The War on Drugs started under the Clinton administration in the early 1990’s. The objective was to get the drugs off of the streets and out of communities. Drugs have a negative effect when we look at poor areas, mainly city outskirts. They are illegal for a reason and that reason is, they put the users health and well being in danger. They also motivate other types of crime like violence and theft. Drugs have been a problem for quite some time now, and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

The War on Drugs was originally implemented to target high profile drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. Police were trained on the symptoms that people experience when using drugs. This was so they could better spot drug users and make an arrest. Drugs are generally more common in poor urban areas, and they don’t help the economy in these areas grow at all. These high class drugs are responsible for killing many people every year. This being the main reason why they were the primary target for elimination when The War on Drugs began.

Drugs motivate other types of criminal activity. When people are addicted to heavy drugs like crystal meth and heroin, it is safe to assume that they would do anything to get their hands on some if they are starting to withdraw. This can cause them to lash out and assault someone in order to steal money, or do a drug dealer’s bidding in order to “get a hit or two”. People that suffer from addiction from these heavy drugs lose many things like their homes, money and families. These types of drugs are so addictive they will take over your entire way of life. The War on Drugs was implemented to put a complete stop to these drugs in order to stop taking so many lives.

The War on Drugs is off track, and it is costing America a fortune. As I previously noted, The War on Drugs was originally implemented to eliminate heavy drugs from the streets. But it has steered away and its aim is now to any drug. I am referring to marijuana of course. There are thousands of people across the country serving jail time because of small amounts of marijuana confiscated by police. The issue here is that as time moves forward, this substance could be federally legal in the next five to ten years. But what does this mean for people serving prison sentences because of selling bulk amounts of marijuana? Nothing, they will likely be required to finish their sentences, costing tax payers loads of money. A lot of states have already legalized marijuana, but the inmates that were charged with selling or using marijuana in those states, are still serving their sentences.

Comment below how you think The War on Drugs has effected our economy.