Why Government Doesn't Work: on Drugs
War on Drugs is a crusade against victimless crimes
The crusade against victimless crimes reaches the apex of absurdity in the War on Drugs. It is the quintessential example that government doesn’t work. Government has failed completely to stop people from taking drugs. It can’t stop drugs from coming
into the country. It can’t even stop drugs from getting into its own prisons. And yet the politicians keep telling us that the next freedom taken from us will be the price that finally pays off in getting drugs off the streets and away from our
children.It ought to be obvious by now that this War will never be won. Government can’t stop the supply, it can’t reduce the demand, and its strong-arm tactics don’t work. We have paid for this fruitless crusade in billions of tax dollars, the
corruption of police forces, the loss of civil liberties, soaring crime rates, and gang warfare. The War has served only to undermine our protections against reckless law enforcement-and to make life easier for violent criminals.
Source: Why Government Doesn’t Work, by H. Browne, p.130-1
Jul 2, 1995
Truth is a casualty in the War on Drugs
Truth is a casualty in the War on Drugs. Because they’re in a losing battle, the Drug Warriors grow progressively more hysterical in trying to justify their activities. It has become impossible to discuss calmly any issue concerning drugs. Lost in th
hysteria are a few simple facts:- No one has ever been known to die from smoking marijuana
- No scientific study has indicated that smoking marijuana leads inevitably to heavier drugs
- More people use mind-altering stimulants, sedatives,
tranquilizers, or analgesics than use cocaine or crack
- Fewer people die from illegal drugs than die from accidental poisoning by legal drugs and medicines.
Much of the misery coming from illegal drugs occurs because they are illegal. People
sometimes die or become sick from poorly formulated illegal drugs or from overdoses of them, because the law prevents reputable companies from providing a safe product in standard doses.
Source: Why Government Doesn’t Work, by H. Browne, p.132-3
Jul 2, 1995
Marijuana is not unconditionally evil; allow medical use
Marijuana is very effective in relieving chronic pain; alleviating nausea for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy; and treating glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and other medical conditions. No one has ever been known to die from smoking
marijuana, and no scientific study has indicated that smoking marijuana leads inevitably to heavier drugs. But the Drug Warriors prefer to let patients suffer, rather than acknowledge that marijuana isn’t an unconditional evil.
Source: Why Government Doesn’t Work, by Harry Browne, p.133
Jul 2, 1995
Page last updated: Feb 26, 2019