10 Things I would do if I were President: #5 Ending the War on Drugs (and legalizing Marijuana).

If you consider the "War on Drugs" an actual war, then the War on Drugs has been the longest and most disappointing War in American History...Intended to reduce the supply and consumption of "illegal" drugs in the USA, the War on Drugs is a set of Federal policies and laws that was adopted during the 1960's and was first coined as such by Richard Nixon in 1971. It has become obvious in the 40 or so years that America has been "at war" against drugs, that we are losing. It is a fight being waged with weapons and covert activities instead of intelligence and intervention. I completely agree that cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine and pharmaceutical pain killers and tranquilizers either need be outlawed completely or regulated more stringently, but the approach currently taken has been proven to not work, and so a new tactic must be implemented if we are to ever win this "War". For starters, Marijuana and Hemp must be removed from the War on Drugs. In 2007, the DEA budget was over $2 Billion dollars, and according to their own statements, they spend 80% of their budget fighting domestic production of Marijuana and Hemp-particularly in those states that have legalized its medicinal use. In all the years that the DEA (the primary weapon in the War on Drugs) has been fighting this war, its primary focus has been towards Marijuana-the most widely used "illegal" drug in the country. Despite the constant attacks, Marijuana usage has not only proliferated, but so has the usage of other much more dangerous drugs like Cocaine and Meth. This ridiculous and ignorant stance and focus on Marijuana has allowed Meth (in particular) to ravage our nations southern and heartland regions, and for the growing proliferation of the abuse of legal pharmaceutical drugs...As of 2008, 13 states have legalized and set regulation for the growth and use of Medicinal Marijuana. If you put any stock into Federal Government statisitics roughly 40% of Americans have, or currently use, Marijuana-this is greater than the number of people who smoke cigerattes which have over 200 known toxins to the human body, while Marijuana has only 1: Carbon Dioxide. Due to it being illegal, research into the medicinal properties of Marijuana is minimal, but most doctors agree that there is much potential in Marijuana for the treatment and cure of several forms of Cancer. Additionally, Hemp-in industrial form-has over 25,000 products that can be made more cheaply and better from Hemp. While some estimates run as high as $100 Billion dollars nationwide in keeping Marijuana illegal, the potential economic windfalls from making Marijuana and Hemp legal measure in the $10's of Billions of dollars, and have the ability to create hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of jobs. The arguments for keeping Marijuana and Hemp illegal have no basis in fact. Marijuana is not physically addictive; contains no toxins or carcinogens (when filtered properly); by its users, is not considered a "gateway drug" (according to drug users cigarettes and alcohol were the first "drugs" they ever tried); according to Federal Government statistics, 98% of all people arrested for possessing Marijuana were employed full time at their time of arrest; and no known off shoot crime is associated with Marijuana users, meaning that amongst communities and states where Marijuana usage proliferates there is no appreciable increase in violent criminal activities as there is with the usage of cocaine, heroin and crack (amongst others). Additionally, studies were conducted in Europe in the early 1990's which showed that driving while high on Marijuana has no increase in accidents or traffic violations and, in fact, showed that many drivers who used Marijuana prior to driving a personal vehicle payed more attention to their surroundings while keeping a safer distance from surrounding vehicles and obeyed traffic laws more regularly...In sum, there is no justifiable cause for the continued illegality of Marijuana and Hemp (for more information on the facts about Marijuana and Hemp see norml.org and naihc.org)...Taking Marijuana and Hemp off the War on Drugs would allow the DEA and US Customs service (also a member of the War on Drugs) to free up Billions of dollars in resources and 10's of thousands of man hours a year to pursue those drugs which are truely detrimental and destructive to our society. Further, by legalizing, and taxing Marijuana and Hemp, and then allocating those taxes to educating the populace on the use of drugs of any kind, it would further help in the battle against those drugs which have proven to destroy our social fabric and lead to a victory in a War we are obviously losing...To sum it up: Legalize Marijuana and Hemp and not only will we create new and productive industries, but then we will have a real chance to win the War on Drugs.