The Washington Post has an interesting 3-part interactive series exploring the 45 government agencies, 2000+ companies and 854,000+ working under government security. It also discusses the growth of the national security infrastructure since 9/11.

HT: Chart Porn

Free Market Mojo is proud to present an interview with Major Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP).

A 33-year law enforcement veteran, Major Franklin retired from the Maryland State Police in 1999 where he held the position of commander for the Education and Career Development Command and the Bureau of Drug and Criminal Enforcement. During this time, he instituted and oversaw the very first Domestic Violence Investigative Units for the Maryland State Police.

After 23 years of dedicated service to the Maryland State Police, Major Franklin was recruited in 2000 by the Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department to reconstruct and command Baltimore’s Education and Training Section. After serving one year, he was promoted to Lt. Colonel and later promoted again to Chief of Human Resources.

After leaving the Baltimore Police Department in 2004, Major Franklin was appointed to serve as the commander of Special Operations for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) Police Force, covering criminal, narcotics and internal affairs investigations in addition to an array of Homeland Security related initiatives. He was then appointed to design and implement the very first Office of Professional Standards encompassing EEO, loss prevention and fraud for the entire MTA. After the completion of this assignment, he assumed the position of Chief of Patrol.

He currently holds the position of Executive Director for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), which is a non-profit international organization spanning 80 countries with a clear mission of educating people on the harmful effects of drug prohibition and why our drug policies must change. Major Franklin says, “It pains me to know that there is a solution for preventing tragedy and nothing is being done because of ignorance, stubbornness, unsubstantiated fear and greed.”

Additionally, Major Franklin volunteers his time by serving on many boards that include, Children 1^st (child advocate organization), Faith Based Community Council on Law Enforcement and Intelligence, the Place of Grace Church, Anne Arundel Community College Criminal Justice Advisory Board and past board president for TurnAround, Inc. (domestic violence, sexual assault victim advocate providing counseling and shelter services).

As with our other interviews, the guest’s views are his own and are not necessarily endorsed by either author of Free Market Mojo.

FMM: For readers unfamiliar with your organization, could you give a brief overview of what LEAP is and what it seeks to accomplish?

Franklin: LEAP is a non-profit educational organization comprised of current and retired law enforcement members who have fought the “war on drugs” from the front lines. LEAP was formed by 5 crime fighters back in 2002 and now has members comprised of police, judges, prosecutors, corrections officials and federal agents, such as the FBI, DEA and US Marshal’s Office. We have over 30,000 supporters who join us in believing that our drug policies have dramatically failed. We strive to change these policies by legalizing all drugs, which will reduce harm, such as death, decease and crime, not just here in the US, internationally.

FMM: Does LEAP support the legalization of the more dangerous and addictive drugs such as heroin and meth?

Franklin: LEAP supports the legalization of all drugs through regulation and control. We do not condone the use of any drug and know that drugs are potentially  harmful, but drug prohibition causes more harm to society than drug misuse. Legalization through regulation is the key. The unregulated market of prohibition sets the stage for violent criminal enterprise as we have seen with the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s and it makes drugs more available to our children. School age children say that it is easier to acquire marijuana than beer and cigarettes. Criminals cultivate more potent drugs due to the lack of standards, which lead to more addictions and overdoses. Basically, all drugs need to be removed from the Fed’s Schedule I category.

FMM: What about prescription medicine? There is a growing black market for pills. Should people be free to purchase whatever prescription drugs they want without a doctor’s consent?

Franklin: By our standards, prescription drugs are already legal, as they are regulated and controlled. Even though they are available on the black market to some extent, they are primarily distributed by order of a physician and they are not manufactured by criminals. We know what they consist of, what they will do, what the side effects are and they are generally difficult for children to acquire. Of course it’s almost impossible to regulate mom or dad’s medicine cabinet, but children can’t legally purchase them in a pharmacy.

FMM: What should our drug policy be and is there a role for government with respect to drugs? Should drugs be subject FDA regulation, only sold in government-run stores, etc.?

Franklin: LEAP’s position is strictly to legalize, regulate and control. The actual policies should be constructed by a collective of experts from many different disciplines and fields of study.

Now, in my opinion, there are many models to choose from, as with alcohol, where you have different standards for different types of spirits and different regulations from state to state or county to county within a state. You have government standards to abide by with relevant potency levels, so people know what they are ingesting. In the Netherlands and Canada, they have heroin maintenance programs run by the government so addicts get what they need under medical supervision, receive needed counseling and are no longer burdened with funding their addictions through illegal means. Overdoses are virtually nonexistent, new cases of AIDS have plummeted and crime has been drastically reduced.

FMM: What are your thoughts on President Obama’s drug policy?

