BrandonBliss

ToryChilds
MacKenzieReddick
Mr.Gross
English12B(3)
8May2015
PeaceTreatyfortheWaronDrugs
In1776,whenthemagnificentUnitedStatesofAmericagaineditsindependence,oneof
thegreatprinciplesitwasfoundeduponwasthepursuitofhappiness.Thismeanspeoplearefree
todowhatmakesthemhappywithoutinfringingontherightsofothers.In1971,President
RichardNixondeclaredwarondrugsandclaimedAmericasnumberoneenemywasdrug
abuse.TheWaronDrugsmustendandlegalizationofalldrugsforrecreationalandmedicinal
useintheUnitedStatesneedstobeimplemented.TheWaronDrugsiscostingtaxpayers
millionsofdollarsandfloodingtheprisonsystemwithfrivolousandnonviolentdrugcharges.
TheWaronDrugscontinuesas12.7%ofallarrestsmadeintheUnitedStatesarenonviolent
drugrelatedcrimes(Flatow).ThedrugschedulesysteminusebytheDrugEnforcement
Administrationisoutrageouslyandatrociouslyinaccurateandoutdated.Sincetheschedule
systemusedtoclassifydrugsandnarcoticswascreated,manydrugsandsubstancesonthis
schedulehavebeenshowntohavemedicinalqualitiesandbesubstantiallylessharmfulthan
originallythought.Withtheadvancementofscientificresearchonvariouspsychoactive
substances,itisbeingfoundthatmanyillegaldrugshavepromisingpotentialformedicinaluse.
Theillegalstatusofrecreationaldrugspushessupplierstocutandtoxifysubstanceswithother

chemicalsinordertoincreaseprofitbyincreasingthevolumeofproduct.Thiscausesa
significantincreaseinthedangeroftheproducttotheuser,whoisusuallynegligenttothefact
thatthedrughasbeentamperedwith.Alcoholandtobaccoproductsaccountforasubstantially
higherdeathtollthanallillicitsubstancescombined,yetarestillregardedassafeanddeemed
acceptableduetoignorance.Thekeytoreducingandeliminatingdrugabuseisnotoutlawing
drugsitistolegalize,research,andinformthepublicoftheeffectsdrugshaveonthehuman
body.Irresponsibleuseofillicitdrugsandsubstancescanharmusers,butwithpropereducation,
itwillarmAmericancitizenswithessentialknowledgeforresponsibleuseofrecreationaldrugs.
LegalizingalldrugsintheUnitedStateswillinfactdecreaseoverdosesanddrugabuseamong
itsconstituents.
TheWaronDrugsiscostingtaxpayingcitizensmillionsofdollarsandfloodingthe
prisonsystemwithfrivolousandnonviolentdrugcharges.TheUnitedStatesisconsideredtobe
afreecountry,withoutoppressionfromthoseinpower.Thoughmanyfreedomsareenjoyedin
theUnitedStates,thereisadarkunderbellycorruptingthesystemthatisoftenoverlookedby
many.TheUnitedStatesisnotoriousforthemassincarcerationofitsowncitizens,beingthe#1
countryintheworldforinternalincarceration.1.5millionpeoplewerearrestedonnonviolent
drugchargesin2013(DrugWarStatistics1).Thearrestprocessisacostlyone,andmillionsin
stateandfederalfundsgotothisprocess.Onanationalscale,morethan$51,000,000isspenton
theWaronDrugsannually(1).Thismoneycouldbeputtobetteruse,suchasdrugeducation
reformorresearchanddevelopment.Withthelegalizationofdrugs,thegovernmentcanfocusits
fundsaswellasitsprioritiesonmoreimportantinternaltasks.ThestateofColoradohas
spearheadedtheuseoflegalrecreationalmarijuana,aschedule1drug,togeneraterevenuefor

statefundedprojects.Inthefirstyearoflegalizationofmarijuana,Coloradohascollected$17
milliondollarsfromtaxedcannabis(Hughes1).Thatis$17milliondollarsmorethanitreceived
lastyearfrommarijuanataxes(aresounding$0)anditisexpectedtoskyrockettoover$40
milliondollarsannuallywithinthenextcoupleofyears.

