War on Drugs Update for 2022 / 2023
Background –
My 18 years experience as a street cop and Detective = WOD has been The most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery and Jim Crow.
1.5 trillion (local, state and federal) spent, 52 years and 53 million drug arrests. What is the return on investment, ROI? Zero. Heroin/Fentanyl is in every small village in America. About 200 Americans die daily from a drug overdose of an illegal drug in 2022.
Cheerful news for 2023:
37 states with MMJ. 23 States plus DC have legalized adult, MJ with use. Direct Tax revenues at 2 billion. Police savings at 1 billion, as the police do not chase God’s green plant. 220,000 full-time jobs in the industry, going to a quarter million as more stores open in 2023.
Even Oklahoma and Utah voted about 57 to 43% for a robust MMJ program in 2018.
18 states have de-felonized simple drug possession, saving taxpayers billions. Oregon voted 58/42 for personal amounts of all drugs to be handled as a civil infraction. The decrim law was put into effect in February 21. As of late 2022, no reports of any serious problems, associated to total Decrim
In Congress we have about 300 votes in the House (based on our nose count) to employ the 10th amendment for all marijuana. We have about 64 in the Senate (nose count) to employ states’ rights for the green plant.
Regarding medical use, the ACLU along with the American Legion both support medical use. Repeating, the American Legion is on the same page as the ACLU on the issue of medical marijuana. The American Legion endorsed HR 2020 in 2017 which moves marijuana to schedule three.
The swiss government has agreed in principle to allow US citizens to obtain a long-term visa and enroll in their highly effective, life-saving heroin treatment program. (my initiative in 2017.)
Last, per US Govt. – there are 900,000 teen dealers in USA. COP analysis shows 10 are shot every day. IMHO, it is shameful that our country has a policy which gives teens a job option which causes 10 to be shot and or killed every day.
2022 poll shows 56% of Republicans across the country support legalize, regulate, tax marijuana
