2009.06.11
Thursday's column: A leading valley citizen calls out the 'War on Drugs'
Are we heading in the wrong direction with our national drug policy?
Sen. Jim Webb broached this question in March when calling for a National Criminal Justice Commission.
But because he's a Washington politician, you have to weigh the senator's apparent seriousness against the headline grabbing he has to do to stay in office.
When people like Jim Ford raise the same question, that's when you tend to take notice.
Ford, 81, and a 50-year resident of the Roanoke Valley, believes all drugs should be legalized. But he's not crazy, nor would you ever consider him any type of radical.
Consider the Windy Gap retiree's remarkable resume: Army veteran. Degrees from Northwestern and Rutgers universities. Senior vice president and trust officer for Colonial-American National Bank. Insurance executive. Ex-chairman of United Way Roanoke Valley.
Former chair of the Roanoke City GOP mass meeting. A founder of Planned Parenthood and the Foundation for the Roanoke Valley. Past president of the Roanoke Valley Council of Community Services, the Roanoke Symphony (twice), the Roanoke Jaycees and Mental Health Services, which is now known as Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare.
Read the rest of the column here.
What do you think? Put your thoughts in a comment below.
Excellent idea. The debate needs to be had and when your statistics are that bad, you need to declare a cease fire and rework the plan. I applaud Sen. Webb for going out on that limb and Mr. Ford for having the courage to go as well. I do not have the answer, but I cannot say "stay the course".
Comment by Sandi Saunders — June 11, 2009 @ 8:07 am
The widespread damage due to legal repercussions as opposed to personal health issues is a clear reason to look into changing our archaic laws. Strict regulation would serve to not only do away with increased prison population but would make it that much more difficult for the majority of youth to obtain regulated substances...for example: ask any teenager which is easier to obtain - cannabis that may contain contaminants such as cleaning products or regulated and taxed alcohol?
My personal experience in teenage years was that my friends were able to purchase illegal drugs easier than it was to get an illegal 12-pack of Budweiser.
Heavily taxed and strictly regulated, the legalization of drugs would additionally bring in billions of tax revenue as has been shown in California recently with the legalization of medicinal cannabis. Granted there will always be a population of society that will not be able to control addictions but the treatment as opposed to incarceration would be greatly cheaper in the long run.
The rest of the United States is awakening to the truth that medicinal qualities and vast amounts of taxable revenue exist in naturally occurring substances such as cannabis. Is it not about time that Virginians wake up to the opportunities afforded by legalization (or at least decriminilazation).
Think about areas such as Halifax county in VA that have been devastated economically and socially due to the tobacco lawsuits and decrease of tobacco revenue. Legal hemp (not just medicinal cannabis) is the answer to helping many Virginia farmers keep their family farms as well as put food on the table.
Virginia - is it not time to start looking into an open and adult debate into the possibility of medicinal cannabis as a start? Witnessing a friend's recent battle with cancer sure helped me reach a rational conclusion about the increasing debate about medicinal use of cannabis.
For more education see the following:
http://www.mpp.org/ (national)
http://www.medicalcannabis.com/ (based out of Nelson County, VA)
- - It would be nice if we could have an open, honest, and free speech debate without the fear reprimanding.
Comment by VATaxPayer — June 11, 2009 @ 11:53 am
This is such a good idea that I can see it won't be readily accepted. To continue down the same course would be the definition of lunacy. I do applaud Sen. Webb for at least raising the subject, however, I wouldn't go for total legalization. Marijuana would be a start, but a debate needs to be started.
Comment by Just Saying... — June 11, 2009 @ 12:04 pm
Well, Gollly. Or, IOW, "Duh". Let's hope that someone from a small town (well, Roanoke is certainly smaller than Balimer/DC) can get the ball rolling. Many years ago a mayor of Baltimore suggested the first step of decriminalization of pot and was vilified by the "war" idiots.
I do not know if complete legalization is the way to go - consider
legalized PCP(!) - but we can see how Holland and Switzerland make out in
their latest initiatives.
No, I don't use, but I do pay and am tired of it.