Potsmokerswhowerealreadysmoking
marijuanaarenowdoingsolegallyandwillinglypayingtaxes,whichinturn,isincreasing
multipleaspectsofthepubliceducationalsysteminColorado.Thisisjustoneexampleofhow
legalizationofaschedule1drugcanbenefittheAmericansocietyasawhole.
ThedrugschedulesysteminusebytheDrugEnforcementAdministrationis
outrageouslyandatrociouslyinaccurateandoutdated.Sincetheschedulesystemusedtoclassify
drugsandnarcoticswascreated,manydrugsandsubstancesonthisschedulehavebeenshownto
havemedicinalqualitiesandbesubstantiallylessharmfulthanoriginallyperceived.Thecurrent
drugschedulesystemwascreatedin1970.ThismeanstheDEAhasbeenusingthesamemethod
ofclassificationforover45years,withnoadaptationsorchangesfittingtothegrowing
pharmacologicalknowledge.TheDrug
EnforcementAgencystatesSchedule
Idrugsareconsideredthemost
dangerousclassofdrugswithahigh
potentialforabuseandpotentially
severepsychologicaland/orphysical
dependence(DEA).Asanexample,
marijuanaisaschedule1substance,
givingitthetitleofhighestpotential

forabuseandnorecognizedmedicinaluse.Regardless,elevenstateshavelegalizeditsmedicinal
usealongwith4statesallowingrecreationaluse.Thisshowsthatthesystemisoutdatedand
needstobechangedtofitcountrywidesocietalchange.Themisleadingclassificationofdrugs
andtheirdangerbythefederalgovernmentharmscitizensmorethanithelps.Theschedule
systeminplaceneedstobeeliminatedorreformedtofitcurrentknowledgeofdrugs,substances,
andchemicals.
Withtheadvancementofscientificresearchonvariouspsychoactivesubstances,itis
beingfoundthatmanyillegaldrugshavepromisingpotentialformedicinaluse.Forsome
illnesses,narcoticsubstancesaretheonlywaytotakethepainawayorcurethedisease.For
example,ecstasy(molly)isbeingshowntoproduceastoundingresultswhenassistingin
psychotherapy.AccordingtoDrugPolicyAlliance,BecauseofMDMAsuniqueeffectof
diminishingfearandenhancinginterpersonaltrust,itisanidealadjunctmedicineto
psychotherapy,andithasbeenadministeredtoover500humansubjectsinclinicaltrialswithout
asingleseriousadverseevent.Aseminalstudypublishedin2010foundthatPTSDpatientswho
receivedMDMAassistedpsychotherapyreportedoverwhelmingreductionsintheseverityof
theirsymptom(MDMA1).Methylenedioxymethamphetamine,asofMarch18th,2015,is
beingfundedbytheDEAtomotiontowardsmakingitalegalprescriptionmedicineby2021.
MDMAwaspreviouslyknowntobeaScheduleIdrugwithnomedicinalbenefits(Wing1).
Marijuana,alsoaScheduleIdrug,hastimeandtimeagainshownmedicinalbenefits.The
medicinaluseofmarijuanaisextremelyprevalentinthedocumentaryTheUnion:TheBusiness
BehindGettingHighwhereGeorgeCooper,amultiplesclerosisandataxiasufferer,talksabout
hisusageofmarijuanaandhowitprovideshimthewilltomoveonandreducehispain(The

