IT'S TIME TO RETHINK THE WAR ON DRUGS

Recently The Wall Street Journal published an editorial objecting to a
full-page ad saying, " The global war on drugs is now causing more harm
than drug abuse itself," which appeared in several newspapers. Perhaps it's
time to take a hard look and reconsider our drug laws. The legal injustices
are too prevalent. The punishments are too unfair.

Take the case of Norm and Pat Major, an elderly middleclass Eugene couple,
parents of three children and eight grandchildren, active members of their
church and pillars of the community, who faced prison, confiscation of
their home and fines because Norm grew and used medical marijuana.

Over a period of time, starting with a work place injury, Norm Major had
more than 80 surgeries which built up increasing tolerance for legally
prescribed drugs. At one time, he required 600-miligram doses of morphine
every three to four hours.

The effect of the legal drugs was so detrimental to Majors health that
doctors advised Major to try marijuana and eliminate morphine. He did.
Marijuana relieved his pain without the morphine side-affects so he started
growing plants in his basement. Subsequently, Norm's pot-growing operation
was discovered and he and his wife were prosecuted and sentenced under a
plea bargain agreement.

The punishment? The Majors are on probation and must pay $23,500 to avoid
prison and forfeiture of their home. Contrast this with probation,
community service and $6,000 fine levied recently against a councilman in
the same county who sodomized a 14 year old girl. The sentences are
completely unproportional.

The Majors have harmed no one. They represent no threat to society at
large. Thet simply grew marijuana plants for Norm's personal use in
alleviating pain.

This Is A Travesty Of Injustice.

If one looks at the Majors' case, which is typical of most drug cases,
there is no rational excuse for prosecuting such peaceful, harmless
persons. There are no victims involved.

Prosecute those who drive under the influnence of drugs; they endanger the
saftey of others. Prosecute those who sell drugs to minors; they endanger
the health and saftey of children. Prosecute those who steal to support
their drug habit; theft and burglary violate private property rights. And
prosecute those guilty of drug-induced violence against others. But don't
prosecute those who for whatever reason, are using drugs in a
non-threatening manner and who do not endanger public saftey.

While drug use may be a vice or sin, as some insist, it is not a matter for
legal concern. Drug use is better treated by doctors than policemen. It is
better to deal with it using education, social ostration, persuasion,
treatment, and debate, not imprisonment.

In another area, the Drug War is also unjust. It allows the government to
seize property which has been used in the commission of certain selected
illegal acts, even before defendants have been convicted of any crime. Many
police departments routinely seize the automobiles and bank accounts of
those who transport illegal drugs because of the forfeiture money involved.

We have focused on ending the lucrative supply of drugs instead of reducing
the demand through public information programs.

Further, taxpayer money is misspent housing non-violent drug users in
prisons. More prisons would not be necessary if we could legalize all drug
use. Drug users and sellers are generally not violent criminals, but they
represent almost 50 percent of prison populations.

Our greatest concern, however, ought not to be with the profits derived
from the Drug War ( by both the trafficers and the enforcement agencies
alike ) but with the principle of individual rights involved, the rights of
all individuals to live their lives in whatever manner they choose so long
as they do not violate the equal rights of others.

The Majors' case stands as a challenge to every citizen in this country. We
are not a just nation if we continue to ruin the lives of harmless persons
because they have committed questionable errors of judgement.

Citizens concerned with legal justice and the increasing costs of prisons
should start on the road back to rational justice by (1) supporting
legislation to allow the medical use of all drugs, (2) introducing
legislaltion to decrimminalize all victimless crimes, and (3) ending
forefeiture laws which encourage misdirected police arrests of peaceful,
honest citzens.

Editors note: Nathan, an activist in the Libertarian Party, lives in Eugene.