Latin American ex-leaders urge legalization of marjiana, end to failed drug war

Latin American ex-leaders urge legalization of marjiana, end to failed drug war

rawstory.com

The war against drugs is failing and the U.S. government should break with "prohibition" policies that have achieved little more than cram its prisons and stoke violence, three former Latin American presidents said on Wednesday.

The respected former presidents urged the United States and Latin American governments to move away from jailing drug users to debate the legalization of marijuana and place more emphasis on the treatment of addicts.

Former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria said there was no meaningful debate over drugs policy in the United States, despite a broad consensus that current policies had failed.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I highly doubt that marijuana reform will come from the urging of former Latin American leaders, but could change be right around the corner? Its all over the news recently with obama saying he will put an end to non violent drug offenders.

Its a harmless plant! The govt hates it because people think out side the box and ask them selves..."is working 60 hours a week and giving 40% of my earnings to a govt that has no clue what its doing a good idea?"

No we wouldn't want people questioning things...if they are stressed out let them get blindingly drunk after work and drive home!!

Why are we so ass-backwards?

rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This graph sums it up for me.

But without the persecution of the plant there would be no revenue stream to be funneled off of the war on drugs money. They gotta fund their black ops and such. Besides, prison space is becoming more and more a problem. Soon there will be exclusively private enterprises who run the imprisonment and reprogramming..oops..I mean..rehabilitation centers. They need to have the overwhelming demand for this, and what better way than locking up all the innocent folks who are involved with the plant and then charging them for their stay and supplies for the duration of their sentence/treatment. How better to create a money machine than give one the option of being a free worker slave vs. an imprisoned one.

Maybe we will see a change in policy...I doubt it though.

If they were worried about money so much, why not just grow and tax it! They would make billions and free up the prisons.

I think it has more to do with th way our economy is set up. We are all meant to be competitive, money hungry, capitalists. If pot was legalized, there would be more cooperation and less competition. People wold stop being so money hungry and actually enjoy life!

If you were sitting back while people were doing all your work for you, would you want them to THINK for themselves? No, thinking outside the box and relaxing is the exact opposite of what you would want. Just give em coffee and booze!

The Liberal government tried to "decriminalize" marijuana here in Canada a few years back. It was not legalizing but "decriminalizing" it. Meaning that if you were caught with a small amount (half ounce) of marijuana the police would issue the equivalent of a parking ticket. No criminal record, no jail time.

I remember the US ambassador at the time (I think it was Paul Celluci, I may be wrong) warned the federal government that there would be "reprecussions" if the government went ahead and decriminalized pot. I think the "reprecussions" would have been longer searches at the border of Canadian citizens and I guess U.S. authorities were worried the legislation would have weakened their efforts to curb marijuana exports from Canada.
(eg.US drug war)

Then, a couple of years later, we elected the Conservatives led by US friendly Stephen Harper and the motion died on the floor of the House of Commons after the Liberal Party lost. I'm sure with a litlle meddling from the Americans.

I guess the point of my rant is, the legalization or "decriminalization" of pot will never happen unless the US re-examines its "war on drugs" and realizes how fruitless it truly is. Which, it is sad to say, will probably never happen.

[edit on 12-2-2009 by kommunist] (spelling mistakes)

[edit on 12-2-2009 by kommunist]

I certainly agree that making it a cash crop would be the proper and logical way to deal with it, however we're talking Gov't here. LOL

My figuring is as you say, quell the lazy and enhance the motivated to produce more capitol for the Corps that run us all, hence the crazy influx of ever evolving energy drinks these days. It's just that if it were put say on par with alcohol or tobacco, then there would have to be oversight and accountability for the money taxed and collected.

The way I see it is that an umbrella titled pet project like "The War on Drugs" sounds so official and important that people are quick to agree with any spending towards that end and so they are able to make more money "disappear" into their official pockets under the guise that Pot is as bad as Crack.

It's all crap anyway, a gift to the earth that does more good than harm should never be taken from it's life systems.

Thank you for the video Wethesheeple! We have the current president stating that the war on drugs "is not working".

I know he was just a newbie senator back then and he has a lot more people tugging on his strings now, but come on! There is much more pressure for decriminalization as the war on drugs is not working and has proven to be a massive waste of money and time.

With the economy the way it is today, anything that is hemorrhaging money should be cut. Im not saying lets all throw a crack party in the streets, just lighten up on pot.

[edit on 12-2-2009 by bringthelight]

Originally posted by bringthelight
If they were worried about money so much, why not just grow and tax it! They would make billions and free up the prisons.

Free up the hundreds of thousands of low-cost to free prison labor? Are you out of your mind? We need these pot smoking criminals to make our license plates, clothing, file cabinets, electronic equipment and military helmets!

You are denying the government it's right to force labor on the public through the unjust prison system by legalizing "pot".

Besides, we all know "pot" makes you "crazy" and a danger to yourself and society.

Nothing I like better then seeing a family torn apart by Mommy and Daddy going to prison for baking special brownies, and kids sent of to child molesting, abusive foster parents. That is all part of the bigger goverment picture. Who are we to question it?

I've been arguing for the decriminalization of marijuana for about 16 years now. I've read piles of studies, heard lies from both sides, weeded through it all to get to the facts and this is how I currently see this issue....

-Decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana would create thousands of jobs in the USA and Canada. It also offers an alternative for the tobacco companies to go as society slowly phases out tobacco use, thus saving thousands of jobs and several huge tobacco companies which support other industries (ie; Advertising, Sporting events, etc).

-Taxes collected from legal sales of pot would be a huge, new revenue stream for the government, who would then be getting profits of pot sales, rather than letting that money go to the drug dealers.

-Less court cases for relatively insignificant minor drug offenses. Saves the system money and speeds the process for more serious cases.

-Less people in the prison system, learning how to be better, more advanced criminals and fostering a hardened overall disdain for the legal system and society in general. Also saves the system (so tax-payers) money.

-Cheap and readily available hemp plant materials for use in other industies such as; Paper (save millions of trees every year), Biodiesel (stop using food crops for this, help keep food costs down), Fabrics and Fibers (for clothing, canvas, rope, etc), to name a few.

I could go on and on, but my point is that not only should the government decriminalize or legalize marijuana, but it should have been done a long time ago. But it's even more prudent to do so now, in the midst of steep and steady economic decline, where saving every penny in the system possible and creating every job possible is of paramount importance. Just my 2 cents.

reply to post by Static Sky


You my friend are well informed and I commend you for that. We need more knowledge not just more activists if things are going to change.

16 years is a long time to fight the good fight

First, I'd like to say that I don't advocate the use of any drugs.

Second, I'd like to say the pot should be legalized. I think that it should be taxed and sold only to people over the age of 21.

No matter what statistics I see, I don't believe that pot is worse than alcohol or nicotine. In my mind I think that it is less harmful.


So, legalize it, stop putting people in jail over it and tax it. Help reduce the deficit. You could also put a lot of people to work growing it.

Well said static. I just wonder how a semi-intelligent politician (i guess semi is pushing it) could be presented with the information you just offered and say NO! Pot is the devil!! Are they just clinging to the old beliefs of the 50's(reefer madness), or is it more sinister as i stated before?

LockwithnoKey and bringthelight, thanks for your kind words. I've added you both to my friends list and I hope you'll do the same.

Wildbob77, I agree with you, too. I honestly feel that even if I never indulged, I would be in support of this. Too many people want it and it's too easy to get. They will never stop it and they should quit waisting endless time and money on it, while allowing drug dealers to get rich and expand their empires.

To make it legal is to put the small time dealers out of business. Small timers eventually grow into big timers. Resources saved from not chasing "pot-heads" in circles, could be put toward chasing the real big time dealers of hardcore drugs that really do kill people and destroy lives.

Maybe what I'm getting at is at very least, if they're going to continue the war on drugs, they should drop dope from that particular hit-list. It might even make the battle winnable. Though rerouting saved funds to education and rehabilitation, would help empty the battlefield in the first place.

And to whom it may concern "Reefer Madness" is one of the finest satirical comedies I've ever seen! A true classic! Brilliant!

[edit on 2/12/2009 by Static Sky]

I'm adding another post both to bump this thread and to support some of my previous points with a source in the form of a link. There may be hope yet, and oddly the pressures of the economic slide we're all currently living in, might serve as the catalyst for change.

www.prohibitioncosts.org...

The report is 4 years old now but for the reason mentioned above, even more relevant today. Not your typical bunch of pot-heads on this one either. Give it a look. Top economists detail the costs of the fruitless fight and potential estimated income to be generated by such a move.

Anyways, cheers and be well all.

[edit on 2/12/2009 by Static Sky]

Thanks for the link Static, very informative. I have added you as a friend as well. It amazes me how the pros outweigh the cons by a landslide when it comes to marijuana reform. Our policy's are far out dated. How many benefits can you look at and sill say no to this idea?

I get in discussions with family/friends about this subject from time to time and I have never heard someone say NO WAY!! SAY NO TO DOPE!! Everyone I have spoken to about it agrees. So why are politicians the only ones saying no?

Seems like they need it the most!

i hope the herb is never grown, processed, or sold by any big multinational that previously made it's fortune by tampering with the chemistry of a different natural plant and marketing it.

the reason why tobacco is bad for you is because all of the garbage the companies infuse into it, to make it burn evenly, stay "fresh", be uniform in colour, and...., oh yes, be fatally addictive.

if the herb is ever legalized and maufactured by big companies, watch the quality drop, expect to see marijuana-related cancers crop up for the first time, and expect it to be an addictive substance after that, too.

i dont think this would happen because it is too easy to grow on your own. monsanto could be waiting in the wings with the answer to that though.

Money money money

the reason cannabis will never be legal is the same reason free energy is discredited, or the same reason a car can't be produced to get 70+ miles a gallon, No profit

the funniest thing I ever heard was this statement "I hate pot because it's illegal" from a guy paying for a SPEEDING TICKET (75MPH in a 35MPH road)

two things I've learned in my life "you cannot save the world, it doesn't WANT to be saved" and "No good deed goes unpunished"

reply to post by Static Sky


When i started reading this thread Static Sky, I was gonna type more or less the same information as yourself...this plant should be made COMPULSARY to grow. Clothing, rope, paper, sacks, all basic essentials for basic survival...If i wasn't so stoned I'd go into a rant so maybe tomorrow? lol