Title: The Mission to End Prohibition #44-09 November 4, 2009

" Who can walk around this week or I'm making contact group that they enemy that marijuana cigarette they're going to jail for seven years. I think back of all the people whose lives have been destroyed by just made."

" Politicians. Media pundits and even law enforcement agents are increasingly conceding that the so called war on drugs has been an abysmal failure."

" There has never did a drug free society in human history is never going to be. A drug free society."

" On this edition we hear from a former narcotics officer and two leading drug reform activist. About the roots of America's current drug policy. They tell the story of how we got to this point and suggest how we might move forward with more humane and effective laws. Commanders stills and this is making contact. Program connecting people who buy new ideas and important information."

" We wanna lower the incidence of death. Disease. Crime and addiction. And that -- those four categories -- all made infinitely worse by drug prohibition and the war on drugs."

" That's Jack Cole a former undercover narcotics officer with the New Jersey State Police. In 2002. Coal along with four other current and former law enforcement officials. Form an organization called law enforcement against prohibition or leaked. Now retired detective lieutenant -- travels the country and the world calling for a change to US and global drug policy. Telling his personal stories to make his case. Here's a segment of a speech he gave in September of 2004. In Tampa Florida. Even though was five years ago now much has changed."

" It was 1970 when I graduated from the narcotic bill that was the beginning of the war on drugs I've seen it all from there. The war on drugs is actually pointing created by Richard -- house Nixon in 1968. And it had nothing to do with drugs really had very little to do with the war had to do with fact that he was running for president for the second time that I -- wanted to make it. And as we all know it worked he was elected any first year in office. He managed to get the US congress to pass funding bills. That would give massive amounts of money to any police department. -- Ohio officers. To fight the war on drugs. It is -- idea how much money we're talking about here. 1964. When I joined the New Jersey State Police it was 1700. Troopers there was a seven man narcotics unit. Always seem perfectly adequate for the job we needed to do that. Six years later when I wanted to narcotics which still had those same figures and overnight in October of 1978. We went from its seven man unit to a 76 person bureau. All paid for by the federal tax dollar not a single penny came out of state or local government. And this program was replicated all across the United States. So you can imagine how much money involved in this. After two weeks training. They designated 13 of us as undercover agents I have an appalling that 13 and that's where I spent most of the next fourteen years of my life. When they hit the streets we were supposed to arrest drug dealers -- that was an easy job in 1978. At the beginning of the war for a lot of reasons. Two main ones was first off we didn't have much of a drug problem in the United States in 1970. We didn't have drug dealers on every street corner like we do today we did have drug dealers and every school like we do today. The second reason was our bosses that that'll talk to our bosses didn't have any concept of how to fight a war on drugs but they did know one thing they knew how to keep this. Federal cash cal being -- in their personal barnyard. And they had to do that because they've just brought 76 new troopers and hired them to replace post season once they took off the road to make you tactics. And they had to pay their salary every year from then on so they had to keep its federal money coming to them. And how do you do that when you have something that should be a pretty low priority item you had to make the war on drugs look like it was an absolute necessity. So what we get the streets because we couldn't fight drug dealers all out there everyplace but we did was we went in and we infiltrated undercover people infiltrated. Friendship groups of maybe ten or fifteen young people. Once we got intimate friends -- let them we were treated just like the others come Friday night there out of school they're all work so many say hey you wanna get high. And if anybody said yes. One person who might have access to the family car or some other transportation. Would go around and take orders from all the friends -- what drugs they want that night. Some young person might say we'll get me to marijuana cigarettes somebody else might say well I'd like to -- beginning to its asset or. They might ask for a couple wallets or even Valium they were buying back there. And this is -- maybe ten dollars worth the things we're talking about. Once they took the orders that person would drive to the city in an hour and a half they come back and they hand -- the drugs to the friends. And of course that handed to me to do and when they did that they became a drug dealer. But they didn't have to just do that to become a drug dealer was much easier. As you all know drug use especially soft drug is that's what we had in 1970. Is a very. Social thing. You take to coax ought to join -- past the person on the right. If that person on the right happened to be me. Just the mere handing that marijuana cigarette was enough that you became a drug deal I would pretend they got a -- on this joint not that flame up the end of it. I think it in my pocket that night I'd submit that as evidence evidence that this person that handed me that had committed a felony. Because back then we didn't have any differentiation between. Drugs as far as the law is concerned we didn't have any differentiation between weight. That they enemy that marijuana cigarette they were going to jail for seven years. Now. What I think back of all the people whose lives have been destroyed by just me. Over a thousand young people went to jail as a direct result of my work back there. Most of them never committed another crime in their life they went to jail because they want to put something in their system that I don't wanna put in my system. Seems very destructive to me looking back on now. But anyway what I do inside I just hang around. Until I got this whole friendship group because the first night it might be person a random city next diapers and -- next night. Urgency -- state like audible and I'd be working maybe ten different friendship groups. At the same time. What we've got about 95 young folks. With each undercover agent that we had these cases on we will hold a rain. Bring in 350 police officers. And swooping in at 5 o'clock in the morning we kicked down the doors drag him out and change and when we release this information to the media. These were the big time drug dealers were arrested that first year and you know something nobody ever questioned. Nobody ever said what are they selling how much are they selling. So by the end of the first year it looked like we had no worse problem in the world. And neat if we had a problem drug problem that problem was mainly. Soft drugs marijuana -- she ate some Ellis needs those five and I think hard drugs such as. Methamphetamine. Cocaine. Heroin were virtually -- heard in nineteen. A decent seizure for a local or state police officer in 1970 at the beginning of the war on drugs. If we execute the search warrant on someone's house might be one ounce of cocaine. Or one quarter out of heroin. Bankable were -- today. But things got hot very quickly by 1973. That picture of me on the motorcycle -- I was working group called up. Breed motorcycle gang out of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. They were actually selling some pretty good packages of methamphetamine so hard drugs were coming and -- them. That's better picture was taken in 1977. In a house in the corona section of queens New York City. Like kick the door and it went inside seized about that's. -- 350000. Dollar letter from me. But I also ceased what was touted all the papers as the largest single shipment of Mexican brown heroin in the history of the United States. Now we were so proud we were in the papers every day for a week on that one job day after day after day. We really thought we hit the big diamond I'm almost embarrassed today to tell you how much drugs that was it was nineteen pounds of heroin. So I love more than a quarter -- but so much less than what we're getting today. But the drug problem kept growing -- actually thought that might two years after that it's by 1979. I was actually work."

