Pubdate: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 Source: Providence Journal, The (RI) Copyright: 2005 The Providence Journal Company Contact: http://www.projo.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/352 Author: Larry Seguin Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration) Cited: Gonzales v. Raich (www.angeljustice.org/) AMERICA IS HOOKED NOT ON ILLEGAL DRUGS BUT ON DRUG WAR The "war on drugs" today is mostly about marijuana ("The marijuana ruling," editorial, June 9). Marijuana arrests, convictions and incarcerations and the seizure of property in marijuana cases constitute the great majority of "drug-war incidents." Without marijuana prohibition, the drug war and its bloated budget would not be justifiable -- nor would the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, foreign intervention, or political anti-drug posturing. Without marijuana prohibition, the whole "war on drugs" would fall apart. America is in the throes of an addiction, to be sure. But it is to the prohibition of drugs, much more than to the use of drugs. Enormous and wildly increasing budgets are squandered on ever-higher doses of the drug-prohibition habit. Vehement denials are heard that the prohibition habit is the problem, along with pronouncements that one more big fix of "enforcement and interdiction" will solve the drug problem. In great fear of withdrawal, the addict will commit any disgrace, deception, double-think or crime to get a fix. Drug prohibition has become the monkey on the back of democracy itself. LARRY SEGUIN Lisbon, N.Y. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth