Ending the Drug War - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

About Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP)LEAP is made up of current and former police, prosecutors, judges,FBI/DEA agents, corrections officials, military officers and otherswho fought on the front lines of the “war on drugs” and who knowfirsthand that prohibition only worsens drug addiction and illicitdrug market violence. Including our civilian supporters, LEAPrepresents more than 40,000 people in more than 80 countries.Please consider joining us and helping us to achieve our goals:1) to educate the public, the media and policy makers about thefailure of current policies, and 2) to restore the public’s respect forpolice, which has been greatly diminished by law enforcement’sinvolvement in enforcing drug prohibition.www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com

Executive SummaryPresident Richard Nixon officially declared a war ondrugs on June 17, 1971. Thirty-eight years later, onMay 14, 2009, the Obama administration’s drug czar,Gil Kerlikowske, matter-of-factly declared during anewspaper interview that he was ending the analogyof the “war on drugs”. But this wording change andthe Obama administration’s many subsequent changesin verbiage have had no corresponding significantchange in policy from that of the Bush administration.This report details the ongoing carnage resulting fromour failed prohibition policy while the administrationhas simultaneously tried to score political pointsby adopting the rhetoric of an evidence-based policy.Nowhere is the contrast between President Obama’sspoken words and policy toward drugs clearer than inthe comparison between spending for punishment andinterdiction (supply reduction) and spending forprevention, treatment and other health approaches (demandreduction). Despite President Obama’s clear -- andpolitically popular -- statement that “we have to thinkmore about drugs as a public-health problem,” his administration’sbudgets request funding for punishmentat a much higher level than for treatment and prevention.Similarly, the Obama administration has tried to convincethe public that it supports states’ rights to enactmedical marijuana laws while actually underminingsuch efforts at nearly every turn. The Obama administrationgave great fanfare to an October 2009 memo suggestingthat those in compliance with state law shouldnot be prosecuted, leaking it to the press late on a Sundaynight to ensure heavy media coverage. However,the rate of raids on medical marijuana providers duringthe Obama administration has actually increased sincethe Bush administration. Tellingly, the administrationhas done nothing to trumpet these raids to the press.While the rates of drug-war-related deaths in Mexicoskyrocket, the Obama administration continues to providefinancial assistance to Mexico’s crackdown on drugcartels, like the Bush administration before it. Perversely,high-ranking Obama administration officials likeDEA head Michele Leonhart have even described theincrease in these grizzly killings as a sign of the successof prohibition. The Obama administration continuesto fund Mexico’s war on drugs even as the killings increasefaster each year (e.g. a 40% rise in killings from2008 to 2009 and a nearly 60% rise from 2009 to 2010).Meanwhile, as the Obama administration tries to ignoreit, the drug war continues to cause widespreadgang violence within our own borders, in additionto spillover cartel violence from Mexico. When ajournalist asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holderwhether he thought ending the war on drugswould prevent the further loss of police officers’ livesin drug enforcement actions, he simply replied, “Idon’t think that’s right…no” and then walked away.The Obama administration does deserve credit for atleast recognizing that the American people are readyfor fundamental changes to drug policy and that antidrug-warrhetoric is a shrewd political move. Fully 76%of the American people and 67% of chiefs of police havedeclared the drug war a failure, according to polls. Theadministration also deserves some credit for enactinga small number of sensible changes in domesticdrug policy, including lifting the ban on using federalfunding for syringe exchange and reducing the disparitybetween sentences for crack and powder cocaine.But as the Obama administration’s policies largely lagbehind its rhetoric, state governments and prominentindividuals are leading the way to reform. As ofthis writing, 16 states plus the District of Columbiahave laws on the books making medical marijuanalegal for those with doctors’ recommendations, and14 states have decriminalized possession of smallamounts of marijuana. In 2012, several state ballotsare expected to feature initiatives to legalize andregulate marijuana. A growing number of prominentorganizations and individuals including the formerpresidents of several countries, former UN secretarygeneral Kofi Annan and other world leaders, have allcome out publicly to suggest a change in the failedwar on drugs. Let’s hope that the Obama administration’spolicies catch up to its rhetoric before it’s too late.

