The United States’ Global War on Drugs

We have now had three presidents in the Unites States who, admit it or not, have partaken in the consumption of various illegal drugs.

Bill Clinton would have never been elected had it not been for the fact that compassionate medical marijuana use was on several state ballots, getting the youth vote out and giving him the winning edge in California.

Most of us probably remember his infamous declaration that he tried cannabis, but didn’t inhale. Once elected, he did nothing to stop Reagan’s misguided War on Drugs; if anything he made it worse.

Then came Bush the Younger, who was a confirmed alcoholic and mass consumer of cocaine as well as abusing prescription pills. But he prayed himself well and went on to start two disastrous wars that have cost untold lives and misery. He further increased spending for the War on Drugs, while the Afghani poppy fields yielded the highest production on record. (We’ve got to be kind to those warlords that are helping us, you know, that Northern Alliance.)

And now we have the Great White Hope, Barack Obama, who openly admitted that he smoked “quite a bit” of weed and also consumed cocaine. He even appointed an attorney general who admitted to having smoked marijuana. So it was with great relief that some of us assumed that the perpetrators of the War on Drugs would finally follow the advice of the members of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and legalize weed.

BUT NO! To the disappointment of so many of us hopeful for the change he promised, he lied about every change: We still have Guantanamo; we left a horrendous mess behind in Iraq, exiting practically Vietnam style; and immediately after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, he ordered that infamous build up of 50,000 troops in Afghanistan, obviously to protect the opium trade (just my opinion, but after what I witnessed in Central America I feel qualified to make that assessment).

Since he took office in January of 2009, he has waffled and heed and hawed about the issue of medicinal marijuana in the states where it is legal to dispense the herb to those suffering from a variety of diseases and conditions, including the side effect from cancer treatment. But regardless of state laws, The Drug Enforcement Administration and other misguided federal law enforcement authorities continue to waste valuable resources that could be used in busting meth labs and the importation of heroin.

Just on Monday, April 2, 2012, Obama’s war on medicinal marijuana raided another facility, one which was to bring civility to the medical use of marijuana. This took place in California of course, where state law is always trumped by federal goons wearing jackboots, camouflage, and the latest in urban assault weapons.

This is not just an issue about weed. It is the age old issue about state’s rights. Marijuana smoking, like masturbation, is essentially a victimless crime. If only the Feds would form Strike Forces to go after the wankers sitting at 200 West Street in New York, the Goldman Sachs people, as well as the Bank of America folks and Countrywide’s Lizard Frère, Angelo Mozillo. These people are the ones who have wrought havoc upon the USA, not those who are trying to bring relief to the suffering.

And of course, like the old Reagan trickle down economy, the War on Drugs also has a trickledown effect. In Mexico alone more people have been killed than the USA lost in the Vietnam War. Had the United States’ drug policies not been so skewered from the outset, the Treasury would have saved hundreds of billions of dollars. And the country’s prisons, now mostly privately run for profit, would not hold the largest amount of prisoners anywhere in the world.

Mr. Obama, you promised change. You delivered lies and more lies. You deceived your volunteers and all those of us that worked so hard to get you elected. And it’s not just about the weed. It is about almost every promise you made. Do you have an “Etch-a-Sketch” yet? If not, perhaps I should send you one! I urge all my readers to send him one because surely all of his are worn out.

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Written by Jamie Douglas who writes a regular column for Expat Daily News Latin America and Voices From Exile. Jamie encourages his readers to write to him at: jd_mex@yahoo.com with any questions or suggestions you may have.

Disclaimer: Jamies is not in any travel related business. His advice is based on his own experiences, and is free of charge. (Donations accepted). Jamie assures me that: “It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.”

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.