The Drug Enforcement Agency budget for FY 2010 was over $2 billion. In FY 2011, they requested an additional $110 million.
The National Institute on Drug Addiction FY 2010 budget was over $1.04 billion, a $12.6 million increase from the year before.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2010, there are over 22 million regular users of illegal drugs in the United States. In 2000, there were 14 million. In 2000, the DEA and NIDA had a combined budget of a little over $1.9 billion.
Something isn't working, America. A system that is costing more money, and helping fewer Americans, is not a system that works.
It is time to get together, regardless of feelings toward drug use, and discuss how reform our policies to spend less money while helping more Americans.