From Reuters via the Daily Beast cheat sheet:
The Global Commission on Drug Policy has declared the international war on drugs a failure and urges a new approach. The commission said the practice of criminalizing drugs and incarcerating users has had “devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world.” Instead, the panel recommended replacing incarceration of non-violent drug users with health treatment services. It also recommended governments to consider legalizing marijuana and other illicit drugs “to undermine the power of organized crime and safeguard the health and security of their citizens. The panel consisted of former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, businessman Richard Branson, former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, and 16 other members.
So, there you have it. Should we, as a nation, just give up and legalize some drugs, in particular, cannabis? How much a year do we spend incarcerating drug users? How much crime goes on because of turf wars over drugs?
Should drugs be sold by states and taxes collected? Would we decriminalize or legalize? Would more people do drugs because they were legal?
What direction should the United States take?
Would border issues with Mexico reduce if some of the drugs being smuggled in could be bought here?
The report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy seems to pose more questions than it answers.