I notice that other comments are much more refined than mine. Go for it.
Balimer, Merlan
Comment by mapuser — June 11, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
At last this discussion is taking place. If the government can now regulate tobacco, the same can be done for all illegal drugs. Regulating their sale and distibution, and taking the huge profits out of the narco-gangs hands is the only sensible action, given the dismal results of the "War on Drugs." It seemed clear to me, thirty years ago, when I was trained to be an information specialist by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, that our history of criminalizing substance abuse started us down the wrong road. Our two most addictive and damaging drugs, tobacco and alchohol, remaining legal, thanks to industry lobbying, made hypocrites of us all. What is now taking place with the federal regulation of tobacco, and society's presssure to reduce smoking, exemplifies what can happen with the entire realm of mood altering substances. I am out raged ever day at drug war's carnage. It doesn't have to be: 72 year old retired social worker
Comment by Elizabeth McCommon — June 12, 2009 @ 8:46 am
Well said, Elizabeth McCommon, bless you for the work you have done as well!
Good points VaTaxPayer!
Comment by Sandi Saunders — June 12, 2009 @ 10:07 am
I say HOORAY to Jim Ford and hopefully, Jim Webb. I have been advocating such a program as outlined by Mr. Ford for 35 years. Think of the loss to the Mexican and Columbian cartels. This would stop the drug wars the next day. We have wasted billions, perhaps trillions of dollars trying to stop an unstoppable train not to mention putting dealers and users in an over crowned prison system WHERE THEY DO NOT BELONG. I have written Mr. Webb, Mr. Goodlatte, Mr. Warner and all Presidents since Nixon urging them to look realistically at this proposal. Naturally, they all come back with the same old tired reasoning, or lack of reasoning. We need to get over the “Reefer Madness” mind set and get this thing going. This also puts to mind the tobacco farmers who will soon be taxed out of business by yet a new bureaucracy. They could replace their tobacco crop with pot. There are no medical studies that prove that pot is dangerous. We know about tobacco and alcohol. Let’s get real here and do the right thing. I’m 61 years old and I say, it’s time to legalize drugs and give people a safe place to do them with supervision, nurses and rehab. I don’t buy the argument that younger children will have access to the drugs. I have news for those who espouse this argument, they already have access. We can keep them away from them simply by making them legal with an ID required to purchase, just like tobacco. You will never stop kids from trying these things and any argument to the contrary is nonsense. I’m truly glad to see Senator Webb willing to discuss this option. I’m not a fan of his but I’m surely glad he has listened to those of us who want this done
Comment by PD — June 12, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
Dear Mr. Casey,
I read your op/ed online and have to take issue with one of your
premisses ....
Senator Jim Webb did not start this dialogue on drugs and the criminal
justice system to grab headlines. In fact most "Washington"
politicians like fellow state and local politicians don't just shy
away from this discussion - they run.
Senator Webb whom I proudly supported from the "get go" in his run for
office 2 years ago, is simply following through on his campaign
promises (Gee, imagine that). With the keen eyes of a questioning
journalist and a brilliant intellect, Jim Webb is pushing for a fair
and just America just as he pushed (through a Rovian Republican
congress & Bush league administration) for veteran causes (the new
G.I. Bill).
Your cynicism of politicians and their motivations is understandable
given the last decade (or more). But we are only having this
conversation on the failed Nixonian Drug War, because I have a Senator
who is actually doing what he said he would do when elected. If you ever met Jim Webb .... if you only knew why & how he ran
for office in the first place .... your cynical comment would not have
made print.
Right now, Jim Webb is on a mission ..... 3 or 4 years from now, he'll
look back and report to the Common Wealth of Virginia what he managed
to accomplish. I'm afraid that at that time he will not run again. We
and country would be poorer for it as his initiatives are right on the
mark!
Thank you for your article,
Tony Mski
Fredericksburg, VA
Comment by TMski — June 13, 2009 @ 7:48 am
Definitely some good arguments here.
Comment by Truthsayer — June 20, 2009 @ 10:41 pm