic communities were unlawfully targeted. Individual rights were ignored to achieve agency standards to combat the inflation of drugs on the streets. Historically, a distrust remained constant between law enforcement and minority communities and only continued to decline during the War on Drugs era. Today, law enforcement as an institution continue to pick up the broken pieces and gain the trust of the communities in which they serve and protect.…
The first reason I believe that the approach to criminalization of drugs would not be feasible is because most, if not all, federal drug laws are questionable in character in terms of effectiveness. An example of this is the failure of prohibition in the 1920's. Fast forward to now, this century old issue has now morphed into the war on drugs. The federal government has limited power in that it can only exercise the powers that have been delegated to it. According to the 10th amendment, the rest of the powers are given to the states and the people to protect American democracy. (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2080345_2080344_2080384,00.html). Therefore, implementing certain drug laws is not a promising approach to combat crime in the United States.…
The United States should decriminalize illicit drugs because it is a thing of the past, ineffective, and hurts millions of Americans by tarnishing both reputations and legal standings in society as well as families.…