Drugs, Prison & Economics in America

Bill Clinton said he hit it, but he didn’t inhale it. Barrack Obama did it and inhaled frequently, adding “that was the point.” If you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re talking about marijuana; weed. Considering marijuana accounts for nearly a third of the federal prison drug offender population, and now nine states and D.C. itself has legalized this God-given natural remedy for whatever ails you, don’t you think it’s time we decriminalize it all together?

Hey, and let’s decriminalize cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine too! Sound crazy? Think again.

In 2001, Portugal became the first European country to decriminalize drugs. Why? Because  common  sense  dictates that incarceration is more expensive than treatment.

Yeah ok, it’s a money thing. But in the case of Portugal, decriminalizing drugs has proven to be a human benefit for the entire county.

According to the Cato Institute, within five years HIV infections among drug addicts dropped, and drug use among teens declined as well as drug-related mortality rates. At the same time, treatment for drug addiction doubled, because addicts no longer feared arrest. “In almost every category of drug, usage overall, the lifetime prevalence rates in the pre- decriminalization era of the 1990’s were higher than the post- decriminalization rates.” In other words, decriminalization does not result in increased drug use.¹²⁴

       The Cato report determined that countries with hard- nosed policies towards illegal drug use had more abusers than those with a more liberal approach. Here in the U.S. we have some of the toughest penalties for possession and trafficking of illegal drugs, as well as the highest rates of cocaine and marijuana use in the world. We have 5% of the global  population here in the States, and 25% of the world’s prisoners.¹²⁵

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in a 2015 special report, regarding drug offenders in federal prisons, more than a third of drug offenders had either no, or minimal, criminal history. The average prison sentence for federal drug offenders is more than 11 years. In addition, drug offenders accounted for 52% of the federally sentenced prison population in 2012.¹²⁶

In 2014, the U.S. Sentencing Commission reported that marijuana is the preferred drug of choice, representing 27.6% of the federal prison drug offender population; powder cocaine producing 22.5%; methamphetamine 22.5%; crack cocaine

11.5%; heroin 8.8%.¹²⁷

Since 1980, the federal prison population has risen 790%. At one point, President Obama commuted sentences of eight federal inmates who were convicted on nonviolent crack cocaine offenses, six of which were serving life sentences.^{^}

It’s mind-blowing that someone would have to serve a life sentence for abusing or trafficking crack cocaine, but a person can serve as little as 15 years for murder.

The “War on Drugs,” was coined in the 70’s by President Richard Nixon. Then when Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, incarcerations skyrocketed due to his zero tolerance policies, and wife Nancy Reagan coined the slogan, “Just Say No.” Then an L.A. police chief, who was quoted as saying, “Casual drug users should be taken out and shot,” began the D.A.R.E.  program that encouraged children to snitch on their parents.¹²⁸

It is rather apparent that our entire approach to the drug war here in America is not working. Maybe we ought to take a hint from the people of Portugal and make peace.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported in 2007 that drug abuse cost American citizens $193 billion, which includes the criminal justice cost and the cost incurred by victims of crime. The cost of treating drug abuse is estimated to be $14.6 billion, which includes health cost, hospitalization, and treatment centers. In other words, avoiding the cost of crime translates into an economic benefit.¹²⁹

Not only will decriminalizing drugs save U.S. taxpayers money, it would most likely put an end to the violent drug cartels of Mexico, which in turn will decrease the amount of Mexican immigrants entering out country illegally, including those in search of safety.

Take marijuana for example, as states in the U.S. legalize marijuana, illegal imports from south of the border decrease, because Mexico is unable to compete with price or the quality of the cannabis legally grown here in the states.¹³⁰

Not to mention, the legalization of marijuana has proven to be quite profitable for us here in America. Just ask the people of Colorado. According to Marijuana Business Daily, Colorado’s recreational sales have slowly declined since the legalization of marijuana in 2014, but still they are predicted to sell $1.1 billion worth of retail in 2017, which would represent a 26% increase in comparison to 2016.¹³¹

Nevada sold nearly $200 million worth of cannabis in the first six months of legalization, surpassing Colorado and Washington in total revenue in the early months of their markets.¹³²