“We are notat war withpeople inthis country.”- WhiteHouse DrugCzar Gil KerlikowskeIntroductionPresident Richard Nixon officiallydeclared a war on drugs in a messageto Congress on June 17, 1971.Thirty-eight years later, on May14, 2009, the Obama administration’sdrug czar, Gil Kerlikowske,matter-of-factly declared during anewspaper interview that he wasending the war on drugs.“Since I used to stand in front ofthe helicopter for President Nixonwho brought the term in vogue,”Kerlikowske told the Wall StreetJournal, “it’s fitting that I’m almostback in the same spot and trying toput an end to the war analogy.”But despite the drug czar’s declaration,the war on drugs is still beingwaged, more vigorously than ever.Using the federal government’sown data and other sources, thisreport details the ongoing carnagebeing caused by a prohibitionpolicy the Obama administrationseems to pretend no longer exists.Handcuffs for Health Problems?In contrast to President Obama’sadmission that “we have to thinkmore about drugs as a publichealthproblem,” his drug controlbudget requests continue a Busheraratio that funds punishmentoriented(supply reduction) pro-65.0%Figure 1. Supply Reduction VersusDemand Reduction BudgetsPercentage of Total60.0%55.0%50.0%45.0%40.0%35.0%Supply ReductionDemand ReductionSource: U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy. (April 2011). FY2012 Budget and Performance Summary.http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/policy/12budget/fy12_budget_summary.pdf6

Millions2.001.801.601.401.201.000.800.600.400.200.00Figure 2. Yearly Drug Arrests1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2000-2010). Crime in the United States.http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucrgrams at a much higher rate thanhealth-oriented (demand reduction)strategies. If the president reallythinks we need to move awayfrom punitive, war-like approachesto the health issue of drug abuse,why, for example, did his first drugcontrol budget with his new drugczar in place (FY 2011) include a13% increase in anti-drug spendingfor the Department of Defense,an 18% increase in the Bureau ofPrisons drug control funds and a34% percent decrease in supportfor anti-drug programs under theDepartment of Education, as comparedto President Bush’s budgetfrom FY 2009?¹In light of President Nixon’s coiningthe phrase “war on drugs,” mostpeople assume that he presidedover a harsh, punishment-orienteddrug control strategy. But hisdrug control budgets, unlike thoseof subsequent presidents, actuallyemphasized funding for health solutionsto problems of drug abuseover punishment strategies.For example, along with the original1971 declaration of war againstdrugs, President Nixon requestedthat Congress appropriate $155million in new anti-drug funds,with more than two-thirds of itearmarked solely for treatmentand rehabilitation.²The differences in how the Nixonand Obama administrations havepublicly discussed their drug con-7

“I understand,fromfirsthandexperienceas a policeofficer andpolice chief,that we cannotarrest orincarcerateour way outof a problemthis complex,andthat a ‘Waron Drugs’mentality istoo simplisticanapproach tobe effective.”- WhiteHouse DrugCzar Gil Kerlikowsketrol strategies show just how muchthe political dynamics surroundingdrug policy have changed overthe years. While the Nixon administration’spublic messaging carefullystressed punishment, it directedresources primarily towardpublic health. Today, the Obamaadministration’s press releasesemphasize public health whileits funding requests are actuallyweighted toward punishment.In adopting talking points abouttreating drug abuse as a healthproblem, the Obama administrationhas been able to score politicalpoints with the three-quartersof Americans who have come torealize that the war on drugs is afailure, yet few journalists havereported that the budget realitydoesn’t match the rhetoric.³In deed, if not in word, PresidentObama has presided over a war ondrugs that has been waged at a ratevirtually indistinguishable fromthat of his recent predecessors. Forexample, the latest available federaldata shows that drug arrestsduring President Obama’s firstyear in office are up compared tothose during the first year of PresidentBush’s administration. Fundamentally,the arrest rate hasn’tchanged significantly despite theWhite House’s own admission thatwe cannot “arrest or incarcerateour way out of a problem this complex.”If the administration sincerely believesthe same old drug war approachis not going to solve drugabuse problems, then it needs tomatch its words to its deeds andactually shift limited resourcesaway from programs that can neverwork towards programs thatcan.Waging War Against Seriously IllIn similar fashion, the Obama administrationhas tried to convincethe public that it supports states’rights to enact medical marijuanalaws while actually underminingsuch efforts at nearly everyturn. Despite reassurances that acash-strapped federal governmentwould not waste its limited resourcesattacking legitimate, stateapprovedmedical marijuana providers,the rate of raids on thosecompassion centers has actuallyincreased during this administration.Notwithstanding an October 2009Department of Justice memorandumthat supposedly de-emphasizedfederal interference inmedical marijuana states, Obamaadministration officials have thusfar carried out nearly 100 raidson patients, growers, compassion8

