The gateway to end the drug war lies in the path of least resistance, marijuana.
Conserving the use of public money is the primary job of all government. Many people in government recognize that the drug war is a failure in its present form, which is punishment. It is a drag down on the fabric of society.
The people in government now are the same people who were present to marijuana use over the last few decades. Even the seated politicos who may not presently use marijuana, know that it does not kill, and would be fine for others. In short, pro-legalization.
It is not a lethal drug and has been proven to be safer than alcohol.
Marijuana is too expensive for our justice system, while returning little benefit in its prohibition. The costs to law enforcement and prosecution of 750,000 individuals a year possession is high and so many cases clog the court system. Possession cases create expensive inefficiency for police, attorneys, judges, and corrections officials, leaving them less time for violent and sexual crimes.
The taxation of marijuana may provide desirable income.
To legalize marijuana has no affect on the continued prohibition of other drugs, though we have little indication that prohibition has any positive effect on users of any intoxicants. To enforce prohibitions are costly. Tax proponents believe that the income could be used for treatment, rather than incarceration.
Activists and advocates have so long been punished for their work, that they've fallen into a rhyme sounding like, "
at war with the drug war". So used to speaking this way, that they live their own language.
Oddly, there are socially liberally minded people attacking fiscal conservatives outside of reason. Activists have assumed an outcome and conclusion without knowing that the people and plans that it fights has every intention to stop the insanity.
The time is now, to work with your elected officials to end the war on America. Many of them are already working to do this and help is what is needed, not ad hominem attacks on the profession that someone chose in government.
The Boulder District Attorney's office shows a willingness to see an end to marijuana prohibition. Currently, there exist some differences of opinions on enforcement versus what is prosecutable. The DA does not want to waste money on what may be decided as spurious and vexatious; wasting the court's time. He asks a judge to decide how these laws are to be enforced. What is necessary for violation, what is not. An opinion of the court on state law.
The DA asks another branch of government to intervene in where the scales tip. The legislators didn't speak clearly enough. If they dislike how the law will be enforced, the general assembly can amend it, but the DA must still enforce what is written.
Marijuana legalization advocates should applaud this effort by Stan Garnett. There is little clarity and it's getting dimmer and more muddled each day. There is no reason to prosecute cases where the court will continue to acquit the defendants. An opinion of the court may trigger the Colorado senate to bring more clarity, even legalization.
Some individual communities have found ways to end prohibition locally, by their unwillingness to participate in state sanctioned prosecutions. Where fines have been reduced and jail sentences removed. Advocates for legalization must give accolades to success and work cooperatively with people in government to bring the war to an end.
Warring over marijuana is not effective and costly, no matter whom the aggressor are.