And let’s not forget the health benefits of marijuana. Currently 23 states have legalized medical marijuana.  IFL Science reported it to be the most common treatment for chronic pain. Evidence supports that cannabis can help with muscle spasms, improves lung capacity, can be used in the treatment of glaucoma, controls epileptic seizures, decreases symptoms of Dravet’s Syndrome (a severe seizure disorder), stops cancer from spreading (in cell cultures), slows and shrinks tumors, decreases anxiety, slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, eases pain of Multiple Sclerosis, relieves symptoms of inflammatory bowl diseases, relieves arthritis, soothes tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease, used as treatment for PTSD, protects the brain after a trauma, eliminates nightmares, reduces pain and nausea caused by chemotherapy, stimulates appetite, and medical marijuana may even reduce opioid overdoses that may result in death, by eliminating the use of opioids. ¹³³

Even opiates, a natural pain reliever, such as morphine, codeine, heroin and opium, have their benefits. Opioids, on the other hand, such as methadone, OxyContin, Vicodin, fentanyl, and Demerol are synthetic (or partially synthetic) pain medications that are manufactured to work like opiates. The only real difference between the two is that one is manufactured legally here in the U.S., by the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry, and the other is illegally grown and pipelined into the U.S. from south of the border, in the form of heroin. Opiates and opioids are addictive.¹³⁴

Opiates are alkaloids used in the creation of heroin and they are derived from a beautiful flower called a poppy (opium poppy). It is an herb native to Southeastern Europe, the Middle East, Western Asia and South America. It is illegal to grow  opium poppy here in the United States, and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) could quite possibly come knocking at your door with a new pair of bracelets if you’re caught growing opium poppy. But the seeds, which contain very little to no opium, can be found throughout grocery stores across America in breads and desserts.

Here in the United States, heroin overdoses increased 175% between 2010 and 2014, according to the New York Times.¹³⁵

Since the Mexican cartels are no longer able to compete in the marijuana market here in the U.S., heroin has become the new rage among the Mexican farmers and the cartels. Hudson Institute estimated a 67% rise of heroin produced in Mexico in 2015.¹³⁶

Live Science reports, “only 4% of people who misuse prescription pills go on to use heroin, yet nearly 80% of people who become addicted to heroin had used prescription pills first.”¹³⁷

Has the pharmaceutical industry contributed to this deadly addiction to opiates/opioids?

In an interview with 60 Minutes’, Bill Whitikar, talks to former DEA Office of Diversion Control, Joe Rannazzisi, who tells an inside story of how the opioid crises was allowed to spread. Rannazzisi said, “drug distributors pumped opioids into U.S. communities, knowing that people were dying.” Rannazzisi criticizes Congress and lobbyists for crippling the DEA’s efforts to prevent the distribution to people who had no legitimate use for opioids. Rannazzisi clearly accuses the distributors of “fueling the opioid epidemic.”¹³⁸

Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen control 85 to 90% of the drugs distributed. “These weren’t kids slinging crack on the corner. These were professionals  who were doing it. They were just drug dealers in lab coats,” said Rannazzisi.^

Of course money talks and former DEA attorney, Jonathan Novak told 60 Minutes that he began to see his caseload slow down dramatically, after the pharmaceutical companies started complaining to the justice department that the DEA was picking on them. “These were not cases where it was black; where it was grey. These were cases where the evidence was crystal clear that there was wrongdoing going on.” Yet suddenly his bosses demanded more evidence. Today  a large majority of DEA attorneys work for the drug industry.^

60 Minutes goes on to report, “As cases ground to a halt at DEA, the drug industry began lobbying Congress for legislation that would destroy DEA’s enforcement powers.” And that’s just what  happened.   The  Marino  bill  was  passed  and  it   made   it nearly impossible for the DEA to go after the distributors.^

60 Minutes reported that the drug industry spent $102 million lobbying Congress on the bill and other legislation from 2014 to 2016.^

AARP reported that drug companies spent $19.8 million dollars on politicians in 2016, and then were credited with $1.76 billion in orphaned drug tax credits. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry spent $24 billion dollars in 2016 marketing to health care professionals. And a whopping $6.4 billion was spent in advertising to the American people annually. Global Data, an analysis research company, revealed that 9 out of 10 pharmaceutical companies spend more on marketing than on research.¹³⁹

Just writing this makes me sick to my stomach. And now we know why drugs cost so much.

