A Win-Win Situation - the best hope for the USA today

A recent article about the smuggling of drugs into the US piece ends with the caveat, “there's no end to it” but that’s horse-poopie. The means are there if the government has the will to act. Something that came up in the wee hours of night tours when I worked for the gov't were discussions of US Govt programs that don’t work. One glaring example is the War on Drugs that has been going on since I was in High School in the 60s. What was once a few cops who chased pot heads and junkies, the Drug War now includes a cadre of tens of thousands officers. This army receives massive amounts of federal money for personnel, weapons, technology, aircraft, etc. and, despite all that, they are no closer to ‘fixing’ the problem than they have been since Harry Anslinger began advocating drug laws eighty-odd years ago. The principle solution suggested was to legalize drugs and make it a medical problem and it's still the best hope for the USA today. The govt can regulate and tax their production, importation, distribution and sale, turning the situation into a cash cow instead of an ever growing drain. (Just like alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs). Other than being difficult for politicians, who have invested their careers in the ranks of the anti-druggers, to do an about-face, the only real stumbling block was what to do with the army they created to fight that war. There are, quite literally, thousands of people on govt payroll, who’s only responsibility are to pursue the trafficking of drugs that have been deemed ‘bad’ for society. The need to close our borders to all invaders has provided the perfect use for the legion of drug cops who will be excessed by drug legalization. All of the federal drug manpower and equipment can be re-allocated to cover the northern and southern borders and effectively seal them in a matter of weeks. State and local governments will no longer receive federal drug enforcement funds, but they can transfer personnel (and equipment) that were no longer funded to the Federal Border Task Force, so they will not have to be laid off. These highly trained and motivated law enforcement officers can utilize the same technology and interdiction equipment that have used in their drug activities to patrol and maintain surveillance of the borders, to stop the flow of the people who want to enter the US illegally. The result will be an end of drug crimes, drug possies, drug wars and end the drug empires that these laws have created. It will empty the prisons, ending their use as a school to learn more ways of being a criminal. It will treat abuse as a medical problem. It will separate drugs from the criminal culture. It will open new markets for the nation’s farmers. It will open new industries to distribute and sell the new products. It will produce tens of thousands jobs. It will provide revenues. It will save taxpayers money. It will provide the manpower and equipment to insure that the flow of foreign invaders is stemmed. The streets will be safer and the nation more secure. More drug users? Who cares? It’s their problem and, as long as they don’t have to steal, mug and act obnoxious to get them, it will produce a situation that is better than it is now. We have ample DWI and DUI laws to deal with the ones who take it on the road and there is no noticeable increase of violations in countries where it’s legal, so the traffic cops will continue doing what they are doing and keep them in check. Access? Kids? They have access to anything now. This will restrict sale to adults, as with cigarettes or alcohol and require recording ID for hard drugs. The black market will soon vanish, as producers register to sell through the legal distribution chain. Once under govt control, the quality and strength of the drugs can be supervised and onerous or dangerous ones can be taxed more heavily.