War on Drugs has "failed"

Posted in Off Topic

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110602/ap_ ... war_report

NEW YORK – A high-level international panel slammed the war on drugs as a failure Thursday and called on governments to undertake experiments to decriminalize the use of drugs, especially marijuana, to undermine the power of organized crime.

Compiled by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the report concludes that criminalization and repressive measures have failed with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world.

"Political leaders and public figures should have the courage to articulate publicly what many of them acknowledge privately: that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that repressive strategies will not solve the drug problem, and that the war on drugs has not, and cannot, be won," the report said.

At a news conference launching the report, former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who chairs the commission, said ending the war on drugs does not imply complete liberalization.

"The fact is that the war on drugs is a failure," he said. "Being a failure is not saying that you have nothing to do with drugs. You have to act. The drug are infiltrating the local power in several parts of the world. Corruption is increasing and the consumption of drugs is also increasing."
Cardoso said the commission's goal is "to open a debate and to say: Stop the war on drugs and let's be more constructive in trying to reduce the consumption."

Instead of punishing drug users, the commission argues that governments should "end the criminalization, marginalization and stigmatization of people who use drugs but who do no harm to others."

The commission urged governments to experiment "with models of legal regulation of drugs to undermine the power of organized crime and safeguard the health and security of their citizens." It said this recommendation applies especially to marijuana.

Thought I should share this.