Just Say Yes: Winning the U.S. War on Drugs
Abstract
Despite spending $50 billion annually, the current U.S. strategy for the war on drugs fails to meet its stated goal of reducing consumption of illegal drugs. This failure to reduce drug demand in the U.S. has led to increasing instability in Mexico, instability that impacts the U.S. through increased illegal immigration and violent crime. Arguably, the current U.S. strategy focuses a disproportionate amount of resources on drug supply and U.S. strategy should shift resources to target U.S. demand. This paper will examine how the U.S. could increase funding for treatment and modify current U.S. laws that completely prohibit drug possession and use. The new strategy would incorporate decriminalization of small amounts of illicit drugs and legalization of marijuana under strict guidelines in order to craft a policy that meets U.S. objectives of reducing overall drug consumption.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA517911
Entities
People
- Susan K. Bickford
Organizations
- United States Army War College