There is a drug called sofosbuvir that’s used to treat Hepatitis C, which if left untreated can be fatal. Here in the United States it cost $84,000 for a 12-week series, but in India a generic version of the same prescription can be purchased for just $483.¹⁴⁰

Instead of laying blame with the Mexican people for the heroin epidemic we face here in the United States, we need to focus our anger right here in America on these greedy homegrown drug pushers, who have sparked the demand for opiates to begin with.

If we shut down the demand, we can decrease the supply of heroin coming in from Mexico. The most expedient and simple way to address this problem is decriminalizing drugs all together – a pharmaceutical companies worse nightmare.

These drug companies have lobbied for years to get vitamins and herbal remedies out of the hands of ordinary people, like me and you. Why would they do such a thing? Because healthy people do not make good customers.

         According to web journalist, Ian Faulkner, oil tycoon, and Mr. Corporate Greed himself, John D. Rockefeller was the creator of the pharmaceutical industry. Faulkner writes, “In the 1800s, using ‘organic chemistry,’ or the chemistry of carbon, the petrochemical industries were created. In the 1800s, it came to light that various traditional herbal remedies contained active ingredients called ‘alkaloids.’ These alkaloids could often be produced synthetically by the petrochemical industries. Sometimes the active ingredient of a medicinal herb could be chemically modified and patented. This new business was called the ‘pharmaceutical industry.’ The resulting patent medicine could be sold at great profit, compared to the herb from which it was  originally  derived.”      In short, by the 1950’s Rockefeller medicine replaced natural remedies.¹⁴¹

Can you just imagine the hit the pharmaceutical industry is taking right now since the decriminalization of recreational marijuana in nine states and D.C., in addition to the 23 other states who have legalize medical marijuana? Now imagine if all 50 states legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 years and older. That would pretty much be the end of drugs such as Prozac and possibly the opioid and heroin epidemics. It most certainly would have an effect.

How can anyone outlaw a plant to begin with is beyond me. Prickly poppy (Argemone Mexicana) can be found in the Southwestern United States; there are no laws prohibiting the plants existence, and it is said to have psychoactive properties. The Aztecs called it “nourishment of the dead.”¹⁴²

Morning Glory seeds are hallucinogens too.¹⁴³

And let’s not forget LSD and magic mushrooms. They have proven to be quite beneficial. The new trend in Silicon Valley is taking miniscule amounts of LSD every few days to treat mood disorder and depression. With micro-dosing there is no hallucination, instead the experience has been described as a cheerful disposition and more focused.¹⁴⁴

Scientists began studying hallucinogens in the 1940’s, as a way of understanding mental disorders and as treatment for alcoholism.  But those “dirty hippies” of the 60’s were having  too much fun, and the Controlled Substance Act was signed by President Nixon in 1970, which outlawed hallucinogens among other controlled substances, and banned all psychedelic research as well. But in 2003, the research ban was lifted by the FDA (Food Drug Administration).¹⁴⁵

LSD is a lysergic acid found in the ergot fungus that grows on rye and other grains. The crystals are converted to liquid. Magic mushrooms on the other hand contain psilocybin, a compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms. You simply eat them. They are not generally considered to be addictive, but if taken repeatedly, you may accumulate a tolerance, and there is a slight risk of a psychological dependence to occur.¹⁴⁶

Indigenous people have used hallucinogens throughout history as a means to travel to unseen worlds, and/or utilized them in healing practices. The people of South America use to pick the leaf of the coca plant (as in cocaine) and chew it for pain relief and/or to increase energy.

Which do you believe would be more beneficial to the human body, Jolt Cola or a leaf taken from the coca plant? Man made or nature made? Who are we to take what is God given and call it criminal?

The more laws and rules that are enacted, the more restrictive our freedom becomes. The time has come to  roll back some of these laws and embrace our freedom to choose how and what we use to treat our discomforts. It’s time to live up to our mistakes and admit it, “The dirty fucking hippies were right.”¹⁴⁷

The hippies of the 60’s were happy people. They’re all about peace and love. The only connection between marijuana and violence is the greed accompanied with selling large quantities illegally.

