Forty years ago, President Richard Nixon launched what we know today as the “War on Drugs.”
Tomorrow, on Thursday, Nov. 19, the Baker Institute’s Drug Policy Program and Latin American Initiative will host a discussion on the successes and shortcomings of that effort, which continues to guide U.S. drug policy.
The panel “Cannabis, Cartels and Crime: Would Legalization Help?” will bring together some of the nation’s leading and most articulate spokesmen on both sides of the issue in what promises to be a lively and illuminating evening. Representatives from law enforcement, academia and drug policy think tanks will assess the strengths and weaknesses of federal and state policies regarding marijuana and other popular illegal drugs, while noting the contribution of both drugs and drug policy to the horrendous violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, and consider alternative strategies for reducing drug-related harms.
This program is a continuation of the conference “U.S. War on Drugs 1969-2009: From the U.S-Mexico Frontlines of the U.S. War on Drugs,” held at The University of Texas at El Paso on Sept. 21 and 22, 2009, and co-sponsored by the Baker Institute.
If you’re interested in attending, please click here for full details about the event (including a list of speakers) and to RSVP.