NATION IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : U.S. Judge Joins Call for Legalized Drugs
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Drugs, including cocaine and heroin, should be legalized, taxed and dispensed by the state because the war on drugs is being lost, U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet said in a New York City speech. The result, he said, “would be the elimination of the profit motive, the gangs, the drug dealers.” Sweet said the effort to stem the drug epidemic by jailing more people is not working. Sweet said he believes the root cause of the drug epidemic is the attraction of high profits for those in poverty.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