" Eight billion. Dollar bill with a B billion dollar international heroin and cocaine race. Who was only local and state police by the way that got a lot of power and money out of the drug war. Also happened on the federal level DA was created 9783 and add about 3000 people when that was created. And Mike 2001 they've tripled the number of employs knocked up does something right 9000. And although they tripled their staff their budget. Became point eight times larger. So that every year since 2001 we have given this one agency. One point five billion. Dollars to fight what we elite consider failed Warren truck and this. You know I can remember year after year I was one little largest ones of them yelling this we were all saying. Just give us more please give us more money will take care of this problem for. We've been given a more police more money for 34 years and the problem just gets worse. Then of course the politicians -- By 1980 we were already arresting. Little over half a million people in this country for non violent drug offenses. And then the politicians came along they said listen you -- just work a little harder. -- more people we promise you will back you a 100% we'll create the harshest laws that have ever existed. Mandatory minimum sentences three strikes you're out law. For mostly people you'll have to deal with the ones that they'll go to jail forever. And in the case closed up problem solved and same time mr. Reagan came into office and he said to us you know guys. You're going at this the wrong like think of this is an economics equation. You're working on the supply side arresting dealers. You should be working on the demand side arresting users. If you rest and not users you'll frighten them away no users -- dealers sound pretty good does. So we started doing that my twenty years later. We had tripled the number of arrests we were making. By the year 2000 every year since we have arrested. 1600000. Human beings in this country for nonviolent. Drug program. And let me tell you some. Every one of those lives if it's not destroyed it certainly crippled. We have definitely. You can get over an addiction it's true you can't we you'll never get over convection. A conviction we'll track you every day for the rest of your life. Because it's on a computer you can even move to another country doesn't matter every time we go to get a job it's over your head like this big ugly cloud. And look what were arrested these people for 50% of those arrests -- for marijuana and because we were told to arrest people for using. 80% of the marijuana arrests are simply perpetuation. Now that's a lot of lives to destroy and I could even live with that if it did any good but it hasn't done any good the problem it's only got worse. And out of drug prohibition changed our drug use in our schools that's a big -- to me. My kids are all grown but I got a lot of -- out there and I don't want one of amused and illegal drugs. Between 1991. And 2000 into a ten year period. Marijuana use it every school in every grade in the United States increase. And it's easier to buy illegal drugs than it is to buy beer and cigarettes. What kind of an indictment is that against the war on drugs. For some reason it's easier. Is because beer and cigarettes are legal commodities people who fell over licensed to sell them they know if they fell to a young person we're gonna pull alliances. They wanna keep it and you know the guy down the street sorted and care about that he's not life is that he's not gonna look at anybody ID. USA one thing one thing only show me the money. The people at the top of the industry selling -- to our kids on the street by walk away with 90% profit. I learned very early on Al living in the street with those folks and -- uniformed police officer arrested someone war. Rape robbery they were taken tomorrow the streets that made our communities safer for all of us. When -- arrested a drug dealer. All I was doing was creating a job opening for maybe 200 more people willing to take that chance for that obscene profits. We arrest one point six million people a year are -- courts are absolutely clogged with those -- So much so that civil cases are language you know puts on for fifteen years before they ever. As a result of the stuff are prison population has quadrupled in the last twenty years. Making building prisons up fastest growing industry in the United States there's something these. We have four point 6% of the population of the world we have 22 point 5% of its prisoners right here in this land of freedom. There's something wrong with that picture of me. I think triggered this is. Despite all these laws that were destroyed and all this money so -- spent. Today drugs that might just point out you are cheaper more potent far easier to get -- a war. At the beginning of the war but to me that's the very essence of failed public policy and time to look for something else. That's something else as far as the law enforcement against prohibition is concerned is we want to end drug prohibition just like we -- alcohol prohibition 1933. We think we all be a lot better off everything got better when we did that. It didn't take care of the alcohol problem. But it took care of all the associated crimes there wasn't any more smuggling. There weren't people shooting each other in the streets to make those obscene can control those obscene profits. Cops weren't getting killed little kids were getting shot down in drive buys all the things that are happening today ended when we ended that drug prohibition. And Al Capone and all his cronies were out of a job the next day the same thing could happen to the drug dealers sought to question."

