Defector in the war on (some) drugs

Richard Brunstrom, Chief Constable of the North Wales Police in the United Kingdom, is making headlines with his call for full drug legalization. He told the Times of London:

“It is not possible to run a democratic country and stop drugs getting in,” he insists. “We reckon, on the best evidence we’ve got, that we stop between 10 and 12% at best of the drugs imported into the UK.”

He also emphasizes the nonsensical legal differentiation between "good" drugs and "bad" drugs based on little in the way of scientific evidence. Specifically, he called ecstasy “a remarkably safe substance” and said it's safer than aspirin -- a point that would be especially true if the drug were legalized and available in unadulterated form.

Before we go cheering Brunstrom's defection from the ranks of the prohibitionists, it's worth pointing out that he's no consistent advocate of liberty. Specifically, he's such a fan of traffic cameras for issuing automated tickets that he's been labeled "the mad mullah of the traffic Taliban," and targeted by the Association of British Drivers.

But we'll take one victory at a time. A police officer who comes to question the prohibition of some intoxicants is a police officer moving in the right direction on an important matter.

On a related note, Texas law-enforcement officers are digging in their heels and refusing to take advantage of a law that allows them to ticket people instead of arresting them for marijuana possession.