According to Dr. Robert Morris, a criminology professor at the University of Texas, homicide and assault crimes have decreased in states that approved medical marijuana legislation. When you take the money away from the drug cartels the violence decreases.¹⁴⁸

As said earlier, if we are to slow the immigration of migrants crossing the Southern border into the U.S., the violence by these drug cartels needs to cease. Many of these migrants come here seeking asylum from the brutality generated by these cartels. In March 2017, 253 skulls were found in a mass grave in the Mexican State of Veracruz, alone. Just a few days later 47 more skulls were found at another site in the same state.¹⁴⁹

By decriminalizing drugs a decrease in violence could benefit the people of Mexico as well us here in the States. The DPA (Drug Policy Alliance), an advocate of decriminalization, reported that within the first year of legalization of marijuana, Denver saw a 2.2% drop in violent crime rates, and overall property crime decreased by 8.9%.¹⁵⁰

And according to a 2016 report from the DPA, two years after the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington, teen marijuana use remained unchanged, while marijuana arrest had plummeted, saving millions of dollars on law enforcement. In addition, tax revenues went up, with Colorado raking in $129 million and Washington with $220 million in 2015. And if that isn’t happy enough for you, in those two short years, marijuana legalization seems to have brought traffic fatalities down slightly in both states as well; below the national average.¹⁵¹

Back to Portugal, where personal possession and consumption of narcotics, “No matter where they occur or for what purpose, are now decriminalized.” Decriminalization does not include drug trafficking; drug trafficking is illegal. A person may not possess more than 10 days of normal use. And furnishing drugs to minors or those with mental issues is illegal as well.¹⁵²

Here in the States we focus on criminalizing drug offenders, whereas in Portugal, they focus on drug treatment. We may not be able to stop drug use totally, be we can change a negative into a positive. In the year 2012, there were only 16 deaths due to overdoses in Portugal, but in the U.S. there were more than 14,000 in 2014 due to opioid overdoses alone. And in Portugal, former heroin addicts today are being caught with hash or cannabis, instead of opiates, according to Vice News.¹⁵³

Even the attitudes and perceptions of the Portuguese police have changed for the better after decriminalization. Instead of treating users as criminals, they actually talk to them and encourage treatment. The perception of a caring police officer, verses one looking to lock you up, can make such a huge difference in how we react to each other. It’s humanizing when you take an authoritative figure and change their role to one of caregiver. Simply put, it’s a love thing.

Instead of shaming those with drug addictions, maybe it’s time we show a little love instead, like Portugal. After all, when we break it all down between the drugs, guns and racism, it’s all due to a lack of love. Whether it be a lack of love for oneself, or lack of love for our fellow human beings, or even our ruthless disposition towards the Earth, it shows in our culture. And that is just plain shameful, like a greedy corporate- sponsored Congress, which would sell our well-being for a buck, and pass a bill that limits the DEA’s authority to prosecute drug companies who are clearly in violation of the law.

One of the biggest draw backs of a capitalist nation is that every aspect of life is a money-driven  competition.  We base our success on how much wealth we have accumulated, or which school our children attend. When someone mentions Harvard, eye brows raise. Yet a man or woman who graduates from a community college isn’t seen in the same light, even though they are capable of rising in status just as high or even higher than a Harvard grad. Microsoft founder and billionaire, Bill Gates was a college drop-out, of all things.

We brag about being a nation of freedom, but we become a slave to the wage. True freedom is found in owning nothing, with nothing to be taken away; the less you own, the less burden. Ask any man who has ever walked away from social norms, and lived on the road homeless and penniless; they’ll tell you. You don’t have to live homeless, but a simple life is far more rewarding than one complicated with the preoccupation  of status and wealth.

Sometimes it is the most obscure ideas that hold the most promise. If decriminalizing drugs saves money and the legalization of marijuana gives the economy a much needed boost, in addition to a decrease in crime then why not do it?

I’m sure the Portuguese’s nightmares are no less human and daring than those of Americans, and none of their horrors ever came to be.