" That was Jack Cole a former undercover narcotics officer with the New Jersey State Police and one of the founders of law enforcement against prohibition. We'll be right back."

" Here listening to making contact a production of the national radio projects. If you'd like more information or for CD copies of this program please call. 805295736. You can also download programs or get our podcast. From radio project and outdoors. I mean."

" So now they even law enforcement agents agree that the war on drugs has been a failure. Why haven't we seen major changes in government policy. -- and -- Mann has some ideas. -- is the executive director of the drug policy alliance one of the leading drug reform lobbying organizations in the US. He spoke at the momentum 2009 conference. In this excerpt from his speech. Adelman explained that the primary obstacle to true drug law reform is a lack of historical knowledge about US drug policy. And now even before this so called war on drugs fear and racism are used to manipulate the public."

" I want to begin to push many. Because I believe that one of the things which is most holding back progress in this area. Is that. The -- and prejudices. And ignorant suits. Vet we sustain it will be in ourselves. But the."

" Obstacles to truly reform talk including the drug war in American society live -- in ourselves as well. In -- way it's almost inescapable that we've all lived and grown up little world the what's the drug -- existed. You don't since Richard Nixon since Ronald Reagan in some respects even for decades before that. We'll -- world which were exposed to billions of dollars of anti drug ads every day we all live in a world that was. The crack crisis the cracked crazies are the headlines and we are as ready as most other people to believe what the media is telling us about these things. We are willing to believe the imagery about drugs. Because we hadn't dug in don't know what lies below the popular imagery. It is because."

