Legal eagle says legalize drugs.

Years ago, Jim Doherty was a prosecuting attorney, and put people in jail for their use of drugs. Today, he says we should legalize those drugs.

Last Wednesday in F-113, LBCC’s Democracy Club sponsored a speech by Doherty, a legal consultant and representative for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. He believes that drugs and drug addiction are a social and medical issue, and that they should not be handled in the criminal justice system but with a regulatory and educational approach.

“A lot of people, myself and the other members of LEAP, who worked as drug enforcement agents and as undercover agents, worked for years thinking we could fight our way out of the problem. It just doesn’t work,” Doherty said.

According to Doherty, the war on drugs has done nothing to curb drug addiction, and that we spend nearly $61 billion a year of taxpayers’ money. He used examples of the United States’ attempt at alcohol prohibition, and the current situation in Mexico, to make the point that criminalization fuels the black market, creates an opportunity for huge profits, causes wide spread violence, and fills our prisons with people caught on non-violent possession charges. Despite the government’s efforts, he says, “drugs are cheaper, more potent, and as accessible as ever.”

“It’s not like drugs are hard to get. For some kids it’s easier to get marijuana than it is to get cigarettes,“ Doherty said. “So, what have we accomplished with our drug war? We aren’t keeping drugs away from people. What we are doing is screwing up people’s lives.”

According to Doherty, his organization doesn’t make specific recommendations for the nature of the regulatory policies needed, and that states will need to experiment individually to find out how they can establish a policy that reduces the harm and helps protect their communities.

He asked those in the audience to think about what would happen if drugs were available in state stores and state medical clinics. He says that, if heroin were available at state medical clinics, addicts could get pure doses so they do not overdose and would have access to clean needles, helping prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C. In addition, the move would put a stop to the illegal drug industry.

“What’s going to happen [if drugs were regulated]? The drug dealers are going to be out of business. The black market is going to be gone,” Doherty said.

The key to stopping drug abuse in our country, according to Doherty, is not by throwing people into jail, but by shifting the money from the criminal approach to more counseling and rehabilitation services for the addicted and more educational resources for our youth. Right now, Doherty said, we are spending 20 times as much on criminal costs than on rehabilitation.

“As a society we need to help people if they’re abusing drugs, and we are not helping them if they are going to jail. We are de-socializing them,” Doherty said, “If they aren’t criminal when they go into jail, they come out as criminals.”

Not all in attendance agreed with Doherty’s views, and questions arose to whether or not the costs for rehabilitation were less than incarceration. Another student wondered if these policies would discourage addicts from seeking recovery.

Robert Harrison, the faculty advisor of the Democracy Club, says that what Doherty was saying is a viewpoint that we should consider because so much of what we hear promotes the war on drugs. “I thought this was a way to bring more balance to the issue,” Harrison said.

Check out this link for information about possible changes in U.S. drug policies.