Most analysts agree that Afghanistan is strategically more important and militarily and politically more challenging than Iraq. Afghanistan’s poppy-growing regions produce the lion’s share of the world’s heroin.

The U.S. and its allies have a conflict between eradicating heroin production and winning the loyalty of those who produce it. Now, the producers reluctantly see the Taliban and the warlords as their allies.

The U.S. could establish a direct relationship with the heroin producers, increase their incomes, and form an alliance against shared enemies.

A similar situation exists in Colombia, where the cocaine cartels terrorize the people, corrupt the government, and assassinate those in the justice system who oppose them. If coca growers received more for what they produce, they would have an incentive to resist those the cartels who intimidate and oppress them.

There would initially be reprisals by the cartels. But over time, the information provided by the growers could enable Colombian authorities to roll up the cartels.

Mexico is sodden with the blood of drug violence. It’s drug gangs can only survive because drugs in the U.S. are illegal, and Mexico is the best transshipment area.

I have lived in Somerville for over 2.5 years now and I am fortunate enough to be able to say I do not know anyone personally who has suffered from drug abuse. I wonder how big of a problem this is here in terms of drug abuse and drug-related crime?

According to LEAP’s Exec Dir. Jack Cole in his publication End Prohibition Now! (webpage), he outlines a four-step policy program:

Step 1 : “We legalize all drugs – legalize them so we can regulate and control them and keep them out of the hands of our children.”

Step 2 : “The US government should import or produce the drugs and control them for quality, potency, and standardized measurement.”

Step 3 : “Distribute free maintenance doses of drugs to any adult requesting them.”

Step 4: Redirect funding away from the War on Drugs and towards programs of hope, including rehab, and programs of drug education.

This makes sense to me, but I wonder about Step 2. If the US imported drugs, wouldn’t we be supporting foreign drug-lords? Therefore, it would seem better to produce the drugs in this country, thereby creating American jobs.