I think the change of DEA policy, if successfully enforced throughout the agency, is a major step and a serious reason to be happy. I am all in favor of a change in the way the government treats doctors trying to help their patients as well, and I agree that I think it is something we can realistically hope for from the present administration. I very much would like to see needle exchange brought back, but I think the political toxicity of the issue may not have subsided to the degree where it is really realistically possible.

Sentencing reform is tricky. I think, in theory, everyone likes ‘treatment instead of prison’ for non-violent drug offenders. I have many of the same qualms I do about forced treatment as I do about prison, however. Chemical treatment programs are frequently far more medically dangerous than drug addiction, while non-chemical rehab doesn’t work if ‘forced.’ Respectable studies show roughly the same success/failure rates for people who quit on their own as for people who join a treatment program, with the numbers tending drastically toward ‘failure.’ So while I applaud keeping people are basically not ‘criminals’ out of prison, I am skeptical about the alternatives to prison being touted.

I see the change in enforcement standards as a good thing and I would like to see reform of medically related drug issues, on both sides of the medical question (medical marijuana being more completely legitimized, on the one side, and the end of state subsidized methadone programs on the other), but the ‘treatment instead of prison’ issue doesn’t speak to me. Would it be an improvement? Yes. If it foreshadowed meaningful change on the real issue of the failures of the ‘Prohibition’ strategy, that would be great.

The real issues to me are the pragmatic issue and the libertarian issue. In the case of the latter, I am opposed to the criminalization of personal choices (particularly when the same choices are not criminalized if one’s drug of choice is alcohol, nicotine, or prescription pain pills). Forced rehab doesn’t change that problem, even if preferable to prison. In the former case, anything short of decriminalization (to use a conservative meme) ’subsidizes failure.’

I agree in not being wildly optimistic about an end to the drug war. I do think we will see some positive changes under Obama which, while not going as far as I would like, are in the right direction.

The first change has been the promise to end the raids on medical marijuana. I’m also hoping to see a reduction (preferable elimination) of the intimidation felt by doctors for using narcotics in pain management.

Beyond medical issues, Obama has expressed support in the past for sentencing reform. He also differed from Clinton in backing needle exchange programs which Clinton opposed.

There is even an outside chance Obama might decriminalize or legalize marijuana. I doubt he would use any political capital on this right now, but there is a shot of him doing this after in office longer, especially if the problems with the economy and Iraq subside and after he deals with health care reform.

Obama is far from libertarian on drug policy, but I think that he is the best we could have reasonably expected this year. Beyond that it will probably be a long process in ending the drug war.

I think we should keep working for it, but I’m not ready to be wildly optimistic.

Clearly, this is not solely a ‘liberal’ issue. I don’t understand the lack of common sense on this point.