" When you. Use cracks. A middle aged. Progressive. White black brown person. And you scratch them which oftentimes find beneath them is almost the exact same thing that you find when you scratch. A middle aged conservative. White black or brown purse. Which is that Europe about our children. And are -- eight weeks and our desire to put our babies. Bubble and to do anything possible to protect fan. And not to allow that -- to want as much no matter what are -- who were voting for to make sure we keep the drugs I'd say keep the drugs away that some how we protect that -- even some place to be afraid to have been here this sort of debate because that might penetrate that hobbled vet might put them more at risk. We have that too and in fact that fear it. Asked to be -- not. I'm loving our children any less not be abating any reckless about their futures but by understanding the basis of that here and how and what needs to be done to uproot that. Of the matter is right there has never -- a drug free society human history is never going to be a drug free society it drugs have always been a part of our lives they always will be a part of our -- The fact is that we are not going to move into a world in which there are fewer drugs but we're moving into the world in which our children and grandchildren great grandchildren will live in a world with ever greater. Availability. Of drugs. You know one in which we all had prozac generation -- to Ecstasy generation five and -- generation nine and I actually generation twenty set in a neat little combinations of all of these things. This is going to be a world in which the criminal justice system has relatively little to offer in protecting us. If protecting ourselves from our own weaknesses there -- devices in which that -- of that criminal justice system that co dependence on the criminal justice system that we've evolved over the last century is -- That is no longer going to be sustainable. Now in fact is the time to prepare for that world by abandoning the things we thought we needed to protect ourselves. These criminals just this approach. Well here's how. I think. We do it. My experiences did that almost anybody. Can -- to a better understanding of this. If you hit them where their act if you tomorrow what matters to dad. I know that we don't win this thing -- we persuade every year the majority great majority of American parents that they have more to gain their children can be safer in a world. In which the criminal justice system plays a less and less and more more reduced role in dealing with drugs in our society. I know that when I'm speaking with African American communities what's important to bring home there of course they get it about crack powder in the video and justice of the racial disparities -- proportionality of the rest in the persecution and prosecution of young black brown and added that the problems with you know -- driving while black but walking while black or even running wild black god forbid. Right I mean I know that that that's a part of it. But when some come back and say well I just want to loss to get forced."

" Equally now that's not sufficient. And we should not and they cannot we cannot accept the notion that somehow there's an underlying legitimacy to these -- in the first place and if so how we tend to think it act 1500 years ago that some independent commissions were established they concluded that. Well these drugs should be legal in these drugs should be illegal alcohol and cigarettes -- experience alcohol prohibition but. These lines well -- wanna Coke -- on more. What is the fact if you ask how and why was that distinction may. -- you look carefully at history. When you realize this sort of Monty Python nature of the legislative deliberations that led to these generalizations the first place a hundred years ago. What to Willis is it distinction between which trucks to be legal which looks to be illegal. Had essentially. Nothing to do. With a relative dangers of these drugs. And almost everything to do with who used these drugs in -- was perceived to use these drugs so that when the principal uses of opiate drugs in America in the 1870s. And eighties were primarily middle class white women in the south. Taking opium it louder and inform other forms for men applause aches and pains it was a -- there was no Motrin. Right people had diarrhea that sanitation -- was great for that nobody thought. To criminalize. Grandma. Or anti. But. With the Chinese came over."

