Benefits of a Liberal Drug Approach In 1971 President Richard Nixon declared the War on Drugs and four decades later the United States has spent $1 trillion (Branson). What do we have to show for it as Americans? The world’s largest prison population at 2.3 million people and more than half a million of the inmates are imprisoned due to drug violations (Branson). About 460,000 more people in jail and prison today than in 1980 all from drug related crimes (Branson). The United States has the strictest drug laws and yet we have the highest concentration of illegal drug use in the world (Warner). The War on Drugs isn’t working and a new approach needs to be taken. For America to properly fight the “War on Drugs” the government needs to take a more liberal approach to drug laws similar to the approach that the Netherlands has taken.
The Netherlands took a new approach to their Drug War in 1976 when they separated the drug market by “soft drugs and “hard drugs.” Soft drugs are less hazardous drugs for your health and they are for example marijuana, hash, sedatives and sleeping …show more content…
Law enforcement wouldn’t be given as much money to do their job which could result in police officers being laid off, less incentives for multiple arrests, and less overtime which many police officers depend on. Big corporations could start losing money on their prisons if they can’t fill the beds and that trickles down to the small communities that usually surround a prison. If the prison is losing money, then the people in the community are next to be laid off, leaving the town in a state of depression. Another possible blow to the economy would be the increase in drug addicts on the street that need rehabilitation programs and taxpayer’s money would be responsible to cover that
The Netherlands took a new approach to their Drug War in 1976 when they separated the drug market by “soft drugs and “hard drugs.” Soft drugs are less hazardous drugs for your health and they are for example marijuana, hash, sedatives and sleeping …show more content…
Law enforcement wouldn’t be given as much money to do their job which could result in police officers being laid off, less incentives for multiple arrests, and less overtime which many police officers depend on. Big corporations could start losing money on their prisons if they can’t fill the beds and that trickles down to the small communities that usually surround a prison. If the prison is losing money, then the people in the community are next to be laid off, leaving the town in a state of depression. Another possible blow to the economy would be the increase in drug addicts on the street that need rehabilitation programs and taxpayer’s money would be responsible to cover that