The War on Drugs has been waged unsuccessfully for long enough. High incarceration rates and large amounts of drugs seized are not signs of success in reducing drug use. I am writing to urge you to learn from the results seen after 10 years of decriminalization in Portugal. Decreased drug use across the board as well as reduced HIV infection rates prove that decriminalization needs to be analyzed as a viable option for the U.S.
Therapy, rehabilitation and community service is dealt to offenders rather than fines or jail time. Intervention at the time of offense is critical to building rapport, increasing motivation, and predicting a person’s ability to engage in treatment. Therapeutic demands still require an offender to be responsible for their offense.
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