Although support for the drug war has continued to fall among the general population, many politicians are clinging to prohibition, suggesting that the country would descend into chaos if people were able to freely chose what they wanted to do with their own bodies.
Senator Dianne Feinstein for example, has been vehemently opposed to loosening marijuana laws in any way, despite the fact that her constituents in California have decided long ago that they no longer want prohibition to be a part of their culture.
According to the LA Times, polls taken in California over the past 18 months have shown growing support for marijuana legalization, with the results of most surveys holding strong above 60%.
Although marijuana is still technically illegal within its borders, California has paved the way for many other states to experiment with legalizing the herb for medical and recreational use. In recent years, a widespread culture of civil-disobedience has developed in the western states, making it more and more difficult for police to actually enforce the laws on the books.
This is obviously a moving current that cannot be stopped, but politicians like Feinstein are continuing to push against the surge.
The federal government has been far from lenient on this issue, raiding dispensaries in states that have legalized the substance, and refusing to recognize states’ rights in any way in regards to prohibition.
Still, Feinstein and Senator Chuck Grassley recently wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State John Kerry, suggesting that the federal government has not been hard enough on drugs. The letter insists that the federal government crack down on drug users and sellers, especially in states where marijuana has become legal. The senators have cited an international United Nations drug treaty, which they claim holds precedent over state’s rights.
Tolerance for Illegal Drugs
The United Nations international drug treaty was signed in the late 1980’s, and was largely spearheaded by politicians in the United States. Although 185 out of 193 United Nations member states eventually signed onto the pact, many have since tried to repeal the measure.
In 2003, a European Parliament committee recommended repealing the 1988 Convention, finding that:
“Despite massive deployment of police and other resources to implement the UN Conventions, production and consumption of, and trafficking in, prohibited substances have increased exponentially over the past 30 years, representing what can only be described as a failure, which the police and judicial authorities also recognize as such … The policy of prohibiting drugs, based on the UN Conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988, is the true cause of the increasing damage that the production of, trafficking in, and sale and use of illegal substances are inflicting on whole sectors of society, on the economy and on public institutions, eroding the health, freedom and life of individuals.”
Sadly, there is actually no termination clause written into this international law, therefore it will technically remain on the books so long as at least one country stays on-board.
Both Feinstein and Grassley share responsibility in overseeing a senate panel that specializes in international narcotics control, as laid out in the United Nations treaty.
“We are already seeing signs that the United States’ position on drug control issues has been weakened, It is our understanding that no one in the Justice Department has initiated a centralized effort to measure the overall effect of these laws,” their letter said.
Feinstein refused to make an official comment on the letter, but Grassley said in a statement that “The administration should account for remarks and policies that send a message of tolerance for illegal drugs.”
Still Living in the 80s
In past interviews, Feinstein has suggested that legalizing soft drugs like marijuana would lead to a life of crime and addiction to harder drugs. However, evidence quickly developing in Colorado and Washington is showing that much of the propaganda about drug legalization is unfounded.
According to data recently released by the government in Denver, the amount of robberies and violent crimes has significantly decreased since marijuana legalization went into effect. It is important to mention that this strong correlation is not definitive proof that legalization is the cause of this drop in crime, but it does suggest some relevance worth objective review. However, these statistics are especially convincing considering the short amount of time that this drastic reduction in crime has taken place.
In just one short year the number of homicides dropped by 52.9%. Sexual assaults were reduced by 13.6%. Robberies were down by 4.8% and assaults were down by 3.7%. The data analysis measured the first few months of the year for both 2013 and 2014, and then compared those numbers to determine whether they were higher or lower after legalization went into effect.
Another survey taken last year by University of Michigan researchers, has also indicated that drug use is actually down among teens since legalization has went into effect in Colorado.
Many activists have suggested that drug war politicians are out of touch with the general population. Bill Piper, a lobbyist with the pro-legalization Drug Policy Alliance says that Feinstein and other drug warriors are fighting a losing battle.
“She is still living in the 1980s, Everyone we have ever talked to who knows her says she is probably not going to change her views. I still have hope she will come around. You can’t be on the losing side of history forever. But maybe she intends to be,” Piper said.
This recent push for prohibition should come as no surprise to people who have been following Feinstein over the years. In addition to being a strong proponent of gun control laws, Feinstein has also been a vocal supporter of NSA spying and war in the middle east. So basically just another pro-war, anti-liberty politician. Maybe if she smoked a little weed she’d be a bit lest hostile and violent.
