Turning the Corner on Drug Law Reform

A week ago I was in the Bay Area, touring medical marijuana dispensaries in Oakland and Berkeley, speaking to the Sausalito Rotary Club, visiting with police and elected officials, and addressing NORML's annual conference. (Special thanks to the extraordinary Carol Ruth Silver, former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, close friend of the late Harvey Milk, and LEAP speaker extraordinaire for opening doors around the city.)

Sunday night, I spoke at the Sydney Opera House, the first in a month-long, 60-event tour of Australia.

Around the globe, drug policy reform experts and organizations are being swamped by demands for speeches, white papers, interviews. Fellow speakers at Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (www.copssaylegalizedrugs.org) have never been busier. We've been churning out on-demand op-eds for new and old media alike, giving talks to service clubs, universities, police officials, and lawmakers throughout North America and beyond. Our executive director, recently returned from The Netherlands, is off to Brazil mid-month.

It's not hard to understand the reasons for all this reform agitation: dismal economic conditions; impossible pressures on the criminal justice system (especially our overpopulated prisons); escalating fears of drug cartel violence, and their insidious, expanding influence; and moral outrage at the damage the drug war has done our families and communities. Also, I have to say, there's been a remarkable surge of old-fashioned common sense as more and more people awaken to the ruinous nature of our drug laws.

Many Australians are acutely aware that the U.S. is and has been since 1971 the chest-thumping, fist-banging four-star general in the global war on drugs. The Aussies' resentment is palpable, their willingness to stand up to our bullying ways growing.

The same can be said for Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia, all of which have moved recently to decriminalize drug possession cases. And for Brazil and Ecuador, which seem poised to do likewise.

 

Follow Norm Stamper on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CopsSayLegalize

Comments

[AndreMachado]

Im a Brazilian and I see the same conservative hipocritical drug related bias towards legalization than in most other countries.

Yes we have bigger problems because of it, but since most people are super ignorant they would rather have everything screw up over some sense of morality that doesnt really exist in this country.

[wikwox]

Will common sense and reason prevail? This is, after all, America so I doubt it.

[fredamae]

Hell, I would be happy for them to "Just Tell The Truth"!!!

It is Prohibited for Industrial and Corporate Profit, Not for the Benefit of Society!

[missouriwatcher]

There was a time in the '70s when I thought the U.S. might be coming to it's senses on this issue; then came Ronnie, and my hope diminished. While I am still ever so slightly hopeful that we may find our way back to the light of reason, I am not as hopeful that our national government will. Unfortunately, since Nixon we have squandered incredibly huge amounts of resources on a "war" doomed to failure from it's very beginnings because supposed capitalists do not know their own professed economic theories nor do they understand human (perhaps all animal) behaviour. Just think of where we could stand in the world today as a nation if the prohibitionists had not pirated the helm.

[BusGreg]

Common sense is an oxymoron. It ain't common for Americans to have sense.
The only way I see legalization of cannabis and drug war reform happen is when Americans come to their senses and elect those who have enough sense to admit failure. Cannabis prohibition and the war on "some" drugs has been a generational problem and it will take some time undoing the damage done. Change has to come at the ballot box and replace the "old guard" and those held hostage by special interests. The current health care debacle shows the power of one special interest, the power of the Prison-Ind­ustrial-Co­ngressiona­l-Complex is even stronger. Mass media fail to address this as well, since mass media have become dollar driven info-mercials and info-tainment.
Unfortunately the Director at ONDCP has gone from a former sensible cop - Kerlikowske is also a former Seattle police chief - to more of the same ole samo.
One bill making it's way through the bowls of Congress is Senator Webb's Crime Commission Bill, S-714. This is a bill with bi-partisan support - so far - that would create a commission to study our criminal justice system. This commission, if and when approved, might find that the way we do things is not working. But even if S-714 makes it through to the President's desk for signature this year, the 18 month period would end in the summer of 2011, too close to the next election for much to happen.

[krechsd]

Thanks for the continued hard work Chief Stamper.

[JohnFromCensornati]

...but The Children.

[BusGreg]

I hope you are being sarcastic?!
Otherwise, here is a link....
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewanswers.asp?questionID=000246

[BusGreg]

Thanks, Chief stamper for another compelling article. I came across this gem the other day at none other than Faux Noise.
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=10301836&referralPlaylistId=playlist
There are "enlightened" folks on both sides.

[JIzin]

More on one side than the other, no? ;)

[missouriwatcher]

co-sign

[zaknick]

i want an international human rights commission, set up by concerned citizens not politicians, to look very closely at just what it is they have done and why (follow the money) under the guise of preventing drug abuse.

[GibsonSG]

Makes me wish I still lived in the Bay Area. Any chance you'll be speaking in Chicago soon?