centers and testing facilities in states wheremedical marijuana is legal. In comparison,Justice Department officials under the Bushadministration conducted just over 200 suchraids over the course of two entire presidentialterms.⁴But the Obama administration would rathervoters not think of it as anti-medical marijuana.Knowing that its supposed non-interferencemedical marijuana policy wouldplay well with the over 80 percent of theAmerican public that supports medicalmarijuana, White House officials leaked theJustice Department memo to the AssociatedPress late on a Sunday night, ensuring thatthe story would be heavily emphasized duringthe beginning of the week’s news cycle.⁵Tellingly, White House officials give no suchfanfare to anti-medical marijuana moves bythe Justice Department. For example, theyhave done nothing to trumpet threat lettersthat U.S. attorneys have issued to severalstate officials who are weighing approval ofmedical marijuana compassion centers.If President Obama is serious about hiscampaign pledge that “it’s not a good useof our resources” to crack down on medicalmarijuana patients and providers, he needsto reign in these U.S. attorneys and DEA officialswho insist on spending scarce taxpayerresources to interfere with the effectiveimplementation of state medical marijuanalaws.Deadly War South of the BorderOne of the ugliest signs of the failure of thewar on drugs is the wildly escalating rate ofObama’s Good Medical Marijuana PressObama Justice Department to Shift FromInvestigating Medical Marijuana CasesU.S. Won’t Prosecute in States ThatAllow Medical MarijuanaMajor Blow to ‘War on Drugs’: Obama Tells FedProsecutors, Don’t Waste Your Time with MedicalMarijuana ArrestsU.S. Relaxes Opposition to Medical MarijuanaDon’t Prosecute Medical-Marijuana Use, ObamaAdministration SaysHeadlines Obscure the Real StoryWhen Rhode Island first enacted its medical marijuanalaw in 2006, it was a relief to people like GeorgeDesRoches, who uses marijuana to alleviate the extremepain he suffers due to fibromyalgia. But whileRhode Island’s initial law protected him from arrest,it didn’t provide a safe and regulated means by whichhe could obtain his doctor-recommended medicine.So, like many others, he turned to the black market.Once, while attempting to purchase marijuanaon the street, he was robbed at gunpoint.After hearing stories like George’s, Rhode Islandlawmakers expanded the state’s medical marijuanapolicy in 2009 to create state-licensed compassioncenters, where patients can go to purchase theirmedicine in a safe and above-ground environment.The state was set to license three such compassioncenters this summer. That is, until U.S. attorney PeterNeronha sent a letter to Gov. Lincoln Chafee this Aprilthreatening federal law enforcement action should thestate move forward with its plan to open the centers.Bowing to these Obama administration threats,the governor suspended the compassion centerprogram, leaving patients like George tofend for themselves on the black market just toobtain their doctor-recommended medicine.Anyone who thinks President Obama has ushered ina new era of compassion, science-based policy andrespecting states’ rights to enact medical marijuanalaws needs to have a chat with patients like George.9

illegal drug trade murders in Mexico.Since Mexican President FelipeCalderon launched an offensiveagainst drug cartels shortly aftertaking office in late 2006, nearly40,000 people have been killed inattacks that the media calls “drugviolence,” but which are in factthe predictable turf battles thataccompany the policy of prohibition.The tally of dead of course includescartel members themselves,but an alarming number of thefallen are police officers and civilianbystanders as well as some U.S.citizens.⁶The Obama administration, likethe Bush administration before it,has provided financial assistancefor President Calderon’s militarizedapproach through the so-called “Merida Initiative,” a multibillion-dollarsupport package thatsupplies the Mexican governmentwith money to purchase helicopters,surveillance and scanningtechnologies and other endlesslyexpensive paraphernalia requiredby the war on drugs.But as the aid has been delivered,the death rates have only risen,with 15,273 losing their lives in2010 alone, a 60 percent increasefrom 2009.⁷Perversely, high-ranking Obamaadministration officials have evendescribed the increase in thesegrizzly killings as a sign of successof prohibition. “It may seemcontradictory, but the unfortunatelevel of violence is a sign of successFigure 3. Drug War Killings in MexicoSince Launch of President Calderon'sOffensive on Drug Cartels16,00014,00012,00010,0008,0006,0004,0002,00002006 2007 2008 2009 2010Source: BBC. (January 2011). Crunching Numbers in Mexico’s Drug Conflict.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-1219413810

