Marijuana Legalization: Retired Seattle Police Chief Says Obama Should Listen to Voters
Guest Opinion by Norm Stamper
 
Salem-News.com, Oregon
Dec-30-2008
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/december302008/leap_opinion_12-30-08.php
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We understand Mr. Obama has a full plate. Our economic crisis and the threat of terrorism are only two examples. However, we know that ending the drug war will offer a partial fix to both of these issues.

(SEATTLE) - In early December, Barack Obama
invited Americans to participate in an
unprecedented, bottom-up approach to government.
Visitors to the President-elect’s official
website, Change.gov, were able to submit
questions and vote on which questions should take
priority for the new administration.

More than a dozen of the top 50 questions called
for amending America’s drug policies, with
inquiries ranging from availability of
doctor-recommended medical marijuana to the
economic impact of continuing to arrest and
incarcerate millions of people for drug offenses.

The number one vote getter was:

"Q: Will you consider legalizing marijuana so
that the government can regulate it, tax it, put
age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs
and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?"

Americans got their answer, sort of. A
one-sentence response from the President-elect’s transition team:

"A: President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana."

Speaking as a 34-year cop with six years as
police chief of one of America’s largest cities,
I know how much money has been squandered in
prosecuting the drug war. Obviously, I’m
disappointed and confused by this response.

His silence on the issue can't be due to fear of
political backlash. He and his team must have
seen the recent Zogby poll that shows three of
four Americans believe the "war on drugs" is a
failure. And the Time/CNN poll showing only 19
percent of Americans think we should continue
arresting and jailing marijuana users.

We understand Mr. Obama has a full plate. Our
economic crisis and the threat of terrorism are
only two examples. However, we know that ending
the drug war will offer a partial fix to both of these issues.

A legal and regulated drug trade would imprison
fewer people and generate substantial new
revenues. A recently released Harvard study
reports we could boost our economy by at least
$76.8 billion a year by ending drug prohibition,
and that’s a conservative estimate.

Legalizing and regulating drugs would help Mr.
Obama achieve a greater state of security for
Americans. It would effectively “take a bite out
of” rampant domestic organized crime, which goes
well beyond mere domestic street gangsters. And,
given that our drug war enriches the coffers of
organizations such as the Taliban and al Qaeda,
it would dramatically reduce international crime and terrorism.

In Mexico, President Felipe Calderón’s increased
police and military pressure on drug traffickers
has not slowed the supply or the demand for
drugs. In fact, the crackdown has only added to
illegal drug markets and spiraling violence.

Despite this, Calderon has asked U.S. taxpayers
for $1.4 billion to fund his country’s version of
our failed policy. Amazingly, we’re handing it over.

At the request of President-elect Obama,
Americans have initiated discussion about the
immediate and far reaching implications of our
disastrous drug policy. We respectfully ask Mr.
Obama to explain his position to all the people
who took the time to participate in this innovative, democratic process.

We need to know when this issue truly will be “open for questions.”
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For more background, visit this Salem-News.com article by Tim King:
Marijuana
Legalization Tops List of Questions for Obama in Online Poll

[]
Norm Stamper, former Chief of Police of Seattle,
is an advisory board member of
CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com). He is the author of
Breaking Rank: A Top Cop’s Exposé of the Dark
Side of American Policing. You can email Norm at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Law
Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an
international nonprofit educational organization
whose mission is to reduce the multitude of
harmful consequences resulting from fighting the
war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of
death, disease, crime and addiction by ultimately
ending drug prohibition. You can visit LEAP here,
http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php>leap.cc/cms/index.php
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