Busting the War on Drugs
NYC's marijuana arrests higher than the arrested
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
Illustration by Suzanne Exposito
Even presidential candidates now admit that they've smoked. When asked during the primaries, Obama gave the classic reply, "I inhaled frequently, that was the point." It's impossible to overdose on marijuana and in fact it has been proven to have many positive health benefits, including treatment for nausea associated with chemotherapy and glaucoma. According to a
Billions of taxpayer dollars are wasted pursuing a senseless battle. Thanks to totalitarian "tough on crime" measures, more than half of America's prison population of more than two million at the end of 2008 is non-violent, according to the Bureau of Statistics.
"open to public view."
Additionally, there is a racist component to these marijuana arrests, as documented by Professor Henry Levine of Queens College. According to his 2007 report “Marijuana arrest crusade: Racial bias and police policy in New York 1997-2007," police have largely targeted people of color. More than half of those detained were black even though blacks make up a mere 26 percent of New York City's population.
Additionally, there is a racist component to these marijuana arrests, as documented by Professor Henry Levine of Queens College. According to his 2007 report “Marijuana arrest crusade: Racial bias and police policy in New York 1997-2007," police have largely targeted people of color. More than half of those detained were black even though blacks make up a mere 26 percent of New York City's population.
Luckily, things are looking up in some places. This November California voters will be given the opportunity to take a first step in the right direction when they are asked via ballot proposition whether or not the recreational usage of marijuana should be legalized. A recent poll revealed
that 56 percent of Californians favor legalizing marijuana, so it is likely to pass.
Nobody should ever go to prison for drug usage; if a person commits a crime while on drugs then they should be prosecuted for the crime itself. In the long run, a non-violent drug user who has been imprisoned with hardened, violent criminals harms society in a much greater way by being removed from the labor force and humiliated to the point where he or she might end up leading dead-end lives once released from prison. In a free society, adults should be able to choose what substances to consume and anything less is an affront to personal liberty.
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