in the fight against drugs,” said MicheleLeonhart, who served as actingadministrator of the Drug EnforcementAdministration underPresident Bush and whom PresidentObama nominated for theadministrator job in early 2010.While it is true that many killingsoccur after cartel leaders arebrought to justice and their underlingsbattle it out to fill thepower vacuum created by the arrests,officials like Leonhart refuseto acknowledge that this is acycle that cannot and will not enduntil prohibition itself ends. Aslong as drugs remain illegal andthus incredibly lucrative on theblack market, there will always bemore people willing to step up andrisk death or imprisonment for achance at making riches in the undergroundmarket.Blood on American StreetsAccording to the Department ofJustice, the illegal drug market inthe U.S. is dominated by 900,000criminally active gang membersaffiliated with 20,000 street gangsthat have set up shop in more than2,500 cities across the country.⁸It seems every week there are reportsof drive-by shootings andbattles over drug turf betweenthese gang members as they fightfor control of the lucrative illegaltrade. But unlike Mexico, the U.S.government makes no attempt totally those killed in domestic drugwar battles on our streets.An additional officially-untoldnumber of people lose their livesin police raids gone wrong duringwhich cops are killed by suspectsor vice versa. This year the organizationStopTheDrugWar.org hasbegun tallying the number of policeofficers and citizens killed insuch law enforcement actions. Asof June 6, four police officers and25 civilians have lost their lives sofar in 2011.⁹But the Obama administrationseems to want to pretend thesekillings aren’t happening. Whena journalist asked U.S. AttorneyGeneral Eric Holder whether hethought ending the war on drugswould prevent the further loss ofpolice officers’ lives in drug enforcementactions, he simply replied“I don’t think that’s right…no” and then walked away.¹⁰It is unconscionable that the U.S.government can’t be botheredwith tracking how many Americansare losing their lives as aresult of our failed drug policies– especially when the Mexicangovernment has shown that suchtabulation is possible.“It may seemcontradictory,but theunfortunatelevel of violenceis asign ofsuccess in thefight againstdrugs.”- MicheleLeonhart,Administrator,DrugEnforcementAdministration11

And, the violence and kidnappingsperpetrated by Mexican cartelshave crept over into the U.S. TheDepartment of Justice says thatMexican drug cartels now directlycontrol illegal drug markets in atleast 230 American cities.¹¹Law Enforcement in the Drug War Line of FireToo many tragic law enforcer deaths needlessly resultfrom a policy that charges police with enforcing an unwinnablewar on drugs.One such tragedy was the death of U.S. Marshal DerekHotsinpiller of West Virginia who was killed this Februarywhen a drug suspect opened fire on him and two othermarshals during a police raid in Elkins, West Virginia.The marshals were serving a warrant on Charles E.Smith, who was wanted on charges related to possessionwith intent to distribute cocaine. Immediately uponentering the residence, all three of the marshals werefired upon and struck by Smith. The marshals returnedfire on Smith and he was shot dead on the scene. Derek,who was shot in the neck, was pronounced dead at a localhospital. He was just 24 years old.Derek came from a law enforcement family. His late fatherwas a lieutenant and his brother was a detective forthe police force in Bridgeport, W.V. He graduated fromthe U.S. Marshals Academy on April 23, 2010.“Derek was one of our own. He was one of our best. Andhe will be missed,” said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.“He was a young man with big plans and unlimitedpotential.”Police make great sacrifices and put their lives at risk tokeep our communities safe. Asking them to wage a warthat is unwinnable no matter how much talent, commitment,and resources we dedicate is asking them to completean impossible task. How many more must lose theirlives before we change our disastrous policy?If drugs were legal and regulated,the financial incentives for sellingdrugs on the black market – andthe violent turf battles that are aninherent part of the illegal trade– would disappear. After all, Budweiserand Coors distributors neverget into gun fights over marketshare in the now-legal market foralcohol, while the gangsters whoonce controlled the illegal prohibition-eramarket for booze oftendid – to deadly effect.Credit Where Credit is DueDespite a glaring failure to leadthe way toward significant reform,the Obama administration’s rhetoricdoes at least recognize that theAmerican people are ready forfundamental changes to drug policy.When Obama said during hiscampaign that the war on drugs isa failure, he was making a shrewdpolitical move – not going out ona limb. Fully 76% of the Americanpeople and 67% of chiefs of policehave declared the drug war a failure,according to polls.¹² , ¹³12

