Tulsi Gabbard on Ending the failed war on drugs

Let us get to what prohibition/war on drugs has led to.

This is a list of some of the problems prohibition/war on drugs has led to.

• Prohibition, Tainted Drugs, Illness, and Overdose
• Prohibition and Drug-Related Disease
• Prohibition and Violence
• Prohibition and Cartels
• Prohibition and Corruption

And more ..

https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/four-decades-counting-continued-failure-war-drugs
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Drug use and addiction requires healthcare, not incarceration

While speaking at the Second Step 2019 Presidential Justice Forum in South Carolina, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard spoke about the importance of healthcare and treatment for people with drug abuse and addiction issues, saying that they require healthcare and treatment.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/video/rep-tulsi-gabbard-drug-use-and-addiction-requires-healthcare-not-incarceration/vp-AAJrHJQ

Ending the failed war on drugs starts off with marijuana. Let us take a look at her position/actions on this.

Reps. Don Young (R-Alaska) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), a 2020 presidential candidate, introduced a pair of bipartisan marijuana reform bills Thursday.

The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act would take marijuana off of the federal controlled substances list, giving full authority to states to regulate the substance without federal interference.

And the Marijuana Data Collection Act would evaluate the effects of marijuana legalization in states that have already done so.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/433116-gabbard-don-young-introduce-marijuana-reform-bill

Tulsi is a co-sponsor of H.R.3884 - Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019:

To decriminalize and deschedule cannabis, to provide for reinvestment in certain persons adversely impacted by the War on Drugs, to provide for expungement of certain cannabis offenses, and for other purposes.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/3884/text

Here is a link for some more info on Tulsi’s positions and legislative actions on marijuana:

https://www.tulsi2020.com/issues/marijuana-legalization

Here is information about Tulsi’s position and actions with respect to the topic of opioid addiction :

https://www.tulsigabbard.org/tulsi-gabbard-on-opioid-addiction

Portugal model of decriminalization of drugs :

In July 2001, a new law maintained the status of illegality for using or possessing any drug for personal use without authorization. The offense was changed from a criminal one, with prison a possible punishment, to an administrative one if the amount possessed was no more than a ten-day supply of that substance.[2] This was in line with the de facto Portuguese drug policy before the reform. Drug addicts were then to be aggressively targeted with therapy or community service rather than fines or waivers.[10] Even if there are no criminal penalties, these changes did not legalize drug use in Portugal. Possession has remained prohibited by Portuguese law, and criminal penalties are still applied to drug growers, dealers and traffickers.[11][12] Despite this, the law was still associated with a nearly 50% decrease in convictions and imprisonments of drug traffickers from 2001 to 2015.[13]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal

Tulsi talking about decriminalization of drugs following Portugal model : 

This is from a Reddit AMA about 5 months ago :

Q. With regard to ending the failed drug war (that has been catastrophic) how would that look? A Portugal model of decriminalizing most drugs? Referring users to free treatment facilities? : 

Tulsi's Answer : "I couldn't agree more that this war on drugs has been an abject failure and it must end. It has ruined people's lives, torn families apart, placed a tremendous burden on taxpayers, and overburdened an already broken criminal justice system. What to speak of the fact it has had a disproportionate negative impact on poor people and communities of color. I've introduced the only bipartisan bill in Congress to end the federal prohibition on marijuana and believe that all civil and criminal records related marijuana offenses should be expunged. I've been looking at the Portugal model and think we can take some important lessons learned from what they've done. We must decriminalize drug possession -- will maintaining drug trafficking and selling as illegal. We should not see drug addiction as a criminal problem -- it is one that requires treatment, and we need to provide the resources necessary to provide that treatment to all who need it. The path to recovery is tough and we as a society should support those who are walking that difficult path. I think it's important that we also need to recognize that those who are responsible for pushing highly addictive opioids on people in this country have gotten off scot-free. Whether it's big Pharma, doctors, pharmacists, hospitals or others -- they need to know that they will personally be held accountable for irresponsibly proliferating these drugs that have taken so many people's lives. There's so much more to say on this! Stay tuned - will roll out my plan on this with more details."

https://www.reddit.com/r/WayOfTheBern/comments/czqlan/aloha_im_congresswoman_tulsi_gabbard_and_im

Legalizing and regulating drugs : 

In January 2020. This happened at a Tulsi town hall.

“If we take that step to legalize and regulate, then we’re no longer treating people who are struggling with substance addiction and abuse as criminals and instead getting them the help that they need,” the 2020 presidential candidate said at a campaign stop in Merrimack, New Hampshire on Friday.

She was responding to a voter who asked whether her plan to end the war on drugs centered on more harm reduction and treatment or if it involved moving to “legalize and regulate narcotics so that you’re no longer seeing tainted drugs on the street…and involvement in the black market.”

The congresswoman replied that her answer was “all of the above.”

“The costs and the consequence to this failed war on drugs is so vast and far reaching, socially and fiscally, that if we take these necessary steps, we’ll be able to solve a lot of other problems that we’re dealing with in this country,” she said.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomangell/2020/01/19/tulsi-gabbard-endorses-legalizing-drugs

Apart from the 2 benefits of legalization and regulation of drugs mentioned above, you also have : 

The peer added: ‘It is better to sell mild and medically safe versions of drugs that give a high than ones sold by gangsters that kill thousands.’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6199639/Former-Labour-Justice-Secretary-calls-UK-legalise-drugs-including-cocaine-heroin.html