There are no negatives to be found in this approach to the war on drugs. There weren’t even any changes in tourist patterns; meaning there were no increases in tourism due to decriminalization. To put it in simpler terms for those of you fixated on Mexico, neighboring Spaniards were not rushing the border to get into Portugal so they could partake in recreational drug use.

Clearly the time has come to take back our medicines and seed our gardens with healing remedies given to us freely by the Creator. It’s simply another small step in taking back our power from the corporate overlords.

Do not allow unsubstantiated rants from talking heads convince you otherwise; they want you to be dependent upon them. Dependency equals profit. You know who these talking heads are when they speak. They’re ones quoting that one scientist out of the 100, who says what they want you to believe.

This country was built by revolutionary minds. And decriminalizing drugs would indeed be a revolutionary step from the same ole, same ole, and that seems to be a shared conquest for us all. Trump supporters are clearly tired of the Bush’s and Clintons, and the same can be said about those who oppose Trump; they’re tired of the racism, guns, sexism, greed, and bigotry. We all want change. And decriminalization  is clearly  the one change that we can all benefit from as a nation.

124 Cato Institute, by Glenn Greenwald, 2009, “Drug Decriminalization In Portugal.” Pg. 11 Retrieved March 8, 2018. object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/greenwald_whitepaper.pdf

125 Time, by Maria Szalavitz, April 26, 2009, “Drugs In Portugal: Did Deciminalization Work?” Retrieved March 8, 2018. content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

126 U.S. Department of Justice, by Sam Taxy, Julie Samuels & William Adams of Urbn Institute, October 2015, “Drug Offenders in Federal Prison: Estimates of Characteristics Based on Linked Data.” Retrieved March 8, 2018. www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/dofp12.pdf

127 Huffington Post, by Kathleen Miles, March 10, 2014 (updated December 6, 2017), “Just How Much The War On Drugs Impacts Our Overcrowded Prisons, In One Chart.” Retrieved March 8, 2018. www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/10/war-on-drugs-prisons-infographic_n_4914884.html

128 Drug Policy Alliance, “A Brief History of the Drug War.” Retrieved March 8, 2018. www.drugpolicy.org/issues/brief-history-drug-war

129 Nat’l Institute on Drug Abuse, Bennette W. Fletcher, Ph.D., & Redonna K. Chandler, Ph.D.) April 2014, “Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations – A Research- Based Guide.” Retrieved March 8, 2018. www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug- abuse-treatment-criminal-justice-populations/providing-drug-abuse-treatment-to-offenders- worth-f

130 USA Today, Global Post, November 17, 2016, “Why Heroin is Mexican Drug Cartels’ New Product of Choice.” Retrieved March 13, 2018. www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/11/17/heroin-mexican-drug-cartel/94032394/

131 Marijuana Business Daily, By Eli McVey, January 22, 2018, “Chart: Sales Growth Slowing In Colorado’s Recreational Marijuana Market.” Retrieved March 12, 2018. mjbizdaily.com/chart- sales-growth-slowing-colorados-recreational-marijuana-market/

132 Marijuana Business Daily, By Eli McVey, March 5, 2018, “Chart: Tourism Drives Hot Start To Recreational Marijuana Sales In Nevada, But Where’s the Ceiling?” Retrieved March 12, 2018. mjbizdaily.com/chart-tourism-drives-hot-start-recreational-marijuana-sales-nevada-wheres- ceiling/

133 IFLScience! By Kevin Loria, March 8, 2018, “23 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Marijuana.” Retrieved March 12, 2018. www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/23-sciencebacked-health- benefits-of-marijuana/

134 Just Believe. Retrieved March 13, 2018. justbelieverecovery.com/whats-difference-between- opiates-opioids/

135 The New York Times, by Azam Ahmed, August 29, 2015, “Young Hands in Mexico Feed Growing U.S. Demand for Heroin.” Retrieved March 14, 2018. www.nytimes.com/2015/08/30/world/americas/mexican-opium-production-rises-to-meet- heroin-demand-in-us.html

136 USA Today, GlobalPost, November 17, 2016, “Why Heroin is Mexican Drug Cartels’ New Product of Choice.” Retrieved March 14, 2018. www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/11/17/heroin-mexican-drug-cartel/94032394/

