Pubdate: Wed, 06 Apr 2005
Source: Charleston City Paper, The (SC)
Copyright: 2005 The Charleston City Paper
Contact:  http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2400
Author: Benjamin Schlau
Cited: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
http://www.norml.org/
Cited: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition  (LEAP) http://www.leap.cc/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

LEGALIZE IT

Here's a novel way to fix Social Security: legalize marijuana and tax
the hell out of it to refill the federal coffers. Just such a solution
was suggested by a silver-haired woman in the audience at the panel
discussion on drug law reform at the College of Charleston campus last
week. Her plan was met with much applause by the 80 predominantly
younger people in the crowd.

The Wednesday night debate was hosted by the Charleston chapter of
NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and
was designed to look at several different sides of the issue.

Cpl. James Ebbert from the Charleston Police Department's Bomb and
Dive Squad spoke from his experience as a cop. He's patrolled the
streets of Charleston for eight and a half years, and while he agrees
with most of the policies of the drug war, he admits that some reform
is needed.

The student on the panel, who would not confirm his full name or
provide the spelling to this reporter, advocated legalizing marijuana
but proposed cracking down on hard drugs.

But former Memphis law dog Larry Henson -- whose shirt read "Cops Say
Legalize Drugs. Ask Me Why" -- brought the most interesting
perspective to the table. Henson got into law enforcement, he says,
because he wanted to get the bad guys: murderers, rapists, robbers.
Instead, he says, he spent much of his time arresting non-violent drug
offenders.

He points out that people do not get lengthy sentences for simple drug
possession, but drug offenders end up overcrowding the jails. Even
somebody who just sells marijuana and does not break any other laws,
he says, might end up in jail for five years.

After talking to other officers who saw the war on drugs as just
perpetuating the problem by making it more profitable to sell drugs
and needlessly locking up non-violent offenders, Henson says he knew
there must be an organization of law enforcement professionals opposed
to the drug war.

That's when he discovered Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP),
an organization founded in 2002 and made up of current and former
members of law enforcement who believe the existing drug policies have
failed. According to its website, the organization works to "reduce
the multitude of unintended 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."

Henson, who is no longer with Memphis' Shelby County Sheriff's Office,
is one of 85 former and current drug law enforcers in seven countries
speaking out against the war on drugs.

Henson says it is his professional experience that gives him authority
to do so.

He believes so much in the cause that he's used vacation time from his
current job with FedEx to accept NORML's invitation to debate the
legalization of drugs.

Much of Wednesday night's debate circled around whether legalizing
drugs would increase use and whether the drug-related crime rate would
drop off.

Cpl. Ebbert contended that, without the fear of incarceration, more
people would use drugs. Ebbert and the student both cited policies in
countries like Australia and Switzerland where relaxing enforcement
has led to more heroin use with addicts still stealing to feed their
habits.

Ebbert also mentioned Amsterdam, a city popular with tourists from
around the world for its legal hash bars. Despite the fact that people
can smoke marijuana legally, Ebbert said the city still has high crime
and a huge problem with the street drug ecstasy.

But, Henson pointed out that Ebbert himself said anybody can get any
drug they want in Charleston from street dealers, which goes to show
that current drug policies do not stop availability in the first place.

Either the government sells it, the market sells it, or the drug
dealers sell it, Henson said.

Through it all, the debate remained rather civil.

A slightly heated exchange came from an older white-haired man, who
was videotaping the discussion, when he said that the panel was
leaving something out: freedom.

Politicians talk a lot about freedom during war time, but there is a
police state creeping in, the man contended, adding that if someone
wants to rot away on drugs, he or she should have the freedom to do
so, as long as it is not hurting others.

What about all the homeless drug addicts creating a burden on the rest
of society, Ebbert asked? To which the man countered: what about the
billions of dollars spent on the war on drugs? A pointed question that
met with applause from the audience.

Despite all the talk and applause, the multibillion dollar war on
drugs continues as the underground market answers the ever-growing
demand of the drug consumers. According to the FBI's 2003 Uniform
Crime Reports, 1,678,192 people were arrested in this country for the
use, sales, or possession of controlled substances. 1,347,600 of those
arrests were simple possession charges for marijuana.

And yet, as officer Ebbert said, you can still get any drug you want
on the streets of Charleston.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin