A Letter to My Congressman

Dear Congressman Lungren,

Decriminalization of mild recreational drugs is one of the most straightforward economic, foreign policy, and moral solutions available to the US today. This is a no-brainer that would have the following beneficial effects:

1) Reduce drug use. Countries that have legalized drugs and adopted a "tax, regulate, and educate" approach to controlling them have seen either no change or a decline in rates of drug use. The US saw a similar effect on alcohol consumption in the aftermath of Prohibition.

2) Stabilize Mexico. US drug policies have contributed to incredible instability in neighboring countries, which is spilling over onto US soil in the form of both violence and immigration. The best way to stop illegal immigration is to address the root causes, not to build an ineffectual fence. This is a practical as well as moral imperative.

3) Cut spending and raise revenue. Taxes on drugs would be an additional source of state and federal revenue, and legalization would allow us to reduce enforcement costs and resolve the overcrowding problem in our prisons. Drug criminalization is the quintessential example of wasteful government spending: a scandal far greater than Solyndra, costing taxpayers some $14 billion per year.

Given the clear benefits, I find it incredible that this is not at the top of every politician's policy agenda, Republican or Democrat.

For more information on the benefits of decriminalization, please review the following links: http://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/marijuana-decriminalization-its-impact-on-use-2
http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/

Thank you,

-Chris Smith