The administration also deservescredit for enacting a small numberof sensible changes in drugpolicy. While not game-changing,reforms like lifting the ban on usingfederal funding for syringe exchangeand reducing the disparitybetween sentences for crack andpowder cocaine signal that it is nolonger considered politically toxicto reform such obviously faileddrug policies, perhaps encouragingthe even more fundamental reformsthat are underway in severalstates.The puzzling thing about Obama’sapproach is how much it acknowledgesyet lags behind the public’swidespread desire for drug policyreform. In today’s political landscape,many policymakers areincreasingly rejecting arrest anderadication in favor of an approachbased on public health, sound science,fiscal restraint and personalfreedom.States Leading the WayAs of this writing, 16 states plus theDistrict of Columbia have laws onthe books making medical marijuanalegal for those with doctors’recommendations, with three havingpassed their laws since 2009.Fourteen states have simply decriminalizedpossession of smallamounts of marijuana, while others– like Rhode Island – have agood chance of passing such legislationthis year.In November 2010, Californiacame close to legalizing and regulatingmarijuana sales outrightthrough Proposition 19. While themeasure didn’t pass, it did bringin 46.5 percent of the vote, springboardingthe issue of legalizationonto the table for serious discussionacross the U.S. and globally.It is likely that initiatives to legalizeuse and sales of marijuana foradults will appear on several stateballots in 2012, most likely in Californiaand Colorado.A growing number of prominentindividuals and organizations havejumped into the pro- side of themarijuana legalization debate, includingthe National Black PoliceAssociation, the National LatinoOfficers Association, the CaliforniaNAACP, the Service EmployeesInternational Union of Californiaand the editorial boards ofregional daily newspapers like TheDenver Post, The Seattle Timesand The Providence Journal.Even some federal lawmakers arejoining the debate. In May, a bipartisangroup of members of the U.S.House of Representatives intro-Fully 76% ofthe Americanpeople and67% of chiefsof police havedeclared thedrug war afailure,according topolls.13

A commissionconsistingof formerpresidents ofseveral countries,formerUN secretarygeneralKofi Annanand otherworld leadersreleaseda report inearly Juneencouragingnations toexperimentwith modelsof legalregulation.duced three bills aimed at resolvingthe conflict between federaland state law with regard to medicalmarijuana, and it is widely expectedthat a full-scale marijuanalegalization bill will be introducedsoon.On the other side of the Capitol,Senator Jim Webb and a bipartisangroup of colleagues have beenworking to create a blue ribboncommission to study America’soverincarceration problem and topropose possible solutions. Sen.Webb has said that legalizing drugsshould be on the table for considerationby the commission.The debate is by no means limitedto the U.S. A commission consistingof former presidents of severalcountries, former UN secretarygeneral Kofi Annan and otherworld leaders released a report inearly June encouraging nations toenact “models of legal regulationof drugs to undermine the powerof organized crime and safeguardthe health and security of theircitizens.”These are just a few examples ofhow legalization is being takenmore and more seriously and thatwe are moving towards a maturenational debate on this once taboosubject.The Price of Inaction is Too HighThe ongoing fiscal crisis at all levelsof government means, as it didduring alcohol prohibition in themidst of the Great Depression, thatpeople are going to be increasinglyintolerant of a policy that is notonly inefficient and ineffective, butremarkably costly. Harvard Universityeconomist Jeffrey Mironhas conservatively estimated thatlegalizing and regulating drugswould create $88 billion a year insavings and new revenue for U.S.federal and state governments.¹⁴Although the failure of prohibitionand the violence it causes would beunacceptable at any price, it willbe harder and harder to maintainsupport for such a policy duringwhat many are calling the “GreatRecession.”ConclusionWhile this report hasn’t pulled anypunches in pointing out wherethe Obama administration hasn’tmatched its deeds to its words withrespect to a real shift in the drugcontrol strategy, the fault for ourentrenched drug policies does notsolely lie with this or any particularpresident. They have all beenculpable since the cynical, manipulativebeginnings of the war on14