Franklin: I flat out don’t like it. His drug policy is virtually the same as previous administrations. The majority of ONDCP funds, under Gil Kerlikowski, are still being spent on enforcement (two thirds of the $15.5 billion budget). Enforcement funds and support are still being poured into Mexico. You can remove the title “War On Drugs” all you want…it still looks the same to me. The only adjustment I see is the memo from Attorney General Holder’s office referencing no enforcement of federal drug laws upon the medical marijuana industry in those states where they abide by state medical marijuana laws.

If he had truly changed his policy and ended the “War On Drugs”, the following would be occurring:

1. When a war has ended, fighting stops and the troops begin to come home. Cops are still fighting criminals, criminals are still fighting criminals and criminals are still fighting cops.

2. When a war has ended, you stop taking prisoners and you begin the release of those imprisoned.

3. When a war has ended, you begin to repair the damage caused by the war. You heal the wounded, rebuild communities and neighborhoods and give children hope.

The truth to the matter is, we are fighting more and harder than ever and the harder law enforcement push, the more violent it all becomes. Forty years of this nonsense and we still don’t get it.

FMM: You served in the Baltimore Police Department for 33 years. Were there specific events during your career that led you to oppose drug prohibition? Can you describe how your experience shaped your stance on the war on drugs?

Franklin: The first 23 years of my law enforcement career were spent with the Maryland State Police and the vast majority of that time was in criminal and narcotics enforcement. After retirement in 1999, I was hired by Baltimore to reconstruct and command the training division, which I did for four years. And the final years of my career were with the Maryland Transit Police Force commanding the Investigations Division.

My opposition curiosity to drug prohibition began in the mid 1990s with the Mayor of Baltimore, Kurt Schmoke. I was assigned, as a law enforcement liaison, to the board of his “Needle Exchange” program when I learned of his desire to begin a conversation surrounding the ineffectiveness of our drug policies and it got me thinking. After his political caning for suggesting such a thing, I gave it little attention until October of 2000 when Trooper Ed Toatley was assassinated during a botched drug deal while working undercover in Washington DC with the FBI. Ed was a great friend and had worked undercover for me on many occasions. He was absolutely the best at what he did, primarily because of his charm and lovable personality. Ed was survived by his three children and loving wife, and for what? That was the question I asked; what for? How much progress had we made over the past few decades while putting our lives on the line every single day? Not just cops, but how many innocent folks lost their lives in the middle of all the prohibition mayhem? How many more will fall by the wayside before we wake up and change our damaging policies? It was time for me to honor all of my fallen brothers and sisters and move – do something, and I did just that. Two years later I found LEAP, continued my research and finally began speaking for LEAP in 2008.

FMM: What are some of the most harmful consequences of the war on drugs?

Franklin: The two most harmful consequences of the war on drugs are:

1. Death is obviously number one. It doesn’t get any worse than that for there is no return from it. Addictions are bad and so are prisons, but addictions are beat and prisoners released – death is final. We’ve lost approximately 20,000 lives in Mexico over the past 3 to 4 years. Not many arrests have been made and virtually no prosecutions. In the States, our neighborhoods have become killing fields for anyone who gets in the way of the drug slinger’s market-share. We lose thousands of people every year to prohibition related homicides.

2. Imprisonment at unprecedented rates to where we out pace some of the most oppressed countries by far. The European arrest rate is at 150 or below per 100,000. In 2008, arrest rates in the US had soared to 1,009 per 100,000. Even more alarming, African Americans are around 14% of the US population, use drugs at relatively the same rate as whites, but they are arrested and convicted at much higher rates than whites. Whites constitute 72% of all drug users in the US, Blacks make 13.5% of that population, but 37% of those arrested are Black. 60% of those in prison for drug felonies are Black and 81% of federal prison drug offenders are Black. A Black male born today has a one in three chance of being arrested and possibly serving time.

FMM: What are the consequences of the war on drugs for law enforcement? And how would law enforcement in our country change if drugs were legalized?

Franklin: Some of the consequences under the current prohibition system are:

1. Police work is dangerous, but prohibition makes it considerably more dangerous. Police officers and federal agents are murdered throughout this country and others every year by the hundreds. We all know more than one comrade who’s life was lost fighting this unnecessary war.

2. Violent crime such as murder, rape, robberies and arsons go unchecked. 40% of murders, 60% of rapes and arsons and 75% of robberies currently go unsolved in this country. As a comparison, in 1963 police were credited with solving 91% of murders; today, they solve 61%. In some US cities, spending 70% of valuable law enforcement time chasing drug users, in lieu of protecting us from violent crime is bad policy and poor practice.

Law enforcement in this country would change dramatically for the better if drugs were legalized, regulated and controlled.

1. Violent crime would decrease substantially. We would put an end to the violent neighborhood drugs wars. Innocent children are no longer caught in the crossfire.

