After 33 years, I can no longer ignore the evidence on drugs

It's time the community and its leaders had the courage to look at this issue with fresh eyes
The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Thursday, June 7, 2012

"As a 33-year police practitioner who was commissioner of the Australian Federal Police during the 'tough on drugs' period, I fully understand the concerns of those who argue there is no reason to reconsider drug policy and I shared many of them until recent years," the former commissioner of the Australian Federal Police and director of the Australia 21 think tank, Mick Palmer, writes. "The reality is that, contrary to frequent assertions, drug law enforcement has had little impact on the Australian drug market. This is true in most countries in the world."