cannabisnews.com: Sheriff: U.S. Drug Policy a Failure





Sheriff: U.S. Drug Policy a Failure
Posted by FoM on December 14, 2001 at 12:24:22 PT
By Deborah Frazier, News Staff Writer
Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News 
San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters is taking his war against drugs on the road. "America's drug policy is a failure. We need to admit that and switch to a system of careful control," Masters said. Masters, a Republican turned Libertarian, was elected in 1979 in a county that includes Telluride. "The plan is not to have heroin stores everywhere, but a system where people can clearly see all the drugs and know they don't need them," he said. 
"The police and the politicians need to admit they've failed." That's also the message in his book, Drug War Addiction: Notes From the Front Lines of America's No. 1 Policy Disaster, published by Accurate Press of St. Louis and due out this month. The drug war, which reportedly costs every citizen $200 a year, has failed to curb gang warfare, drug-related murders and robberies, although half the inmates in federal prison are serving terms for drug offenses, he said. "We are a drug culture. It's encouraged by ads for Prozac, Ritalin and Viagra," said Masters, who tries to avoid all drugs, but occasionally takes ibuprofen. "I know that when I take something, it affects me." Some drugs should be available, he said. "Take medical marijuana. You have to be deathly ill from chemotherapy, suffering from cancer and lying on the bathroom floor vomiting and crying," he said. "How can we be so cruel?" For all the millions of dollars spent and thousands of people jailed, the same percentage of the population -- 1 percent -- is addicted to heroin and morphine today as were in 1900, Masters said. "If people like drug killings, meth labs, overdoses, police corruption and drug-related crimes, then we have the perfect drug policy," he said. "Thirty years ago, we had a little tiny drug problem. "Now the quantity and quality are better, and it's all over the place." At his talks on the subject in western Colorado, the public has been supportive, Masters said. "I've had people in their 80s drive hundreds of miles to my office after they heard me speak just to tell me they agree," Masters said. Note: 'We need to admit that,' San Miguel lawman says.Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News (CO)Author: Deborah Frazier, News Staff WriterPublished: December 10, 2001Copyright: 2001 Denver Publishing Co.Contact: letters denver-rmn.com Website: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/Related Articles & Web Site:The Libertarian Partyhttp://www.lp.org/Sheriff Scoffs at Drug War http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11526.shtmlLibertarian Sheriff Just Says No To The Drug Warhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6857.shtml
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Comment #2 posted by Dan B on December 14, 2001 at 20:04:40 PT:
Sheriff Masters:
Please, please, please run for governor of Colorado.We need another governor in our corner, and you seem to fit the bill very nicely. Someone needs to step up and tell the guv to end this madness.Thanks for being so bold. Your efforts will always be appreciated.Dan B
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Comment #1 posted by Cannabis Crusader on December 14, 2001 at 16:10:54 PT
A new
warrior emrges.
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