What’s the greater danger: a cancer patient in California or a member of al-Queda in Jersey City or the Middle East?
We all know the answer to that one. But though the war on terrorism is so much more urgent, the U.S. government keeps throwing billions of tax dollars at the war on drugs. We’re already crippling much of the al-Queda terrorist network.
But as long as there is demand for illegal substances, we’ll never make a dent on drug traffic with the so-called war on drugs. All we’ll do is help fund real threats to life and limb: the terrorists and other bad guys. Students of America’s Prohibition era know that the ban on alcohol created a very profitable enterprise for Tommy-gun-toting thugs like Al Capone.
The criminality of the enterprise added to the profit margin. And those easy profits helped fund other crime. Violent crime.
Until a few months ago, another criminal gang, the totalitarian Taliban, also got lots of help from Afghanistan’s traffic in illegal drugs. Of course, it also got money from Uncle Sam to help it fight the drug war.
A few years ago, Californians passed a measure permitting the use of marijuana for medical purposes. A few weeks ago, the Drug Enforcement Agency raided the Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center.
Why? To stop the nefarious relief the Center was giving to AIDS patients and cancer patients in pain.
Let’s stop fighting a failing war that drains our resources, punishes the sick, and bankrolls our enemies.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.