Analysis of the U.S. drug war

The Heat

With states legalizing recreational and medical marijuana, and law enforcement currently spending billions of dollars, is America ready to call a truce on the war on drugs?

According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the U.S. spends $51 billion each year on the war against drugs. About half of the 200,000 inmates in U.S. federal prisons are serving time for drug-related crimes. In a shift in policy, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has called for the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for small-time drug dealers, admitting the system is broken and prisons are far too overcrowded. Radio show host and political activist Richard Fowler discusses these issues with CCTV’s Anand Naidoo.

An estimated 90% of the cocaine that comes into the United States passes through the Mexican border. Now the cartels are turning to children to carry the illegal drugs. As CCTV’s Mike Kirsch reports, it’s a journey that puts their lives and futures at serious risk.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MIKE KIRSCH’S FULL REPORT ON AMERICAS NOW

To discuss the drug war and calls to legalize Marijuana across the U.S., CCTV’s Anand Naidoo is joined by Hipolito Acosta, who worked at the U.S. Border Patrol during his 30-year career; and retired Superior Court Judge Jim Gray.