Drug Trafcking and Control - Written by Zach Hayes

The war against drugs is an initiative that costs the federal government over $15
billion a year. Even with this amount of money spent to combat drug use and its
importation to the U.S., drug usage is on the rise. Marijuana use exceeded 17.4 million
in 2010, up from 14.4 million in 2007. It seems that with our current methods, the war on
drugs will continue on into the indenite future. We at the New Peoples Republican
Party have a new outlook for the war on drugs that will save the taxpayer money, and
make the regulation of drugs a reality.
The NPRP would make cannabis legal in the U.S., allowing for privatization and
commercialization among corporations. Just like the tobacco industry is regulated by the
FDA based on a public health standard, so too could marijuana. The FDA would
regulated the manufacturing and sale of marijuana in the United States. If
manufacturers jump on board and start offering safe marijuana products on store
shelves for consumers, then people would not have to buy drugs from a dealer, a
potentially dangerous activity. Drug cartels who previously shipped drugs into the U.S.
would soon nd competition on the market, making their efforts less protable. This
could potentially limit cartels prots so much so that they stop shipping it in illegally.
The key to this solution is getting companies to start producing cannabis and
getting it on the market. The companies could be established tobacco companies like
RJ Reynolds, or new ones. Both the federal government and the states currently have
taxes on tobacco. The federal governments tax is $1.01 on every pack sold. A good tax
on marijuana would be around that price as well, enough for the government to see
some revenue while cheap enough not to promote smuggling. Smuggled drugs are a
problem now not only because of the extreme lengths smugglers go to get them across
the border, but because normally harmless drugs like marijuana are being tainted with
harmful toxins, such as laundry detergent, that cause people brain damage and cost
taxpayers further with unnecessary hospital visits. Whatever business may
commercialize marijuana, their product will be well-regulation by the FDA to ensure
purity.
A person might say, Wont making marijuana more easily available increase the
amount of users? The answer most likely would be yes. However, states have the
power to limit consumption the best they can if they wish to. States can impose their
own taxes on marijuana, which could possibly be very substantial, in order to deter new
users from buying it. Also, states could make amendments to their constitutions for
marijuana, establishing a minimum age to buy, as well as what establishments can
legally sell it.
The current cost to ght marijuana is a big reason for our ideas. Making
marijuana legal would keep prisons less full, costing taxpayers less and not ruining
lives. Over 700,000 people are arrested for cannabis law offenses every year. Imagine if
we put the money and resources used to arrest and incarcerated them towards ghting
serious crimes and funding drug prevention programs. These programs would focus on
helping people with their drug problems instead of punishing them for it. Our country
could potentially a resurgence in morality and economic stability if more people were
prompted to quit drugs.
It has been shown in the past that making substances illegal does not prevent
their consumption. During the prohibition of alcohol, consumption actually increased and
crime increased. Al Capone and other gangsters got rich off of distributing alcohol and
committed acts of violence against police and the public. Prohibition showed that
making a substance illegal does not help the cause. Their is no regulation of illegal
products, taking away from potential government revenue and allowing for potentially
dangerous substances to contaminate the product and its consumers.
The NPRP only proposes making marijuana legal, not hard drugs. Drugs like
cocaine and heroin would remain illegal in the U.S. The money made off the the taxation
and regulation of marijuana could be used to get those who are addicted to heroin and
cocaine the help they need at rehab centers. Making marijuana legal would provide
increased income to the government through taxation, discourage dangerous gang
activity and smuggling by drug cartels. Legal marijuana would provide easier access to
it for medicinal purposes. We feel that marijuana will always be around, so the best
policy to protect citizens and provide income to the government is to regulate and
control it legally.
Sources:
Heibutzki, Ralph. "Michigan Cigarette Tax Laws." eHow Money. N.p., 01 Janua 2013. Web. 4
Nov 2013.
Mann, Denise. "Illegal Drug Use on the Rise in U.S.."WebMD. N.p., 08 Septe 2011. Web. 4 Nov
2013.
Novac, Jenny. "The Biggest Cigarette Manufacturer Companies." CigarettesReporter.com. N.p.,
24 May 2013. Web. 4 Nov 2013.
"Drug War Clock." Drug Sense. N.p., 04 Novem 2013. Web. 4 Nov 2013.
"The War on Drugs Costs too Much." The Old Man Wilson Blog. N.p., 08 Septe 2013. Web. 4
Nov 2013.
"Tobacco Product Marketing Orders." U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA, 30 Octob
2013. Web. 4 Nov 2013.
"War on Drugs." Wikipedia. N.p., 31 Octo 2013. Web. 4 Nov 2013.