What do my partner, David Clark, and George P. Shultz, formerly of the Nixon and Reagan administrations, have in common? They both advocate for the decriminalization of drugs. In this weekend’s Wall Street Journal, Mr. Shultz and his co-author economist Paul Volcker argue that too much money has been spent putting recreational users behind bars where they “learn to become real criminals.” Well, I don’t know about prisons as ITT-Institutes of Crime. But I do agree with them that the US war on drugs and our drug control policies have hurt Latin American countries and have been getting us nowhere.

I also believe that the reason why groups like NORML, which David Clark supports, are in favor of decriminalization is that it is much less scary to the average American than a policy where drugs, or certain drugs, are no longer illegal. It’s simply easier for all of us to swallow. Just by existing, NORML rocks boats. It is looking to change the status quo by changing people’s attitudes, not by changing laws. Decriminalization is what they sponsor, and decriminalization is different than legalization. Decriminalization means the government—either State or Federal—chooses not to prosecute certain charges. It’s the drug equivalent of Don’t Ask /Don’t Tell.

Legalization means changing actual laws - real policy, in other words. While I’m pleased on some level that such strong political figures like Shultz and Volcker are calling for decriminalization, I expect more from them. I want them to demand and lead the fight for real policy change. Instead, they call for “an open and honest debate on the subject. We want to find our way to a less costly and more effective method of discouraging drug use, cutting down the power of organized crime, providing better treatment and minimizing negative societal effects.” I suggest that they are several years behind in looking for a dialog. I think this dialog has been occurring for quite some time now, and without them and other staunch conservatives. Perhaps if they contact NORML they’ll find the debate over and done with. If they would just read a few of the reports that have already been written and check the studies that have already been done, they might even find that the answers are already there. We’re just waiting for a couple of very experienced politicians and intellectuals to write and push through new policies.

Atlanta DUI Lawyers Clark & Towne

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