The Failure Of The War Against Marijuana

It has been illegal to grow or possess marijuana in the United States since 1937. And in 1942, its medical use was also outlawed. This war on the gentle herb was kicked into high gear in the early 1970's, when President Nixon declared a "war on drugs" and started to spend huge amounts of money to eradicate marijuana (and other drug) use. To date, more than a trillion dollars has been wasted in this silly "war".

I say it was wasted because all drugs, including marijuana, are just as available now as they were before the "war" was declared. Maybe they are even more accessible, because the illegality of marijuana and other drugs has created a huge black market -- and many criminal organizations have been created to meet that black market demand (just like they were during alcohol prohibition).

And marijuana, the least dangerous drug known (legal or illegal), has proven to be impossible to eradicate. That's because it is easy to grow in nearly every country in the world -- including the United States, where it can be grown in every state of the Union. The chart above, from the Business Insider magazine, highlights just how ineffective efforts to eradicate marijuana has been.

The chart concerns the eradication of marijuana grown in this country (and doesn't concern itself with the many thousands of tons being imported each year). Note that very few states have shown a decrease in the growing of marijuana due to the government's effort. Only 8 states (those in dark green) have seen more than a 10% decrease, and another 8 (in light green) have seen a decrease of less than 10%. Meanwhile, 12 states (in dark red) have seen an increase of more than 100%, while the rest have seen increases of less than 100%.

The truth is that the government cannot eradicate marijuana growing in the United States, anymore than it can stop the importation of marijuana. In fact, marijuana is one of the largest cash crops in several states. The American people are starting to realize that the government has been lying to them about marijuana (and its supposed dangers), and several polls have shown that a majority now believe it should be legalized -- and two states (Colorado and Washington) have already legalized marijuana for recreational use by adults 21 or older. Here is the truth about the "gentle herb":

* Marijuana is one of the safest drugs known (and safer than many drugs that are legal, like alcohol and tobacco -- and even safer than most over-the-counter drugs like aspirin and tylenol).

* Marijuana is not physically addictive.

* Marijuana users cannot take a lethal overdose, and deaths from marijuana are nonexistent.

* Marijuana has numerous medical uses, including in the fight against cancer (as recent studies have shown).

* Marijuana does not inhibit a person's ability to drive (like alcohol and many other drugs do). This has been demonstrated in several studies, which have shown drivers on marijuana are just as safe as drivers who are on no drug at all.

* Marijuana is not a gateway drug, and does not lead to the use of other drugs.

It is time for the people (and the government) to acknowledge the truth. Marijuana cannot be eradicated, and its recreational use cannot be stopped (or even curtailed much). We are wasting huge amounts of money each year -- money that could be spent better addressing the many real problems this country faces (unemployment, poverty, saving the environment, developing new types and sources of energy, funding education, etc.). It is time to legalize marijuana, and tax the hell out of it. We could then put our policing agencies back to chasing real criminals (that steal from or hurt people), instead of making criminals out of harmless recreational users of marijuana.