The Emancipation Party will seek the earliest possible end to the drug war, which has been fought for more than a generation at enormous cost and with no signs of success or even progress.
We understand that dependence on drugs is a serious health issue for many Americans, but believe that it is both wrong and ultimately futile for the government to declare a “war” on its own citizens because they choose a particular intoxicant, or because they develop a substance abuse problem.
Prohibition is a failed policy. The effects of the drug war are felt disproportionately by the the poor, the young, by racial minorities, and by those who are made vulnerable by mental health issues. Prohibition not only victimizes ordinary Americans, it also spreads violence, corruption, and hypocrisy around the world.
With respect to marijuana we believe the answer is clear: the harm is minimal and marijuana should be legal. The Emancipation Party will immediately end the federal prohibition on marijuana use, leaving the question as a state option, and will advocate at the state level for legalization.
We will also push to eliminate the current barriers to legitimate research into the use of “recreational drugs” for medical purposes. Some examples: marijuana for nausea control of chemotherapy, MDMA for treatment of PTSD, and ketamine as a treatment for severe depression.
With respect to other uses of drugs, we advocate returning the decision to the states. At the state level, the Emancipation Party will be guided by scientific and medical evidence as to what the correct policy should be for each drug. We will seek successful models for minimizing the harm caused by substance abuse without turning either addicts or occasional recreational users into criminals.
We would expect the states to try various approaches, allowing the “laboratories for democracy” to help discover what works best