" Are working a hundred hours a week and the railroads and in my to -- had been going back to dormitories and a night smoking up that opium pipe just they had in the old country. And people start to worry what would that China now there's all being done due to our precious white women. Seducing them and raking in addicting and that's what we got the first criminal laws printed in the opiates in California Nevada and eighteen cities in 1880s. The first anti cocaine -- directed at blacks are black manage negroes working on the dot in the south. And the fear was what would that black men do when he took that white powder up -- knows what might he do to our precious white women. The first anti marijuana laws when the teens or twenties in the midwest in the southwest erected a Mexican Americans Mexican migrants coming up taking the good jobs that the white people going back home smoke and up a little that uninstalling you know reach for cigarettes. And the fear was once again what would those darker skinned people. Do who are Christians will mean and children. Mean quite frankly even alcohol prohibition. Was to some extent a conflict between the white white Americans in the not so white white Americans strike the white white Americans who came to be doing nineteenth century from northern Western Europe and that's. Not so white white Americans coming from Southern Europe and Eastern Europe in the late nineteenth century early twentieth century were there -- there Dino when they're so little X -- flooding into the American city scaring people look at it's in their diet I."

" And it -- let the good white white people -- that we had. -- probation alcohol prohibition. Police stopped him from drinking they would still be able to drink and what inevitably be the case that the enforcement of the laws to be directed at others went. African American church leaders advocated for alcohol prohibition because they perceived evils of alcohol. And then they got what they wanted in the form of an eighteenth amendment prohibiting alcohol and then when those laws were disproportionately enforced against. African American people. People eventually woke up. If you jump forward to the 1970s and 1980s in the crack cocaine traces the fears around -- okay cool embrace those -- it was just. The Republicans embracing knows. It was white liberals and as well and Democrats in the tip O'Neill's in the African American leaders. All embracing these tough laws these new mandatory minimums to protect our society who built more president. -- Mario Cuomo probably build more -- that any governor in the history of America. Right these were progressives Al lying around conservative values what I would never call William Bennett a genius but the -- like genius of what he did America's first drug -- Under the first President Bush was to understand that when you talked about drugs and scared people about drugs did that. That was the way to appeal to the ordinary. Middle of the road American parent and get into endorse the most repressive conservative reactionary values which was his -- and all law. It was a form of trickery but he bought in to ignorance and fear including within this community. Now there is a movement emerged in this country and around the world to end this war on drugs is divided about how -- you know whether you just -- marijuana prohibition or do the -- divided about how much -- do public -- things away but -- but there is a movement growing and what makes -- movement especially appealing to -- very interesting which makes me probably a little more than -- right -- than most. Isn't this as a movement which has the capacity to combine people from the left the right and the center. It is a progressive movement -- is not always a progressive movement. I can tell you the last few years and progressive organizations were not invite me to speak. But I was invited by the rightwing organization. Saint -- Conservative Political Action Conference you know there's Dick Cheney William Bennett. You know Rick Santorum. Wow wildlife and many right and I'm debating this issue in you know and an end you wanna know something. I wasn't. Debate and a majority of the applause was in favor of ending the war on drugs because young even right wing Republicans got a libertarian streak this why and they don't buy into this thing to. So we have a movement going right now and Arnold Schwarzenegger gets up a few months ago -- heated debate legalizing drugs we got a goal with him and -- for that. Bryant and -- people start talk about bringing European policies about prescribing the drug addicts and setting up safe injection site -- do that we have to go for that stopped at least our potential but I would have easily led marijuana nonetheless sent those fears and move five. Because this is all movement that is growing. When I looked at what's more the role models what fine goal is that."

" Ice stand on you know on the shoulders and follow in the footsteps of his growing drug positive -- does of the people who fought for freedom and justice in the past. What I know is that we stand poised today with the movement for gay rights to in the early seventies in the movement for civil rights that that late 1940s the movement for women's rights to it had to turn last century even a moment to abolish slavery in -- an 1830s and forty's. That in every case these are -- for freedom is social justice in every case he opposed powerful vested interest who play on people's fears about the women and children in every case the economic arguments on our side in every case foreign countries are moving ahead for provost faster than we are. This is a movement neck can bill that will build it is our opportunity is progressive to weaken we tell applauses backdrop. And I hope that this issue becomes a principal issue for so many of you in your life to moving forward thank you very much."

" The."

" That was keeping NATO -- the founder and executive director of the drug policy alliance speaking of the momentum conference in September 2009. That's it for this edition of making contact. First CD copy of this program -- national radio project. 8052957. Through fish. Or you can get our podcast. -- video project Donald. Thanks for listening to making contact."