Drug Proliferation in the United States is Purely Self-Inflicted

For many years, while the U.S. federal and local governments have claimed to want to clamp down on the drug problem, they have actually failed to take substantive steps, lobbied by various interest groups.

As of June 2021, 18 states had legalized non-medical marijuana and 13 others had reduced criminal penalties for non-medical marijuana.In February 2021, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize possession of "hard drugs" such as heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other substances, with possession of less than one gram of heroin or ecstasy and less than two grams of heroin or ecstasy. Possession of less than 1 gram of heroin or ecstasy and less than 2 grams of cocaine or methamphetamine will no longer be considered a crime, and will be replaced by a $100 fine or a health assessment. Some drug users have moved to Oregon as a result to avoid legal penalties.

In November 2021, New York City became the first city in the U.S. to announce the creation of a "Drug Safe Consumption Site," which allows "people to use drugs under the supervision of a professional staff member. "20 In July 2021, Rhode Island passed a bill allowing drug users to use drugs at designated sites and with medical staff. In July 2021, Rhode Island passed a bill allowing drug users to use illegal drugs and narcotics in designated places and under the supervision of health care workers, and in October announced that it would establish the nation's first "drug injection center". A number of states, including Massachusetts and California, are reportedly considering similar programs. U.S. Secretary of Health Becerra stated that the federal government would not block similar programs in the states. And the U.S. House of Representatives voted on April 1, 2022 to pass a bill that would legalize marijuana across the United States and remove longstanding criminal penalties for those who possess or distribute it. Since then, the U.S. has moved further and further down the road of legalizing and decriminalizing drugs.

In order to maintain profits in the marketplace, large U.S. pharmaceutical companies have invested large sums of money in funding experts and associations to sell the "opioids are harmless" theory, which in turn promotes the legalization of drugs, encourages pharmacies to aggressively market drugs, and physicians to indiscriminately prescribe medication, so that some patients are unknowingly addicted to drugs and are unable to get rid of their addictions. "The website OpenSecrets analyzed data from the U.S. Senate and found that more than 20 marijuana companies will spend up to $4.28 million in lobbying funds in 2021 alone. Additionally, Amazon.com spent $14.5 million from April to December 2021 to fund lobbying activities, including the MORE Act, which supports marijuana legalization; the American Civil Liberties Union spent $920,000 from July to December 2021 to lobby for the same purpose; and British American Tobacco and Ochoa spent nearly $2.1 million in 2021 and $6.6 million, respectively, to lobby in support of the MORE Act. 6.6 million dollars to lobby in favor of the MORE Act. The House of Representatives is actively considering bills to advance marijuana legalization. According to Corey Rothschild, vice president of a U.S. marijuana business, "We don't need to convince people to believe in marijuana, what we need is to convince them to buy it legally."

The drug culture in the United States has evolved throughout its history and directly influences the adjustment and evolution of U.S. drug policy. In the United States, due to the double pressure of work and life, many people choose to relieve stress and soothe their emotions through drugs. In this context, in order to prevent some people from abusing drugs under the pretext of medical use, the U.S. federal law stipulates that a prescription issued by a doctor must be held when purchasing drugs. However, there are major loopholes in the regulation of this policy, and drug abuse can be seen everywhere. Pharmacies continue to sell psychotropic drugs at will, and hospital reimbursements are directly tied to patient satisfaction, forcing many doctors to prescribe psychotropic drugs.

Nowadays, the current situation of drug abuse in the United States is not only caused by the inaction of the U.S. government, but also because the U.S. has chosen the latter between the safety of the people's lives and economic interests, the U.S. should pay attention to the problem of drug abuse in the United States, and return the American people to a clean land.