Recently in The War On Drugs Category

You know, there's been quite the pile on concerning Michael Phelps and his bong hit. As a chemical dependency counselor, I have been reluctant to even read the articles. Mostly because of the double standard that is now on full display.

Let's be honest. Had Mr. Phelps gone out and gotten drunk in celebration of his amazing accomplishment, not one article would have been published. Unless, of course, he got into some kind of trouble. No doubt, young Mr. Phelps did have a few. And in the process, managed to stay out of trouble. He did not end up behind a wheel. He did not make a spectacle of himself in public.

So, here we have him celebrating his amazing accomplishment, not with alcohol, but with marijuana. And the problem he caused? He ended up in a picture. <snark tone="sarcasm">Oh my. It's the end of civilization as we know it. Look! Up in the sky. It's a meteorite plunging into our atmosphere. Oh, we're doomed. DOOMED I tell you!</snark>

Sigh. This is nothing more than rank hypocrisy. Enough. Marijuana is not the social evil as claimed by these pearl clutchers. Alcohol causes more death, more destruction, more pain to our society. Yet, it is alcohol that is socially acceptable. Yet despite this very obvious fact, we learned that prohibition did not work. It is not working now for marijuana.

Like any chemical, marijuana can become an addiction to some. I know, I am one such person. But I am not so high and mighty that I am going to claim it's an evil, vile drug that should be scoured from the planet. History has shown prohibition just does not work.

So, to all you pearl clutchers; first, you just don't look good in pearls. Seriously, way gaudy. Buy a fashion magazine, will you. Second, you're being shrill. How about you notch the voice down an octave or three? Maybe you guys ought to think about forming a self-help group to deal with this problem. You know, call it Pearl Clutchers Anonymous.

Huffington Post

For years, I served as a federal prosecutor and member of the House of Representatives defending the federal pursuit of the drug prohibition.

Today, I can reflect on my efforts and see no progress in stopping the widespread use of drugs. I'll even argue that America's drug problem is larger today than it was when Richard Nixon first coined the phrase, "War on Drugs," in 1972.

America's drug problem is only compounded by the vast amounts of money directed at this ongoing battle. In 2005, more than $12 billion dollars was spent on federal drug enforcement efforts while another $30 billion was spent to incarcerate non-violent drug offenders.

The result of spending all of those taxpayer's dollars? We now have a huge incarceration tab for non-violent drug offenders and, at most, a 30% interception rate of hard drugs. We are also now plagued with the meth labs that are popping up like poisonous mushrooms across the country.

New York Times

Medical marijuana was legalized under state law by California voters in 1996, and since then 11 other states have followed, even though federal law still bans the sale of any marijuana. But some frustrated residents and law enforcement officials say the California law has increasingly and unintentionally provided legal cover for large-scale marijuana growers -- and the problems such big-money operations can attract.

"It's a clear shield for commercial operations," said Mike Sweeney, 60, a supporter of both medical marijuana and a local ballot measure on June 3 that called for new limits on the drug in Mendocino. "And we don't want those here."

The outcome of the ballot measure is not known, as votes are still being counted, but such community push-back is increasingly common across the state, even in the most liberal communities. In recent years, dozens of local governments have banned or restricted cannabis clubs, more formally known as dispensaries, that provide medical marijuana, in the face of public safety issues involved in its sale and cultivation, including crime and environmental damage.

In my industry, denial is a common behavior we expect from our clients. Any means to avoid the truth about their drinking and drug usage. Imagine my surprise to discover the Beer, Wine, and Spirits industry is having the same difficulties with the truth.