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40 Years of Drug War

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    Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance explains why U.S. drug policy has failed.

  • Duration 4:20
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Drug addiction in the United States is under control.

That was president Richard Nixon claiming victory in the war on drugs just a year after he declared.

-- war on drugs forty years ago today.

Today because the government has pressed the drug trade into the black market and introduce government violence to the equation the drug wars become an all too literal term.

Can we afford to keep fighting this costly battle.

Well that's that was Ethan -- of the drug policy alliance.

Ethan it's a pleasure welcome to freedom watch.

Bank you've had me on again judge so a trillion dollars.

800000.

People -- in jail thousands and thousands of deaths.

Against the drug war is not -- control I don't envision I'd probably say that drugs are more prevalent today than that where -- Nixon declared.

War.

Of course -- I mean it's been a trillion dollar disaster a bipartisan.

Disaster US and a global disaster.

I mean we put millions of people behind bars he -- tens of millions of people criminal records we've generated levels of crime violence and corruption it.

Mexico's Central America the Caribbean around the world that make.

Alcohol prohibition look like child's -- -- Paris San.

And you know it's so hard to turn the damn thing around I -- is not succeeded in reducing drug abuse more people are -- drug overdoses today than ever before.

So clearly we need a new way act.

This time I actually see this going in two directions at the same time Ethan and I want.

I want your thoughts on it I see their horrific violence of swat teams.

Breaking down doors frequently the wrong doors using far more excessive violence that is necessary and frequently killing innocents at the same time.

I see.

Law enforcement some still active law enforcement some former law enforcement.

Federal judges some still active some former.

Saying you know what this is wrong we really need to re direct our resources.

We've incarcerated too many people.

And spent too much money so is this going in both directions at the same time police getting more violent but judges and some -- saying we shouldn't be doing this.

Well it's a perfect example -- -- what's going -- marijuana right now.

Right now we -- 800000.

People being the rest each year on marijuana charges and -- overwhelmingly over 90% simply for possession.

Like of a joint -- double what it was twenty years ago.

Meanwhile support for legalizing marijuana taking out of the criminal justice system.

Is growing incredibly -- be back in 2005 the Gallup poll asked to people supported legalizing marijuana 36% say get 60% know.

Five years later as a last fall that 36% in -- had become 46% in favor.

This sixty against had become fifty gets -- 24 point -- -- -- -- four point -- so exactly what you're saying is happening the public and others of law enforcement are saying enough is enough we need to change -- law enforcement -- -- up with his paramilitaries -- -- -- -- -- -- the whole thing why.

We see such violence such extreme violence such over the top violence coming from the government.

Not the drug users -- even the drug distributors but from the government.

Because they become.

-- -- -- -- -- You're going to build a war on drugs Singapore fifty to a hundred billion dollars a year when you start putting its money when you let them keep the asset forfeiture money for the -- accounts to buy cars and all this sort of stuff when you don't hold them accountable what happens as you develop a prison industrial complex right you now have hundreds of thousands not millions of people making their living from this business you've got prison guards union you got private prison -- -- -- got prosecutors.

You name it everybody feeding off this system even though it's not doing any good and it's become less and less accountable.

-- we just have a few seconds left what are the chances that some of the states.

We'll -- the federal government stay out.

We're gonna decriminalize the personal use of marijuana because we can't afford the human cost and the financial cost of prosecuting it.

Well keep you're -- next year for ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana popping up in the western states and feel listeners in New York what I can tell you is.

Get on the phone today called the New York State Senate leader dean -- say.

Support and passed that marijuana decriminalization bill.

That'll cut arrested -- New York City it will save taxpayers fifty to a hundred million dollars -- -- and it's a pleasure thanks for joining us.

Thank you very much judge.

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