For the last six weeks, the Sunday Sun-Times has published excerpts from a special report examining the war on drugs. If that means devoting more resources solely to intercepting drugs, his plan has been invalidated. More encouraging are President Bush's remarks that indicate a willingness to re-examine certain aspects of the drug war. Bush also said that authorizing medical use of marijuana should be a decision for states, not the federal government. If these are hints that the Bush administration will treat drugs as a health problem rather than primarily a crime problem, they are welcomed.
Some European nations have, in effect, decriminalized possession of small amounts.
More dramatic approaches include setting up ways for addicts to safely ingest drugs. Certainly, dropping mandatory prison for first-time nonviolent offenders would be a good start, as would stronger efforts to redirect drug users into treatment. Bush has not yet appointed a drug czar, but a positive sign would be naming someone who is well-versed in the health aspects of drug abuse. Bush has acknowledged this divergence of views, and he should establish a national commission to examine the arguments. Let's have some new ideas.