This is the kind of blanket statement we all hear from our local Cheech & Chong wannabes about the status of drugs laws in the United States. But are they as far off the mark as everyone thinks they are?
Our state and federal drug laws, to put it succinctly, are out of touch with the nature of our government. Last time I checked, the government's sole responsibility was to keep me free from external harm, whether it is foreign invasion or Michael Myers running after you with the latest model Ginsu.
The same government that maintains our military and ensures our constitutional rights should not have the ability to determine which self-destructive behaviors are acceptable and which are not.
If I want to hit myself in the head with a 10-pound sledgehammer repeatedly, I can do that. But heaven forbid I use an illegal drug or two.
In a remarkable turn of events, many European countries have actually wised up to this notion before we have. As of July 1, 2002, Portugal decriminalized the use of all drugs. Instead of putting people in jail for possession, Portugal has monetary or counseling-related penalties for both addicts and casual users alike.
The program intends to help curb drug use through a far more educational, reasoned and even-handed approach than sending someone up the river. It even has a federally funded needle-exchange program to limit the spread of many blood-borne diseases, particularly AIDS.
Switzerland, another country open in its drug policy, has only one federal law outlining drug use. It even offers medical supervision for heroin addicts to prevent a fatal overdose.
Instead of a reasoned approach to the drug problem, which is still no more solved than when the elder Bush started his War on Drugs, our government buries its head in the sand, convinced its blockhead approach will cure this societal ill.
So, I'd like to offer a solution.
