Ryan Grim Discusses His New Book "This Is Your Country on Drugs" On CNN (VIDEO)

HuffPost's Senior Congressional Correspondent Ryan Grim was a guest on CNN's "American Morning" to discuss his new book "This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America," as well as the current rise in prescription drug abuse in America.

Watch the interview below.

Comments

[Savoy47]

Heard your comments about removing marijuana from the drug equation and there only being 3 million hard drug users. That made me think about how to do it.

Exempt the inside of a persons home from the marijuana laws. Leave everything else the same.

One could grow there own and use it as they please, but if they take it outside of there house or drive under the influence or sell it to someone, all the laws are still there to punish the guilty.

Now, follow the money trail. Illegal marijuana profits fall through the floor.

It would reduce all illegal drug use because people would not need to go to the drug supermarket to by some pot.

The invisible people who are now responsibly smoking it in there homes would still be invisible but their money is not flowing into the hands of criminals.

Uncle Sam could issue grow permits at $100 a year x 25,000,000 users = 2.5 Billion a year.

Easy to do and easy to understand. It’s very close to what they did with wine and beer after prohibition. You can make it at home for your own use.

Small change, big impact.

[Dwight5]

Actually, after Prohibition ended, people were allowed to go to liquor stores and bars and buy whatever they wanted. And what are you referring to when you say, "punish the guilty"? There is no guilty party. Responsible adults should be able to eat, smoke, drink, and have sex with, anything or anyone they want in any way they want, as long as nobody is harmed and all parties are consenting. You're still caught up in the "Drug War" mentality. There's no crime here.

[kindGSL]

I'd like to know why we have to be invisible.

[logicalchoice]

It would increas the number of burgleries. The number 1 reason why medical users don't grow in thier own home.

[Matthew Siegel]

legalizzzzeeee

[flipper99]

Don't expect the Obama administration to change our drug policies for the better. The White House Office of Narcotics and Drug Control Policy is continuing the same failed policies as did the Bush Admin. Obama's Domestic Policy Council is unlikely to recommend any changes...except perhaps around medical marijuana. Oddly, everyone is government is afraid to ask the DEA to review the scientific literature in order to revise the classification of drugs..including keeping marijuana as a Schedule I drug which has no medical benefit. Marijuana cannot be decriminalized until that process takes place....and the Obama administration wont take this on.

If you voted for Change in the drug war.....your vote was wasted.

[Dwight5]

At the same time that your government is saying that there is no known medical use for cannabis, they've taken out a patent on it as an anti-oxidant and neuro-protecorant. Google U.S. patent #6630507. Hypocrites all.

[kindGSL]

Neuro-protecorant?

What does the APA have to say about it?

[ELGUAPO77]

the facts are that human beings since the begining of time have been trying to get high or drunk. when we start decriminalizing it we will find alot less people in jail. and we might actually start de-arming these drug cartels. 2 birds with one stone. anyone agree?

[PocketWatch]

Yup

[RevRayGreen]

awesome Ryan, can't wait to get home tonight and wtach it...

[GatoPreto]

Good reporting Ryan.

Apparently, the price of a kilo of blow remains pretty much stable throughout South and Central America all the way up to Mexico where it increases tenfold as it crosses the border...

Any wonder who this tenfold increase benefits?

[Mogamboguru]

Legalize pot and reduce drug crimes in the USA by 80 percent.

Watch Portugal for how this works.

[James Redmond]

Well spoken, Ryan, again. Keep at it!

[Liberal2]

I recently read addiction rates are no higher today than 100 years ago. IOW, there's no real crisis of addiction. The real crisis is the fools who are helping to fund terrorists by keep drugs illegal and moving billions into the hands of cartels and al Qaeda.

[Winston Smith]

very true. You can't legislate plants!

[kindGSL]

The way they have gone about evangelizing their fight against 'addiction' makes me think it is in fact motivated by their religion. Addiction is a religious idea (12 step is their answer).

This theory is not so out of bounds when you look at the insane response to potheads, at some point only religion is crazy enough to explain it.

[Onedog]

Very well said. That's a checkmate...any takers on that