“Eradication” Sense and Nonsense
The marijuana “eradication” season is now well underway, as highlighted by this breathless Drug Enforcement Administration press release touting a raid in the San Diego area. “Thus far this year,” the DEA says, “marijuana has been eradicated in more than 60 sites.”
This is, of course, utter nonsense. The word “eradication” implies permanence, but there is no evidence of any long-term impairment in marijuana availability or use. The complete failure of the DEA to accomplish its supposed job in 35 years of existence is discussed perceptively in a column by Bill Steigerwald in the generally conservative Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
In California, the Marysville Appeal-Democrat raises an interesting question in an editorial marking the DEA’s 35th birthday: Could it be that “the entire point of the drug war is to give people jobs”?
The paper was thinking of DEA agents and drug war bureaucrats, but let’s not forget who else benefits from our war on marijuana: Just as Al Capone made a mint off of booze during Prohibition, marijuana prohibition is enriching criminal gangs and all manner of unsavory characters, who effectively get a monopoly on a popular product without such inconveniences as taxes, environmental or labor laws, etc. In that respect, our marijuana laws are a roaring success.
Tagged with: California and DEA and drug war and eradication and law enforcement by the author
4 comments
Hmm. A better way to create jobs would be legalization. Just think of the agricultural progress we would make! Cannabis could be the new wine, sending millions of dollars into the U.S. economy. Instead the Feds just kill it. What a waste.
i cant believe they spend so much to lock up people and eradicate cannabis,as its true legalizing at the very least decriminalizing its use,but if the tax dollars it could bring and save from being spent is not enough,the taking away police resources that could be used to remove rapist and killers from society should be enough,ive come to the conclusion that people as a race are stupid when it comes to what should and should not be done
Marijuana legilization in the united states is simply a matter oof time. we must wait another 15-20 years untill all the elderly who stand so strongly against it as they once stood against civil rights. the anti-marijuana mind set will die off with those who embody it the strongest. Its been used as a medecine as early as 4,000B.C.- thats over 6,000 years; the D.E.A. has not even been around 40 years yet, lol!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. This is very useful.
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