2. Police officers could refocus their crime fighting efforts by reassigning drug team personnel to precincts and districts where they are so desperately needed. They could then concentrate on crimes such as, rape, domestic violence, crimes against children and the elderly, robbery and homicide. They would no longer be 911 driven, allowing time to track neighborhood pedophiles and search for missing children. Police could thoroughly handle cases of domestic violence, preventing murders which occur across this country at alarming rates.

3. Police would once again become trusted and respected in many impoverished communities. Prohibition became the Berlin Wall between police and community in many neighborhoods. With the elimination of this barrier, trusting relationships could be reborn. Prohibition was the catalyst for racial profiling in this country and because of such, people of color fear being targeted by law enforcement. Case after case has proven that there is something inherently wrong with the application of law enforcement techniques and strategies…this would end.

FMM: How has law enforcement responded to your message?

Franklin: The rank and file at the street level have been overwhelming more receptive than the hierarchy. They’re in the streets every day dealing with this. They despise being hated by community and they want to do real police work, not arresting people for something (an addiction) that should be handled by the medical profession. No one wants their job to be unnecessarily dangerous and they want to once again be viewed as positive role models for kids.

As for the higher ranks, many come around, but it generally takes longer to convince them. The bottom line is that the data is just too compelling.

FMM: What, if any, would be some of the adverse consequences of drug legalization?

Franklin: Very few if any. Increased use, additions and drugged driving, are all speculation. There is no concrete evidence to support any of these assumptions. Additionally, we would have more than adequate resources to treat those addicted.

FMM: What impact would drug legalization have on the poor in this country?

Franklin: One of the most difficult challenges would be replacing the economy within many of our poor communities. The proceeds from the illegal drug trade constitute much if not most of the economy within poor communities, paying for clothing, school supplies, rent, heat, food and many other basic necessities of life. Law enforcement savings and a portion of collected taxes would need to be earmarked towards the rebuilding and healing of these communities. Job training, development and placement are absolutely crucial.

FMM: Some of the staunchest proponents of the war on drugs are religious leaders and moral activists. What are the areas of greatest difference between people of faith and drug legalization proponents? LEAP has a program named Cops and Clergy that seeks to address this issue. How will the program reach out to clergy and what specific issues will be addressed?

Franklin: One of the differences is that proponents understand the difference between our drug abuse problem and our drug prohibition problem. Most proponents, never being in the middle of a neighborhood that has been devastated by the overall drug problem, see it from the outside and can easily distinguish the two issues. Those on the inside tend to view it as one. They believe that legalization is saying, “it’s OK to use drugs” and that’s not true. In fact, drugs become less accessible to kids in a world of regulation and control. They believe that it would be morally wrong in presenting a perspective of “OK to use.”

In my opinion, it becomes morally inappropriate to know of a solution for preventing thousands of deaths and you fail to act. To know of a solution, which would prevent thousands of people from going to prison and you fail to act, that is immoral. Jesus would be extremely disappointed with his flock because of this.

Over 90% of our population know that the current system is flawed, even the Christian clergy, yet they refuse to even have a serious discussion towards a new direction… that’s immoral and scary.

Our cops and clergy program is designed to educate clergy members of the facts, ensuring that they have all relevant information for making an informed decision. It is designed towards prompting meaningful conversation, which tends to be the main issue with those who fail to see the overwhelming harms of prohibition.

FMM: What does the future hold for the drug trade in America? Are you optimistic that positive reforms are close at hand? What steps do we still need to take towards a more sensible drug policy?

Franklin: It will change… it has to change… we have no choice, for we can no longer afford the human and financial destruction to this country and others. The issues have come to a head and people are becoming very frustrated.

The steps are simple. Begin with the legalization and regulation of marijuana, which is by far the easiest, and the rest will fall into place once the people see the overwhelming benefits. Many may find it hard to believe, but it is just that simple.

We would like to thank Major Franklin for his time and wish him well in his future pursuits.

Click here to view other Free Market Mojo interviews.

Tyler Cowen spots a chilling trend in Africa:

Desperate heroin users in a few African cities have begun engaging in a practice that is so dangerous it is almost unthinkable: they deliberately inject themselves with another addict’s blood, researchers say, in an effort to share the high or stave off the pangs of withdrawal.

The practice, called flashblood or sometimes flushblood, is not common, but has been reported in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on the island of Zanzibar and in Mombasa, Kenya.

It puts users at the highest possible risk of contracting AIDS and hepatitis.

Full article here.

Dan Ariely knows why so much produce goes bad.

I suspect that one of the main culprits is the produce drawer in the refrigerator.  Most refrigerators have a special drawer designed to hold produce, usually located at the bottom of the fridge.  The drawer is often just barely opaque and for some reason difficult to open. Because of these “features,” when you open the fridge door, you look straight ahead, to the leftover lasagna or apple pie (and their convenient position) come to mind, leaving the carrots and nectarines hidden and forgotten in the vegetable drawer.