Money spent on stopping illicit trade of marijuana, cocaine better used elsewhere
The sequester kicked in Friday as across-the-board spending cuts were officially put into effect, thrusting a divided Washington, D.C., into an even harsher light than it had already been in. President Barack Obama naturally pressed Congress to work with him to find a compromise and halt the pending fiscal crisis that is already underway, though even cautiously optimistic people will warn we shouldn’t expect a resolution anytime soon.
If things go as expected and a solution isn’t found in reasonable time, the spending cuts will remain in effect and government agencies will need to find a way to collectively reduce their budgets between last Saturday and Oct. 1 by a potent $85 billion. Cuts as severe as these that don’t have the necessary calculation backing them are bound to be harmful, whether by increased unemployment or even our nation’s security as the military suffers budget constrictions. The triggered broad strokes of the sequester that are meant to spur forward economic progress have the potential to ultimately do the opposite if Congress can’t nail down a new fiscal plan.
The catalyst of congressional stagnancy is the vast disagreement regarding the nation’s deficit and how best to reduce it. The Democrats wish to pay off our debts through a “balanced approach” of reducing spending and increasing taxes. Republicans do not want to compromise on taxes again after doing so in their New Year talks about the “fiscal cliff.” The Republicans firmly believe our debts can be paid off by throttling our spending without modifying taxes. Simply reducing spending may not be the best plan of action, though there is one government program I think can be jettisoned entirely: the war on drugs.
According to Harvard University professor Jeffrey Miron, conceding the war on drugs will save the country a topically convenient $85 to $90 billion a year. “Roughly half that is spent on the current drugs policy and half that is lost in taxes that the state could have levied on legal drugs,” he explains.
I’ll admit yielding something as dramatic as the war on drugs deserves more than simple speculation for justification, but it may be a step in the right direction. There’s no denying the country is headed for a new era regarding the world’s most notorious gateway drug, marijuana, as we watched Colorado and Washington state legalize it without spontaneously erupting in anarchy, with many states appearing to follow in suit.
The war on drugs also fights against harder substances, such as cocaine and heroin, although truth be told, that’s a battle that will likely never be won. Billions of dollars are spent on funding the program and prosecutions, but to what end? There is no endgame to the war on drugs, only false progress. Cutting the wars on drugs will reap immediate financial rewards, and to the same end, legalizing marijuana will offer incredible economic benefits.
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