I was told that Einstein’s definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior over and over while expecting a different outcome. We’ve been repeatedly trying, for over a half century, to stem the tide of illegal drugs using the same failed approach. Yet we probably have more illegal drugs available today, than at any time in recent history. I remember when the head of DEA was on national television a few years ago explaining that on their best days, DEA keeps about 5% of the drugs from coming into our country. Why does America persist in following a strategy which always proves to be a failure? Let me take a moment to point out that I detest those illegal drugs, but I’m smart enough to realize we can’t stop people from using them.

How many times have you seen a press conference where DEA or the FBI announces the arrest of a drug kingpin? The formula is almost always the same. It took them 2-3 years, sometimes longer, to gather enough evidence for a conviction. What they usually leave out of the equation are the millions of dollars the investigation cost the taxpayers. And sometimes, it’s more than money, as lives are often lost during their pursuit of the cartel leader. But in the end, DEA, the FBI, or a local law enforcement agency, makes an effort to proudly tell us the time, money, and/or lives was worth the effort. Really? Only foolish people should believe that BS.

What happens after a drug kingpin is arrested? It’s usually one of two things. Someone in the cartel takes the place of the leader who was arrested, and after a brief period of adjustment, they continue to smuggle drugs into American cities as if nothing happened.

But occasionally the arrest does enough damage to an organization, that they can no longer function at the same level of efficiency. But guess what? If that happens, one of their competitors will take over and we’re right back where we started. However, before that competing gang takes over, there’s usually an extended period of extreme violence, as both gangs compete for the right to earn huge amounts of money, selling drugs in America.

This is a cycle which America has repeated endlessly for the past 50 years or so. Yet, for whatever reason, we keep on doing the same thing over and over. We never learned our lesson from Prohibition, when the Christian right tried to impose their version of morality on America. That was way back in the 1920s and it quickly became a fiasco. It didn’t change our moral values, and it certainly didn’t stop the flow of alcohol into the hands of our citizens. But it did succeed in transforming the Mafia from a group of small, local gangs, into a national powerhouse. The government gave criminals a golden opportunity and they seized that moment in time to change American culture, in a negative manner for many decades. Ironically, Prohibition not only failed in its goal to change morality, it set us on a path which led to the deaths of countless thousands, at the hands of what became much more powerful organized crime syndicates.

Fast forward to the creation of our drug laws and it became a huge opportunity for gangs in every major city, as well as newly developed Drug Cartels in countries outside of America. Much of the violent crime and murders in our cities are gangs fighting turf wars over the profits from the sale of illegal drugs. Chicago is a prime example of a city where the lives of many are extinguished in part because of foolish, futile drug laws. The drug laws have created problems which are far worse than the use of narcotics. The biggest achievement of our drug laws is making the production and sale of illegal drugs a financial bonanza for violent criminals. It sounds just like prohibition, doesn’t it?

Those who watch Fox are obsessed with illegal immigration at the Mexican Border. Many of those people are fleeing countries which are run by violent gangs, fueled by drug trafficking profits. Eliminating the drug laws will almost certainly reduce the level of illegal immigration at our southern border.

Please understand that our drug laws took an addiction/health issue and turned it into a massive criminal problem. More than half of all crimes committed in America are drug related. Imagine what would happen if we changed that equation. I have no sympathy for drug users, but we should understand that drug addicts have the same addiction problem which heavy smokers and drinkers have. Why do we single out drug users and turn them into criminals? Why don’t we treat them as people who need help, just as we do with heavy smokers and alcoholics?

I think you can guess what my approach would be, but how would you change our failed drug laws? It’s obvious that law enforcement has proven to be a total failure over the past half century. Therefore, we need a brand-new  approach, which enables people to get help with their addiction, without becoming criminals and/or dealing with drug dealers. What solutions do you believe would work better? Please keep in mind that whatever you come up with, it couldn’t be any worse than what we’ve experienced throughout our lifetime.