Two soldiers watch 134 tons of marijuana seized by the Mexican Army burn in the border town of Tijuana, Mexico, in October 2010. (click title to entry - thank you)
It isn't an easy question to answer, but, there is definately a way of determining a solid yes or no to those issues.
…"Political leaders and public figures should have the courage to articulate publicly what many of them acknowledge privately: that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that repressive strategies will not solve the drug problem, and that the war on drugs has not, and cannot, be won," the report said.
The 19-member commission includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former U.S. official George P. Schultz, who held cabinet posts under U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Others include former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, former presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, writers Carlos Fuentes and Mario Vargas Llosa, U.K. business mogul Richard Branson and the current prime minister of Greece….
…The commission is especially critical of the United States, which its members say must lead changing its anti-drug policies from being guided by anti-crime approaches to ones rooted in health care and human rights….
George Pratt Schultz is no one's fool. He is a learned man that has mastered 'policy' from every venue there is for policy. He has served the people of the USA in vital roles within its government and his assessments cannot be dismissed.
His partner is the Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. They were joined by distinguished citizens to come to a concensus on how best to defeat the growing problem of drug cartels and their impingement on nations (that is plural) sovereignty. Currently, Mexico is hanging on but finding it difficult to improve quality of life for its' citizens while fighting a sincere war within its borders with international criminals. Afghanistan has the USA military absolutely confounded to stop the production of opium and instill an economy as profitable as the illegal trade that now exists.
Is it possible for a civilized world to produce currently illegal drugs, classify them, regulate and control them, incorporate them into an economy to serve the people and their economies at lower costs and better quality than the products today on illegal markets? The answer probably is YES.
The next BEST step for the study group to take is a presentation to the General Assembly of the United Nations. This issue cannot die in political propaganda. Affiliated with the global illegal drug trade are illegal trades of weapons and the funding of extremist organizations and that is only two of the very profound problems facing the global community that involves these dynamics.
Drug Addictions COST nations billions if not trillions in economic viability. The citizens fall into influences outside their governments and I might add 'alcoholism' can be a good comparision to begin a comparison. Alcoholism can be treated and treated successfully, but, that would not occur IF prohibition was the law of the land and covert activity was the only means of finding treatment. Imagine having 'back street' alcohol treatment facilities. Nothing short of disasterous and completely deleterious to a society.
To begin, the use of these 'scheduled' drugs have to be looked at closely. If they are to be legal, in order to be effective the drugs MIGHT have to be classified as medications and then there is the uproar about INSURANCE COVERAGE and what is covered and what is not. If these drugs are to be legalized and administered by physicians with the goal of removing their victims from the addiction, there will always be the danger of an underground movement no different than that we see today with perscription drugs. Either it is aggressively treated or the 'illegal drug market' will survive.
The determination of 'benefit' of legalizing this market vs maintaining it as criminal will be found in THE MARGIN of improvement that is gained by aggressive, physician based legalization that overcomes and GIVES ADVANTAGE to the governments around the world rather than the criminals. The best outcome is the marginalization of the criminal element while the legal trade is attractive to citizens, sought out as the best alternative and elevated to a positive aspect to any society burdened with these problems.
It could be done and it should be done. A vigorous Untied Nations exploring the potential and the end of drug cartels should go forward. No one nation can take this challenge on without global consent. It has to be a global focus to stop the cartels. I have confidence if this is approached in an international venue it will not only be successful, but, will provide greater legitimacy to understanding the use of the drugs and where they are to be applied in medicine and where they are not.
To say the medical community of the USA will support these initiatives is an understatement. When my Father at the age of 80, was battling cancer his oncologist stated to him in the presence of his family that if he decided to find comfort in marijuana as a relief to the symptoms he was going to experience in order to survive the treatment regime he would consent to the activity even though he could not legally say so. My son in complete distress and in his 30s was willing to try to find comfort for his Grandfather. Mind, we were all in the same room. My son does not participate in this activity and I know that for a fact, but, in wanting to save his Grandfather's life he would do anything. My Father stringently objected to my son's involvement and thanked his oncologist for being open minded. I am confident the oncologist finds use of these substances within his practice everyday and finds it better to know what his patients are taking into their bodies rather than hide it. There is danger in IGNORING the benefits of substances currently criminalized when people are fighting for their lives and desperate. Something my son said to me after his Grandfather's death was, "If Grandpa had received some relief and appetitite enhancement with marijuana as a treatment, he might still be with us now." No one should ignore those words, because somewhere in this country honest and decent citizens are doing exactly that and might not be telling their physicians about it. Would my Father's oncologist have perscribed marijuana if he felt it would have saved his life? You betcha.
The Study Group needs to go forward with their finding and not let it be shelved as inconsequential to a better world.