drugs.The real problem is the policy ofdrug prohibition itself; no less susceptibleto abuse and waste thanour parallel experiment with alcoholprohibition. That policyalso yielded unprecedented (andpredictable) rises in murders,overdose deaths, corruption anda disregard for the rule of law. Itfunded, armed and politically empowereda brutal underworld. Itdeprived hard-pressed taxpayersof fiscal relief. It did a lot of things,but it surely didn’t prevent folksfrom drinking.The real difference between thealcohol and drug prohibitions isthe latter’s staying power and destructiveimpact. While America’sexperiment with banning alcohollasted only 13 years, drug prohibitionhas resulted in an average ofone million arrests each year forthe past 40 years, over a trilliontax dollars spent, and millions ofworking people (disproportionatelypeople of color) denied jobclearance, student loans, publichousing, even the right to vote—allbecause of a policy which the currentadministration acknowledgesis an abject failure and claims itis ending; and yet, a policy whichpersists.The Obama administration, like atleast the two that preceded it, is ledby people who used illicit drugsand went on to have productivelives. It is a source of great shamethat none of these presidents tookreal steps to end a policy, which, iffairly administered, would likelyhave prevented them from enteringpolitics in the first place, letalone having access to decent jobsas they grew up.But it is to the credit of this administrationthat they at least occasionallyadmit the futility of thewar on drugs and acknowledgethat the debate about its real andeventual end can no longer be silenced.Indeed, President Obama, in responseto a question from LawEnforcement Against Prohibitionspeaker and retired deputy sheriffMacKenzie Allen, admitted duringa YouTube forum in January thatlegalization is “an entirely legitimatetopic for debate.”¹⁵But it is curious that he apparentlyhas not seen the disconnect betweenhis sure knowledge of prohibition’sdangerous folly and hiscontinuation of it.Our president is chasing change.He needs to catch up.“[Legalization]is anentirelylegitimatetopic fordebate.” -PresidentObama, inresponse toa questionfrom LawEnforcementAgainst Prohibition’sretireddeputysheriff MacKenzieAllen15

Endnotes¹U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy. (May 2010). National Drug Control Strategy: FY2011 Budget Summary.http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/policy/11budget/fy11budget.pdf²Nixon, Richard. (June 1971). Special Message to the Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention andControl. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=3048#axzz1NINInQUZ³Zogby International. (October 2008). Zogby/Inter-American Dialogue Survey: Public ViewsClash with U.S. Policy on Cuba, Immigration, and Drugs.http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.cfm?ID=1568⁴Americans for Safe Access. (April 2011). Pres. Obama’s Report Card on Medical Cannabis.http://americansforsafeaccess.org/downloads/Obama_Report_Card.pdf⁵ABC News/Washington Post. (January 2010). Poll: High Support for Medical Marijuana.http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/1100a3MedicalMarijuana.pdf⁶BBC. (January 2011). Crunching Numbers in Mexico’s Drug Conflict.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12194138⁷U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. (May 2011). U.S. and Mexican Responsesto Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations.http://drugcaucus.senate.gov/Mexico-Report-Final-5-2011.pdf⁸U.S. Department of Justice. National Drug Intelligence Center. (February 2010). NationalDrug Threat Assessment 2010.http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs38/38661/38661p.pdf⁹StopTheDrugWar.org. (June 2011). 2011 Drug War Killings.http://stopthedrugwar.org/taxonomy/term/231¹⁰Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. (May 2011). Cops Contradict Holder: LegalizingDrugs Will Save Lives. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGEqIXEcnmU¹¹U.S. Department of Justice. National Drug Intelligence Center. (December 2008). NationalDrug Threat Assessment 2009.http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs31/31379/dtos.htm#Top¹²Zogby International. (October 2008). Zogby/Inter-American Dialogue Survey: Public ViewsClash with U.S. Policy on Cuba, Immigration, and Drugs.http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.cfm?ID=1568¹³Police Foundation/Drug Strategies. (December 2004). Drugs and Crime Across America:Police Chiefs Speak Out. http://www.policefoundation.org/pdf/PolicePollFinal.pdf¹⁴Miron, Jeffrey. (September 2010). The Budgetary Impact of Ending Drug Prohibition.http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=12169¹⁵Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. (January 2011). Obama Says Legalizing Drugs isWorthy of Debate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB7AK76TF-k16

