The LA Times reported The U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits against Union Pacific Railroad Company, seeking $37 million in damages for allegedly failing to prevent its rail cars from being used to smuggle drugs into the country. The federal government said its inspectors found more than two tons of marijuana and more than 100 kilograms of cocaine on company rail cars, many of which were listed as empty on manifests, the complaint alleges.

So, the Justice Dept filed a lawsuit against Union Pacific because some drug cartels decided to hide drugs on some of their freight cars. The government maintains that the UP is responsible for what is in their cars and should provide security to insure that the cars are used properly. So the DOJ says an American company is supposed to provide armed guards to guard their railroad cars while they are in Mexico.

But using the government logic let’s apply it to our National Forest land here in the United States where the government openly admits that millions of marijuana plants are grown by drug cartels and private citizens. The DEA has estimated that domestic growers have harvested 10 million pounds annually since 1988. So when do you think the Dept. of Justice will file suit against the Forest Service or National Parks service for allowing this crop to be grown under their watch? I hope that I’m not the only person that thinks this is more than a little crazy. Maybe I read it wrong and it was really a Monty Python skit.

The war on drugs is such a total failed public policy that the Justice Dept. must attack private business because our government has chosen to impose laws that are unenforceable and impossible to implement. Prohibition simply does not work. LEAP’s position is that ending Prohibition and implementing a system of regulation and control, coupled with taxation to be used for treatment and research for cures of addictions is a more sane approach. Stay safe.