10 Signs the Failed Drug War Is Finally Ending

2009 will go down as the beginning of the end of the United States drug war. I have worked at the Drug Policy Alliance promoting alternatives to the war on drugs for 10 years, and I can say without a doubt that there was more debate and movement toward sensible drug policies this year than in the last 9 years combined! Here are 10 stories that contributed to the unprecedented momentum to end America's longest running war.

1) Three Former Latin American Presidents Call Drug War a Failure (February)

In February, the Latin-American Commission on Drugs and Drug Policy - co-chaired by three distinguished ex-presidents, Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil, Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico -issued a groundbreaking report that declared the drug war a failure. The report further advocated the decriminalization of marijuana and the need to "break the taboo" on an open and honest discussion of international drug policy. The release generated hundreds of articles around the world and continues to be referenced by elected officials in Latin American and around the world.

2) Michael Phelps and the Bong Hit Heard Around the World (February)

The photo of Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps taking a "bong hit" at a party in South Carolina was plastered across the front pages of newspapers around the world in February. The image of Phelps inhaling marijuana, just a few months after setting a record for most gold medals won in a single Olympics, dealt a powerful blow to the lazy, "couch potato" stereotype of pot users. Kellogg's promptly dropped Phelps as a spokesperson, badly misreading public sentiment. Dozens of columnists slammed Kellogg's for this decision, and a major AP story reported on groups calling for consumers to "Drop Kellogg's" for dumping Phelps. A few weeks later, the advertising trade magazine Ad Age reported that Kellogg's brand favorability had tanked since it dropped Phelps - even more than when the company instituted a massive recall due to a problem with salmonella in its peanut butter.

3) Obama Justice Department Says No More Raids on Patients and Caregivers in States with Medical Marijuana Laws (March)

During his campaign for president, then-Senator Barack Obama promised that if elected, he would end the raids on medical marijuana patients and dispensaries that were acting in compliance with their states' laws. In March, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder affirmed this pledge, and in October the Justice Department issued new policy guidelines codifying the change. Patients and caregivers breathed a sigh of relief, and President Obama received almost universal praise in media around the United States and the world.

4) Drop the Rock! NY's Draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws Finally Reformed (April)

After 35 years, New York's harsh Rockefeller Drug Laws were finally brought down in April, when Gov. David Paterson signed historic reforms eliminating lengthy mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent drug offenses. The reforms, which took effect in October, restored judicial sentencing discretion in most drug cases, expanded alternatives to incarceration and invested millions in drug treatment programs. Advocates who fought for years to secure these reforms are now working to turn New York from a model of everything that is wrong with drug policy to an example of what is possible when we deal with substance abuse as a health matter instead of a criminal justice issue.

5) Governor Arnold Calls for Debate on Legalizing Marijuana: Voters to Decide in 2010 (May)

California is ground zero when it comes to the debate over taxing and regulating marijuana. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger generated national media in May when he said that marijuana legalization is an idea that should be considered and debated. The issue garnered more national attention with the introduction of a bill pending in the California Legislature to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. Meanwhile, some Oakland, Calif., activists aren't waiting for their legislature to act; they have drafted a voter initiative to tax and regulate marijuana and are gathering signatures to qualify it for the 2010 ballot. Recent polls show 56% of Californians support taxing and regulating marijuana.