Fireworks, long lines and even a wedding marked the start of recreational marijuana sales in Nevada.It is far past the time when this country should concede that its 46-year long war on drugs, a "fight" that was born out of Nixon's innate racism and desire to seek a political edge at any cost, has been a massive failure. Nixon's failed war has resulted in the militarization of the police and the diminution of civil liberties at almost any time the matter comes up before the Supremes.
At midnight Saturday, legal pot went on sale -- making Nevada the eighth state to allow the purchase of marijuana in dispensaries.
Nevada's law lets adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. The law was approved by voters in November 2016.
End it.
From what I have seen, the drug prohibition laws have done more to destroy the relationship between the police and the communities (especially poor, urban communities) they serve than any other single factor, and make no mistake, there are many factors.
ReplyDeleteWhen the greater majority of citizens in a community either have been in trouble for drugs, or know or are related to someone who has been through the meat grinder of arrest, trial, and prison that is the criminal justice system's response to the use and sales of drugs, the attitude toward the police there devolves to one of hate and fear. It's not likely that you'll remember the service the police render to your community when you're wondering who they're gonna take this time.
The police, for their part, as human beings, are aware of those attitudes, and even for the good officers among them, how do we expect them to respect the humanity and civil rights of people they know good and well hate them, fear them, see them as worse than useless, and wish they would just go away?
If there wasn't the danger of being arrested by them, people would be more likely to engage them as human beings instead of trying to hide from them, and it just seems to me that they would be less paranoid in such an environment, and perhaps be less likely to shoot someone for questionable reasons.
Also, there are less theoretical, more nuts-and-bolts aspects to the lifting of prohibition laws that feed into a less contentious relationship between cops and citizens, like a recent study of states where pot has been legalized that found a 50% reduction of warrantless searches during traffic stops. Meaning fewer desperate drivers and passengers doing stupid things to try to avoid arrest (and all of the effects being arrested can have on their lives).
Portugal has decriminalized drug use since 2001, and their results have been encouraging:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal
I know drugs can harm people and communities, but I feel like I'm on a fairly solid footing when I say that compounding that harm isn't a good policy or solution.
-Doug in Oakland