Apocalypse Now The Lost War on Drugs

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Apocalypse NowThe Lost War on Drugs
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Narcotics criminalized in 20th century

• --1908 Opium Act 1923 marijuana
• -- selective criminalization of substances
• --results exaggerated for partisan advantage,
  public demand for action
• --early action based on nativist concerns
• Politicians cater to, and create public fear
• Police create, adopt law and order agenda
• Mythology of drug war creates new problems while
  failing to ameliorate old
• Easy slogans too easy just say no

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images

• Head Tax certificate
• Opium den, focus of Canadas Opium Act 1909
• Cannabis added to Act 1923
• US Harrison Narcotic Act 1914 Stamp Tax Act 1937

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Parallels to prohibition?
Reefer madness
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• Enter marijuana
• 1920s, 1930s
• Films such as Reefer Madness
• Sourced from www.inthesetimes.com

• A physician was summoned to a police station to
  examine an unconscious prisoner. The prisoner,
  muddy and dishevelled, lay on the cell floor. The
  doctor bent over and examined him, and then said
  in a loud voice
• "This man's condition is not due to drink. He has
  been drugged."
• A policeman turned pale and said, in a timid
  hesitating voice
• "I'm afraid ye're right sir. I drugged him all
  the way a block or more."

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Wheres the media?

• Policy of selective criminalization
• failure of alcohol prohibition
• politicians cater to public fear
• bureaucracy accepts more law order
• strengthened police, health
• traded on racism, nativist fears

GM, 3.15.1923 1
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GM, 4.24. 1923 1
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Emily Murphy -- claimsmakerPolice Magistrate and
Judge of the Juvenile Court in Edmonton

• "under influence of marijuana, the victims
  present most horrible condition imaginable
  dispossessed of normal willpower, their mentality
  is that of idiots If this drug is indulged, it
  ends in untimely death."
• ...persons using this narcotic smoke dry leaves
  of plant drives them completely insane addict
  is immune to pain. becomes raving maniac liable
  to kill or indulge in violence to other persons,
  using savage methods of cruelty without any sense
  of moral responsibility.

Opposing discourses
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Myths of supply reduction

• 1) Remove the source eradication disperses
  cultivation
• 2) Prevent entry border ineffective due of
  amounts
• 3) Enforce drug laws in the streets, however
• --increases ancillary crimes, eg. Prostitution
• -- majority arrested have no prior convictions,
  arrested for possession
• -- offense treated seriously than violent crime
• -- asset forfeiture based on suspicion
• 4) Reduce number of drug consumers
• --1/7 citizens violate drug laws 46 high school
  students tried it
• --law has little effect on drug market
• --1/140 US jailed worlds highest incercaration
  rate
• --48 increase in jailed drug offenders 95-01
• --mandatory minimum sentences increase expenses

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• Damage after continued use of Ecstasy
• Continued use of illicit drugs causes structural,
  functional changes in brain, potentially sparking
  compulsive addiction
• SOURCE "Positron Emission Tomographic Evidence
  of Toxic Effect of MDMA ('Ecstasy') on Brain
  Serotonin Neurons in Human Beings," McCann,
  Szabo, Scheffel, Dannals, and Ricaurte, The
  Lancet, 352, 10. 31, 1998.

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Myths and consequences

• Drugs lead to crime users sociopaths
• No benign drugs, eg. Gateway drugs
• Criminalization, police enforcement best response
• Dont consider treatment, education, decrim
  alternatives
• Racial disparities 15 drug users black 33
  drug arrestees black
• Law enforcement corruption 50 officers
  convicted 93-97 for corruption, were for
  drug-related offenses
• Organized crime opportunities crime control
  creates new crime initiatives

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Masking the costs of drug war
This is your brain on drugs

• US spent 167B on police, corrections, courts in
  2001 in total
• US Fed govt spent 19B on drugs in 2002
• State spending on law enforcement 10x prevention,
  treatment, and education
• Prohibition ineffective, but what is problem?

Effectiveness of PSAs
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drugs psa study
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• Media Awareness Project -- worldwide network
  dedicated to drug policy reform
• Alternate news sources
• Fairness and accuracy in reporting FAIR
• Alternative media watch -- zmag