“The drug war has arguably been thesingle most devastating, dysfunctionalsocial policy since slavery.”– Norm Stamper, Chief of Police, SeattleP.D. (Ret.)“Legalization won’t be an immediatecure-all for drug abuse. What legalizationcan do, though, is take a $500billion a year industry away from thecontrol of gangs and cartels.”– Terry Nelson, U.S. Border Patrol,Customs, Dept. of Homeland Security(Ret.)“If prison-building were our goal, it wouldbe a good reason to leave our drug laws asthey are. But as a taxpayer and a professional,it’s certainly not a goal of mine.”– Richard Van Wickler, Corrections Superintendentof Cheshire County, NH17

“It pains me to know that there is a solutionfor preventing tragedy and nothing isbeing done because of ignorance, stubbornness,unsubstantiated fear and greed.”– Neill Franklin, Narcotics Commander,Maryland State Police & Baltimore P.D.(Ret.)“Our failed drug policies are nothingmore than a killing field, batteringcommunities, pillaging minorityfamilies and subjecting generations ofAmericans to poverty, violence and adepth of hopelessness from which noteven the strongest child can emergewithout scars that haunt for a lifetime.”– Leigh Maddox, Captain, MarylandState Police (Ret.); Visiting LawSchool Assistant Professor, Universityof Maryland School of Law“When our government’s policies havebrought us to the point that we imprisonblack males at a rate six timesgreater than South Africa’s heinousapartheid, it is time for all of us to acknowledgeits racist roots.”– Matthew Fogg, U.S. Marshal (Ret.)18

Every citizen has an important role to play in ending thewar on drugs. Here’s what you can do to help:• Join Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. Any criminal justice professional can becomea member of LEAP for free, and civilians may join as well. Visitwww.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com to join.• Make a tax-deductible contribution to support the efforts of LEAP, a 501(c)(3) organization,by visiting www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com/donate.• Meet with your elected officials to personally inform them about the need to end thewar on drugs. Chances are, your representatives are not going to take a leadership rolein this important effort unless they see support for doing so from constituents like you.• Take action at www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com/take-action. If you agree that the waron drugs is hurting our economy, making our streets more dangerous and harmingpublic health, LEAP offers many opportunities for you to become involved in changingthe policy.• Talk to your friends and family about the failure of the war on drugs and what they cando to change our policies. Make sure that everyone you know is aware of how the waron drugs affects their pocketbooks and the safety of their streets.• Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers. Getting letters published is easy,effective and rewarding. Just remember that short and to-the-point letters increase yourchances of getting published. Valuable tips and resources for writing LTEs can be foundonline at www.MAPinc.org.• Call your local talk radio stations to weigh in about the costs of the war on drugs duringsegments on the economic crisis, for example. Talk show hosts love to discuss hot-buttonissues like drug legalization and regulation.• Build the movement for change by becoming involved with prominent local organizationsand inviting them to learn about and take action against the harms of prohibiiton.For example, you might try connecting with local NAACP, ACLU, NOW and League ofWomen Voters chapters, as well as chambers of commerce.• Run for office if you aren’t happy with the leadership your elected officials are providingyou with. If, after approaching your representatives in good faith, you find that yourconcerns aren’t being addressed, then replace them. Be the change you wish to see!19

Law Enforcement Against Prohibitionwww.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com121 Mystic Avenue Suites 8-10Medford, MA 02155(781) 393-6985 (phone)(781) 393-2964 (fax)info@leap.cc