
Reasons Why We Need to Decriminalize Drugs – And Why We're Closer Than You Think - anythingnonidin
http://www.drugpolicy.org/blog/4-reasons-why-us-needs-decriminalize-drugs-and-why-were-closer-you-think
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anythingnonidin
Tl;dr / excerpts:

1) Decriminalization benefits public safety and health.

2) Drug possession arrests fuel mass incarceration and mass criminalization –
not to mention institutionalized racism and economic inequality.

"U.S. law enforcement arrests about 1.5 million people each year for drug law
violations – and more than 80% of those arrests are for simple drug
possession."

"For noncitizens, including legal permanent residents – many of whom have been
in the U.S. for decades and have jobs and families – possession of any amount
of any drug (except first-time possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana)
can trigger automatic detention and deportation, often without the possibility
of return."

3) Other countries have successfully decriminalized drugs – and the U.S. is
moving in the right direction

4) The American public – as well as leading governmental, medical, public
health, and human rights groups – already support drug decriminalization.

"Polls of presidential primary voters last year found that substantial
majorities support ending arrests for drug use and possession in Maine (64%),
New Hampshire (66%) and even South Carolina (59%)."

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anythingnonidin
Also, from the full PDF:

"This report makes the following recommendations for local, state and federal
policymakers in the U.S.:

• Congress and U.S. states should eliminate federal and state criminal
penalties and collateral sanctions for drug use, drug possession for personal
use, and possession of paraphernalia intended for consuming drugs.

• Congress should amend federal law to de-schedule marijuana and remove it
from the federal Controlled Substances Act.

• Administrative penalties – such as civil asset forfeiture, administrative
detention, driver’s license suspension (absent impairment), excessive fines,
and parental termination or child welfare interventions (absent harm to
children) – run counter to the intent of a decriminalization policy and should
not be imposed.

• Decriminalization policies – like other drug policies – generally function
far more effectively when accompanied by robust and diverse harm reduction and
treatment-on-demand programs, including medication-assisted treatment.

• Local and state governments should adopt pre-booking diversion and 911 Good
Samaritan policies to prioritize public health over punishment and
incarceration. "

