by A.W. Berry

Created on: January 26, 2012

Richard Branson, a famous venture capitalist and daredevil,  is in favor of legalized drug use. This is not because he believes using drugs is a good idea, but because he thinks decriminalization of drug use can be an effective part of a successful national drug policy. The war on drugs has been a failure according to Branson, and he uses this failure to springboard a different approach that has had positive results in cases where it has been implemented.

In his campaign for legalization of drugs, Richard Branson claims national policy using this method has been proven to lower drug use, especially when combined with rehabilitation programs. Branson outlines his reasoning in statements made via the Virgin Group. Moreover, he believes decriminalization can lead to a healthier functional society, and lower overall drug use in a way that the war on drugs does not. For example, the benefits of drug decriminalization include lower drug related crimes, and fewer expenditures used in fighting those crimes

In the Cato Institute study referred to by Branson, after decriminalizing drugs, Portugal became the nation with the lowest incidence of marijuana use throughout the European Union, and among individuals over 15 years of age. Portugal also tallied low us for other drug categories per the study. Branson attributes Portugal's success to the re-characterization of drug use as a health concern rather than a criminal issue. Time magazine's Maia Scalavitz also reflects on Portugal's drug policy, and highlights how the United States has taken steps toward reducing the punitive method used by drug policy.

A similar position on decriminalization of drugs is held by the Global Commission On Drug Policy, of which Branson himself is one of 19 commissioners. This commission follows two key principles including the use of proven empirical research  to guide drug policy, and a reframing of drug use as a human rights and public health matter. In its report the commission argues that government expenditures are wasted when they fail to reduce the drug problem. Instead it suggests a de-stigmatization of non-dangerous drug users to help enable them in a positive way.

In the Portugal case study by Glenn Greenwald of the Cato Institute, additional statistical results of drug decriminalization are noted. For example, Greenwald finds drug trafficking incidents, drug related deaths, HIV and Aids among drug users, and prevalence of drug use among students all declined from pre-decriminalization levels. Although the increase in drug rehabilitation programs initially increased 147 percent in years following decriminalization, a follow up Time report indicates only 5-6 percent of drug users who are officially confronted with their drug use, are encountered a second time during the same year.

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