By Rev. Alexander E. Sharp s we launch the website for Clergy for a New Drug Policy, perhaps I might be permitted a personal note. What do we intend with this project? Why do we think it is necessary? The main purpose would seem to end the so-called War on Drugs. We have spent over $1 trillion since 1970 to fight a failed war that has turned us into a prisoner nation, divided us by race, and failed to reduce drug use or availability. So, yes, ending the War on Drugs is what we are about. But there is a more fundamental purpose. We need to transform the culture of punishment that has afflicted our nation since its earliest days.
