Cops that want to Legalize Drugs!

A controversial group that calls itself Law Enforcement against Prohibition (LEAP) has sought to decriminalize drugs in the United States since 2002. This organization believes that drug use should be legalized so long as others are not harmed by the use. See LEAP Statement of Principles,

http://www.leap.cc/about/leap-statement-of-principles/.

These former law enforcement employees argue that putting drug users in jail is not the solution. Instead, they argue that all drugs should be legalized. In fact, the group argues that persons convicted of nonviolent drug crimes should be immediately released from prison and their records expunged.

In one television interview, Captain Peter Christ, the Vice-Chair and co-founder of LEAP, put forth a few policy arguments for decriminalizing drugs in the United States:

1. “Gangsters” will remain “gangsters” even if drugs are legalized. They will continue to commit violent and heinous crimes regardless of whether drugs become legal.

2. Crime and violence against others is the real problem, not the personal choice to use drugs.

3. Criminalizing drugs denies people jobs and education because many places will not accept persons with felony convictions.

4. While the United States has a large and fairly efficient prison system, we cannot even keep drugs out of prisons, much less off the streets.

5. People who use drugs will find a way to get the drugs regardless of whether the drug is legal to use.

6. Instead of spending over $70 billion to fight the war on drugs, a regulated market would create taxes, add jobs, and bring back the hemp industry.

7. Police officers would not have a harder time detecting drug intoxication – we already have laws on the books for driving under the influence of drugs.

8. Laws can regulate where people can use drugs so as to avoid harm to others, just as laws do so with cigarettes.

For more information about LEAP and its goal of decriminalizing drugs, visit http://www.leap.cc/.