US waves white flag in disastrous 'War on Drugs'

It's about time!! I am so sick of people being tossed into prison for non violent drug crimes!! Addicts don't benifit from inprisionment they need medical and psychological help if they ever want to recover

I think it would still be a good idea to protect our borders from the influx of hard drugs, but yes, get rid of the war on marijuana! I've had the opportunity to compare pot vs. Hydrocodone for acute pain management recently. Both work about the same for pain. However, while pot makes me too relaxed to get much done, I find the slight elevation in mood from a reasonable dose of Hydrocodone makes me more productive, with no down side after it wears off. I would like to see a time-release delivery system for pot developed. The best I can do now is nibble on a cannabutter cookie over the course of an hour to achieve 4 hours of relaxed comfort, then a good night's sleep.

I love that our country always touts itself as the 'freest nation on Earth' yet we can't travel to Cuba, we can't do any drugs but Caffeine, Cigarettes, or Alcohol (PASS!), and we can't have consensual sex with prostitutes.

From 20% to 30% of USA GDP is constituted by the drugs industry so there is not interest by any administration to really block it.
I quote the guy who wrote the war on drugs can be only won with a better education.

I thought you people were sane. You aren't sane. You don't want to legalize marijuana you want all narcotics to be legal. Go tweak on your meth then you useless chemical obsessed vile people. Enjoy your addictions, rot in jail.

The black market heavily relies on marijuana so taking that crutch away from them is an excellent way to cripple that market.

Once drug runners understand that it's ok for U.S. citizens to buy locally, they will try to flood the black market with heavier and more dangerous drugs so the police can focus on catching them now.

i dont believe it nor do i trust it

It's not over yet folks...we've come a long way but there is still much to do

HURRAY! this is a time to celebrate

This article was mostly junk with a grain of truth...let me explain. If you think our government is going to give up on the war on drugs, you are crazier than a crack addict! It is going to take many more years before any real change takes effect (2016-2020 at the least). Bolivia and Venezuela booted us out of their countries, we didn't give up people! Many more lives and many more billions of dollars will be spent on this "social issue," the government will probably go to a different front of attack on drug culture, but it won't be the right way or the way that we are thinking (like rehab for addicts). It will be something more ambiguous and less logical, after all it is the government. I think this article is just that, another article.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Pass that joint, Eliot

The war on drugs will be won with education. If we had spent all that money on educating the public we would not have a problem because there would not be a market for the supplier. rehabilation is nessessary but not the solution. Proactive education is the solution.

We wash our hands before we eat for a reason.

Islamister never give up.If they cant make you a muslim by peace.Then by the Sword.Their ame is to convert the hole World.

Who needs a war on drugs when you have a war on terror? trade one invisible enemy for another. Shoot, at this point one can really only hope the latter only last 40 years. If the "war on terror" is ever won, it's because we've collectively given up our freedoms for security.

It's about time! The laws against drugs are just another form of racism.

its about time the govt. can see that it is more money to invest towards the war on drugs and plus there are way more important things going on in the world at the moment.

The headline is misleading a bit, but still a good step in the right direction.

I believe the intentions were commendable, but the methods and effects brought about by all this left the war floundering in the dust, causing it to become much more of a nuisance than actually benefitting anyone. A bit of a shame, considering that we could have used all of the resources put them into something that was actually needed.

duh

If the government cant control it,it's banned,;)

At this point , they would have to work pretty hard to miss it !

This is terrible. Cocain isn't a victimless crime. Tell the people of Jaurez or Bogata that.

I am a firm believer that the 'war on cannabis hemp' has been a mistake, perpetrated by corporations who benefitted from prohibition. What a world, their natural competitor outlawed. But, that being said, the buck stops there. I do not believe all drugs should be legalized. There are many dangerous drugs out there and American families should not have to suffer the burden of hard drugs today, because a mistake was made many years ago, when cannabis hemp was outlawed. Legalizing all drugs today will not right the wrongs of yesterday.

President Obama could change things with the stroke of a pen. He could reclassify cannabis and let the recovery begin. Richard Nixon changed the classification of cannabis. It wasn't Congress, or the Senate. It was the President. President Obama knows the war on cannabis is wrong. I hope he finds the courage to really change the war, which is happening on 'American soil'.

Hemp could be an environmentally friendly industry unto it's self. There are so many uses for hemp, it boggles the mind. We have a plant, which 'grows like a weed' and can be used to make the same products as oil can make. "Grow, baby grow"

It is pretty strange that corporate media doesn't want things too change for the better in this crazy war on drugs, oh wait a minute of course they would be taking money out of their own pockets. Almost all our ills socially and moving the country in a progressive direction are currently being stymied by Corporate power, I hope people are sensing that obstruction.

I am all for legal buds and other Herbs that help. I am not for hard drugs them things will killYa.

All people imprisoned for victimless crimes should be released. As much as it's nice to read this on a smaller news site, I'd love to hear overgrown big media discussing this. Obama's poised to do a lot of fantastic long-term good for this country. If only he would do it.

I agree those that have been incarcerated for using marijuana should be released. Our society suffers in many ways for the disruption of the many lives incarceration causes, not to mention being a burden on the rest of us. It makes no sense whatsoever.

The question is: what is best for society? Outlawing drugs creates a very lucrative black market profiting those who are willing and of the mentality to violate our laws for profit. Do we really want to reward criminality with millions and millions of dollars?

Amen, if woman have the right to abort a baby then I should have the right to put substances in my body

DISCLAIMER: I don’t do illegal drugs, in fact I have never even tried illegal drugs ~guess this makes me a knob, but I am not straight edge by any means. I live up to an ancient family tradition of drinking myself into oblivion on multiple occasions. But, I do believe that the war on drugs was an incredibly stupid idea. An enormous waste of money, time and diverted the attention of the law enforcement community for far to long. It also tied up our court system and placed drug addicts in prison for years instead of treatment. The war on drugs wasn’t fought to keep America’s youth safe or protect America’s security. It was a political platform and a misguided moral crusade. If illegal drugs were regulated by the federal government quality could be control eliminating drug related deaths due to impure (?) poor quality drugs. The government should manufacture the drugs and use the proceeds to offer drug rehabilition to those who wish it. I realize that I am a bit naïve and uneducated about this subject and I am sure I will get a keyboard beat down.

don't everybody at the same time run out and get high now.

It has taken many years and so much money but it just goes to show that common sense can and will eventually prevail.