by Robert M. Traxler
The only way to control illegal drugs is to stop or massively curtail demand.
Cocaine was made illegal in 1914 in the Harrison Narcotics Act, along with other opioids. The war on drugs was declared, and 109 years later it still is being fought, and we as a nation are still losing. I binge-watched the “Narcos” series on NETFLIX, a demonization of the drug culture in the nation of Colombia, but one with a good bit of truth. Having been involved in the war on drugs in Asia and Central America, I can attest to some truth in the series, and also a good bit of dramatization of things that happened during the time the series is set.
Massive anti-drug operations by our military and law enforcement costing billions to trillions of dollars over five generations of Americans have been successful in moving drug distribution and production from one nation to another. We now see the Colombia of the 1980/90s now being Mexico, with the help of China. The designer drug of today is Fentanyl; marijuana and cocaine are still in enormous demand, but fentanyl is the new drug of international drug operations.
Mexico is a Narco nation, with states like Sinaloa seeing the overwhelming number of government and military officials on the payroll of the drug cartels. In many jurisdictions in Mexico, to include the national government, most elected and other government officials are in the employ of the drug cartels. Directly and indirectly, the national economy is dependent on drug money. The drug cartels run the nation, as in Columbia, Honduras, and Panama before them. Let’s say most of the voters in a jurisdiction are dependent on the illegal drug industry; do you truly believe that a population will work to eradicate drug production? Never happen.
We can continue to fight this “war,” spending trillions and only succeeding in moving the production of drugs to a new location. If there are billions per year to be made in the illegal drug trade and Americans purchase some $153 billion worth of illegal drugs every year, it will not stop; never happen, no way, no how. Dangle footlockers full of cash in front of people and they will take the risk and produce, import and sell drugs.
A dirty little secret is that the good folks in law enforcement confiscate less than 10% of the drugs produced; that loss is a business expense, one baked into the smuggling operations business model. Think this over: If the DEA/Customs/other federal and state agencies confiscate many hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of drugs, multiply that by 10, and that is how much is being used in our nation. As long as drug use is a glamorous/politically correct and socially acceptable thing, it will not stop. With trillions of dollars to be made, it will never stop; we may move production around, but the market will always supply the demand.
When First Lady Nancy Regan started the “Just Say No” campaign, it was mocked and ridiculed by the beautiful people, the self-appointed intellectually elite folks, and the Hollywood types. Indeed, today drug use is glamorized and wildly popular; to stop the more than 100,000 American deaths, mostly the young, who died last year from drugs we need to control demand, not spend billions on interdiction.
The marketplace will always rule; if the demand is for trainloads of illegal drugs, someone, somewhere, will supply them and get Bill Gates extremely rich in the process. We as a nation made tobacco use politically incorrect; we see a government/media/academia campaign to stop tobacco, but damned near nothing to make drugs politically incorrect or socially unacceptable.
We can blame China and Mexico, open borders, and several things for the drug deaths, but we do nothing to place the emphasis on stopping demand. It is way past time we make illegal drug use the new tobacco; will we? Nope. The “beautiful people,” the politically correct, the social influencers, want their drugs, and people, especially the young, follow their lead.
In my youth 79% of Americans used tobacco; you could smoke on planes, in theaters and restaurants. Today it is 8 to 12.5%, time to launch the same campaign against drugs. Again, fat chance it will ever happen. A very woke friend who used tobacco in his youth but today is a rabid antismoker tells me smoking marijuana is good for you, cocaine even better, six carcinogens in marijuana be damned.
Common sense is always trumped by social acceptance and political correctness. My opinion.
Mr. Traxler,
This is meant as a simple question for clarification purposes, because I don’t have a point of reference for it. Please don’t take offense. How does supplying illegal drugs to those who want them make Bill Gates a rich man? I honestly don’t understand this.
Thanks.
Ms. Mandaville,
Thank you for the question, my point is the drug producers and traffickers will get extremely rich, like Bill Gates the second richest person in the world. I could have stated it more clearly.
Thanks again for the question. Welcome back, hope you are feeling better.
AB Bill Gates is not the second richest man in the world Facts matter remember.
Looked on Google it he came up twice he is the second riches man in America. We can debate it until the cows come home, let’s say he is not poor.
I’m not sure what Google account you use, but MOO! but I would almost say you used him because of your dislike of the Man TOP 50 World’s Richest People 2023
№ NAME WORTH
1 Bernard Arnault & family $211B
2 Elon Musk $198B
3 Jeff Bezos $120B
4 Larry Ellison $112B
Mr. Traxler,
Thanks for the clarification. I agree with your opinion that to eliminate the demand would go a long way toward diminishing the activity of the cartels. I fear it will be a difficult endeavor, but one worth trying to achieve, not unlike better stewardship of our planet.
And thank you for the well-wishes, too.
Sir,
With many local/state governments promoting pot shops, as a society we have a uphill battle. Our children and grandchildren are basically indoctrinated into thinking drugs are great. Add all the drugs advertised in most TV commercials and or radio. Sad, but Amercia has largely become a druggy nation. My opinion, my choice.
Howdy David,
How do you feel about alcohol, do you or yours imbibe it?
Caffeine, as in coffee, soda, etc. How do feel about that?
Both of these substances have the potential/and record for abuse. Both of these are fatal in higher doses.
Cannabinoids have been proven unable to reach a level of lethality in any amount or form. THC and CBD have been found to be highly effective at treating chronic pain among many other impressive therapeutic qualities. These compounds do not affect and suppress the function of the respiratory system the way that opioids and other prescription meds do. Traditional meds can, have and will likely continue to take lives. POT DOES NOT.
This does not take into account the very obvious difference in mood that alcohol can create compared to cannabis. As a general rule, drunks can be ignorant, angry and violently abusive in many forms. Weed tends to make folks more knowledgeable, open minded and friendly. Can it subdue a person? Some types can, but not for everyone. I believe smoking anything is poor form, many alternative routes exist.
The real neurological studies that have been done the past decade or so PROVE that cannabinoids actually have the power to repair and rebuild brain cells. Contrary to what we were taught in school, shocking, I know. Alcohol has been proven without a doubt to cause brain cell eradication.
We have managed to keep alcohol out of the hands of children in most normal supervised environments. The same is being proven for the devil’s lettuce. Have there been isolated instances of children being “poisoned” by cannabis? Sure, but no one has died, or even had any lasting impact, other than perhaps an opened mind.
If you choose to deny these facts, it is possible you sir, may be under the influence.
I hope that you are able to relax a little and find some relief/release in your life.
Good Day!