Above Photo War on drugs is a war on us from SouthernCoalition.org
Kevin Zeese is a well known fighter of the system and has been on the front lines of many fights – from health care to digital rights. But it all started with an internship at NORML 36 years ago. So, what did marijuana politics look like back then, where are we now and how do we keep going in this fight against senseless prohibition?
The interview examines howending the drug war, especially the war on marijuana, has moved from being a third rail politicial issue to having widespread mainstream support. The legalization of marijuana in Colorado and three other states with more on the horizon is not showing any serious problems and is bringing in millions of dollars in new taxes while savings millions on law enforcement. Zeese explains how the most powerful way to deal with drug abuse is not laws that make them illegal, which have all sorts of unexpected consequences, but cultural controls where people learn what is appropriate and inappropriate drug use. These cultural controls are actually undermined by the war on drugs.
Zeese also explains how the drug war is linked to other issues in that (1) we are seeking justice on a wide range of issus including police violence, fair and living wages, climate justice, housing justice and the like; and (2) progress toward justice is blocked by a power structure that puts profits ahead of the necessities of the people and the protection of the planet. He urges us to understand the links between these issue so that we can build a bigger social movement for economic, racial and enviornmental justice.