The War on Drugs is no longer a neutral bipartisan area of agreement between Republican and Democrat politicians. The failure to stop organized criminal gangs smuggle drugs into America has called into question the logic of a zero-tolerance policy. The White House released statistics last year showing the number of deaths related to drug abuse per 100,000 people almost doubled from 6.8 in 1999 to 12.9 in 2010. Senior national figures such as former President Bill Clinton have criticized the effect of waging the War on Drugs. The legalization of recreational and medical marijuana in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington State perhaps denotes the moment the US crossed the rubicon on this issue. In light of its growing importance GPPR have summarized each Presidential candidate’s position on drug policy below:
Established in 1995, the Georgetown Public Policy Review is the McCourt School of Public Policy’s nonpartisan, graduate student-run publication. Our mission is to provide an outlet for innovative new thinkers and established policymakers to offer perspectives on the politics and policies that shape our nation and our world.