137 Live Science, by Stephanie Pappas, June 12, 2017, “Massive Poppy Bust: Why Home-Grown Opium Is Rare.” Retrieved March 13, 2018. www.livescience.com/59452-why-opium-is-grown- outside-us.html

138 CBS News/60 Minutes, Correspondent Bill Whitaker, October 15, 2017, “EX-DEA Agent: Opioid Crisis Fueled by Drug Industry and Congress.” Retrieved March 14, 2018. www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-dea-agent-opioid-crisis-fueled-by-drug-industry-and-congress/

139 AARP Bulletin, by the Editors of AARP, May 2017, “Why Drugs Cost So Much.” Retrieved March 14, 2018. www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/health/healthy-living/2017/04/drug-prices- download-final.pdf

140 CNN Money, by Huizhong Wu, June 2, 2016, “India Buyers Club: The New Way For Americans to Buy Cheap Drugs.” Retrieved March 14, 2018. money.cnn.com/2016/06/02/news/india- buyers-club-sofosbuvir-hepatitis/index.html

141 Uplift, by Ian Faulkner, November 3, 2017, “Was Natural Medicine Destroyed in 1910?” Retrieved November 3, 2017. upliftconnect.com/was-natural-medicine-destroyed-in- 1910/?utm_source=UPLIFT&utm_campaign=86ed0f8504- EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_19c1fc07c2-86ed0f8504- 112475137

142 Entheology, “Argemone Mexicana – Prickly Poppy.” Retrieved March 15, 2018.

www.entheology.org/edoto/anmviewer.asp?a=155

143 The Washington Post, by Theresa Varguas, May 3, 2006, “A 60’s Buzz Recycled.” Retrieved March 15, 2018. www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2006/05/02/AR2006050201413.html

144 CBS, Sunday Morning, March 18, 2018, “LSD: A Wonder Drug Once Again?” Retrieved March 21, 2018. www.cbsnews.com/news/lsd-a-wonder-drug-once-again/

145 Foundation For A Drug-Free World, “LSD: A Short History.” Retrieved March 21, 2018.

www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/lsd/a-short-history.html

146 Hallucinogens, “Psilocybin.” Retrieved March 21, 2018. hallucinogens.com/psilocybin/

147 YouTube, joeyess, March 17, 2009, “The Dirty Fucking Hippies Were Right.” Retrieved March 21, 2018. www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKEZoY-TMG4

148 Colorado Politics, by Brian Heuberger, March 22, 2017 (Updated February 28, 2018), “Despite Claims, Data Shows Legalized Marijuana Has Not Increased Crime Rates.” Retrieved March 21, 2018. coloradopolitics.com/despite-claims-data-show-legalized-marijuana-not-increased-crime- rates/

149 Business Insider, by Christopher Woody, March 22, 2017, “Mexico’s Mass Grave Illustrate a Horrifying Norm for Those Living in Cartel-land.” Retrieved Mach 22, 2018. www.businessinsider.com/mexico-mass-graves-drug-cartel-related-violence-2017-3

150 ThinkPropgress, by Alan Pyke, February 28, 2017, “Sessions: Legal Pot Drives Violent Crime, Statistics Be Damned.” Retrieved March 21, 2019. thinkprogress.org/sessions-legal-pot-violent- crime-8640413ca090/

151 Washington Post, by Christopher Ingraham, October 13, 2016, “Here’s How Legal Pot Changed Colorado and Washington.” Retrieved March 21, 2018. www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/10/13/heres-how-legal-pot-changed-colorado- and-washington/?utm_term=.909d6ddabc4a

152 Cato Institute, by Glenn Greenwald, 2009, “Drug Decriminalization In Portugal.” Pg 3 and 4. Retrieved March 8, 2018. object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/greenwald_whitepaper.pdf

153 Vice News, by Samuel Oakford, April 19, 2016, “Portugal’s Example: What Happened After It Decriminalized All Drugs, From Weed To Heroin.” Retrieved March 15, 2018. news.vice.com/article/ungass-portugal-what-happened-after-decriminalization-drugs-weed-to- heroin

Copyright 2018 Kim A Schulz

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