Union:TheBusinessBehindGettingHigh1:27:51).Theapplicationofthesesubstancesin
medicinalresearchshowsjusthowmuchpotentialillegalsubstanceshavetohelppeoplerecover
fromdiseaseandillness.Bylegalizingdrugsmedicinally,itwillprovideahealthier
environment.Opioids,painmedicationsuchasmorphine,willalwaysprovidethedesiredeffect
andwilldowhattheyaremeanttodo.Whenusingdrugssuchasibuprofen,itisnotsafeforall
patientstotakeandisnotalwayseffective(NarcoticTreatmentContracts1).Longtermusageof
ibuprofenhasbeenproventocauseliverproblemsinmultiplehumans(Livertox1).Thecitizens
oftheUnitedStatesneedsubstancesthatcanbereliedonandthatworkwhentaken.Alldrugs
needtobeobtainableforeveryoneintheUnitedStatestoprovidemedicinalbenefitsforvarious
diseasesandillnesses.
Irresponsibleuseofillicitdrugsandsubstancescanharmusers.TheControlled
SubstanceAct,enactedin1970,wasmadetoprotectpeoplefromharmfulsubstancesand
regulatedruguseandpossessionintheUnitedStates.TheActwasinitiallygood,becauseusage
ofdrugscanbeharmfulwithoutpropereducationandwithouttakingcautiousmeasuresbefore
ingestingthem.Drugoverdosesaregenerallycausedbytoxicmixinsfoundindrugsthatthe
userisnotawareof.Substancesaremostoftensoldbythemetricmeasurementofmass,the
gram.Therefore,themoremass(grams),themoreadealercanselltheproductfor.Thesecutters
(oftencheapandhazardoussubstances)arethereasondrugsareoftenassociatedasdangerous.
Dealershavemoremotivetoincreasevolumeatthedangerofthebuyerbyaddingthesecutters
toanotherwiseharmlesssubstance.Withlegalizationandregulation,thisfactorwouldbecome
completelyirrelevant.Theharmdrugscancausecomesfromnegligenceandignoranceofhow
controlledsubstancesaffectthebody.Makingallcontrolledsubstanceslegal,butregulated,

allowsformoreresearchtobedoneonthemandforpeopletobecomemoreinformed.By
studyingthesedrugsinalab,themedicinalusescouldflourishandtherecreationalusewould
becomemuchsafer.
AlthoughalcoholandtobaccohaveproventobemoredangerousthanmultipleSchedule
Idrugs,theyarestilllegalizedoverothersubstancesduetoignoranceandstupidity.Over88,000
deathsaretracedbacktoalcoholrelatedincidentsperyearjustintheUnitedStatesalone
(AlcoholUse1).TobaccoisthenumberonepreventablecausefordeathsintheUnitedStates
averagingover443,000deathsayearandaffectingover8.6millionfromsecondhandsmoke.
EveryScheduleIdrugcombinedaccountforlessthan44,000deathsperyear,mostofwhich
wereduetooverdosesofprescriptiondrugs(AnnualCausesofDeath1).Withpropereducation,
overdoseswoulddropsignificantly.Ontopofallthis,Tetrahydrocannabinol(THC),themain
psychoactivesubstanceinthecannabisplant,isalevel1controlledsubstance.Thereisnorecord
ofaTHCoverdosenorhaveanydeathsbeentracedbacktoTHCwheretheuserwasnotunder
theinfluenceofalcoholalso.Withlessignoranceandpropereducation,Americancitizenswould
understandthatthesedangerousdrugsarelessharmfulthansubstancesthatareconsumed
everydaywithoutthebatofaneyelash.
Thekeytoreducingandeliminatingdrugabuseisnotoutlawingdrugsitistolegalize,
research,andinformthepublicoftheeffectsdrugshaveonthehumanbody.Thisarms
Americanscitizenswithessentialknowledgeforresponsibleuseofrecreationaldrugs.
LegalizingalldrugsintheUnitedStateswillinfactdecreaseoverdosesanddrugabuseamong
itsconstituents.AmericansspendtaxdollarseveryyeartotryandstoptheWaronDrugs,butthe
onlywaytobeatitisbymakingdrugslegal.Bydoingthis,taxmoneycangotowardsthingsthat

arebeneficialandnottowardsawastedandcostlycause.TheDEAworksoffofoutdatedleads
andtoolsmakingtheminefficientanduntrustworthy.Lackofpropermedicinalandrecreational
knowledgeontheusageofdrugscausesanunsafeandignorantnation.Alcoholandtobacco,two
drugsresponsibleforthemostamountofdeathsintheUnitedStates,arelegalandtheireffects
arefarmoredangerousthanthatofmultipleScheduleIdrugs.Theprohibitionondrugsmust
turnintoaregulation.TheUnitedStatesmustallowAmericancitizenstopursuehappiness,
withoutintrudingonthehappinessofothers,inasafeandeducationalmannerunderour
ConstitutionalrightsstatedbytheDeclarationofIndependence.

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