From Nasdaq:

The Drug Enforcement Administration remembered Black History Month with a ‘Throwback Thursday’ post on Twitter, celebrating the failed war on drugs. The post featured a photo of President Richard Nixon receiving recognition from the International Narcotic Enforcement Officers’ Association for his contributions to narcotic law enforcement, revealing the targeted attack on the antiwar left and Black community.

Cannabis advocates criticized the DEA’s post as offensive and tone-deaf, pointing out historical context. The Drug Policy Alliance highlighted the DEA’s five decades and over $1 trillion spent on enforcing the Controlled Substances Act, keeping cannabis as a Schedule I drug, along with other substances such as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. The DEA’s history was slammed for ignoring the discriminatory impact of drug policies on the Black community.

In 2016, a report revealed Nixon’s top adviser, John Ehrlichman, admitted that the Nixon administration targeted the antiwar left and Black people through its drug policies. This policy led to disproportionate drug arrests and mass incarceration, with Black Americans being 3.8 times more likely to be arrested for drug possession than white Americans, despite similar drug use rates.

The discriminatory impact of the war on drugs is evident, with Black communities suffering disproportionately from drug arrests, mass incarceration, and the associated consequences. The DEA’s history has been criticized for perpetuating discriminatory policies, which have had a lasting negative impact on Black communities. The legacy of the failed war on drugs continues to have significant societal and racial implications.



Read more: DEA Adds Insult To Injury, Touts Nixon’s Drug War Policies On First Day Of Black History Month