All language subtitles for american.drug.war.the.last.white.hope.2007.internal.web.h264-elevate.[eng]

Male narrator:
I WAS RAISED TO BELIEVE
THAT THE AMERICAN DREAM

WAS ABOUT PURSUING
HAPPINESS.

AS MUCH AS I HATE TO
ADMIT IT, MY HAPPINESS

OCCASIONALLY COUNTED ON
THE FREEDOM TO CONSUME
VARIOUS SUBSTANCES.

BUT IT WAS THE LEGAL SUBSTANCES
THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
FOREVER.

NOW I QUESTION THE MOTIVES
THAT GO INTO CREATING
OUR MODERN DRUG LAWS,

AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
ELECTED TO PROTECT US

HAVE BECOME SOME OF
THE PEOPLE I FEAR THE MOST.

Nancy Reagan:
AND WHEN IT COMES
TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL,

JUST SAY NO.

Man: WE HAVE ALLOWED
THE GOVERNMENT TO DECLARE
A WAR ON DRUGS

BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF
AMERICANS HAVEN'T KNOWN
ANY BETTER,

AND THEY HAVEN'T
REALLY UNDERSTOOD

THAT ALL OF THIS IS
A MASSIVE DECEPTION.

IT'S A MASSIVE
PROFIT SCHEME.

WE MUST WAGE WHAT I HAVE
CALLED TOTAL WAR

AGAINST PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER-ONE
IN THE UNITED STATES:

THE PROBLEM OF
DANGEROUS DRUGS.

Man:
THEY CAN'T EVEN KEEP DRUGS
OUT OF THE PRISON SYSTEM.

THEY HAVE GUYS IN PRISON THAT
O.D. AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

EVEN IN THE HOLE.

Man:
WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN AMERICA
IS THAT OUR GOVERNMENT

IS INADVERTENTLY
SUPPLYING THE HARD DRUGS

TO THE PEOPLE
IN THIS COUNTRY,

THEN THEY'RE PUTTING
THE PEOPLE WHO USE THEM

IN THIS COUNTRY IN JAIL.

Narrator:
FIXATED ON TERROR,
MOST AMERICANS HAVE FORGOTTEN

THEY ARE FIGHTING
ANOTHER WAR.

WATCH THE NIGGER SAY SEW
HER EYEBALL BACK TO YOUR
MAMA'S SUNNY DAY--

BUT FROM ITS INCEPTION,
THE DRUG WAR HAS BECOME
THE LONGEST,

MOST COSTLY AND DESTRUCTIVE WAR
IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

THE DRUG WAR IS A PERFECT
CONTINUING EXAMPLE

OF WHY WE WILL NEVER WIN
THE WAR ON TERRORISM.

BECAUSE IT CAPTURES
THE INEFFECTIVENESS
OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

AND IT CAPTURES
THE FACT THAT

IT'S BEING USED
AGAINST POOR PEOPLE

AND NOT AGAINST THE PEOPLE
WHO BENEFIT MOST FROM DRUGS,

WHICH ARE THE BANKERS
THAT LAUNDER THE MONEY.

WE DON'T SEND
NICOTINE ADDICTS TO JAIL,

AND WE DON'T SEND
ALCOHOLICS TO JAIL.

WE SHOULDN'T SEND
DRUG ADDICTS TO JAIL.

OH, MY GOD! DO YOU MEAN
THEY'LL LEGALIZE MARIJUANA,

AND YOU CAN BUY HEROIN
AT 7-ELEVEN?

PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE
THAT MOST OF OUR HISTORY,

WE DIDN'T HAVE FEDERAL LAWS
AGAINST THE USE OF DRUGS.

FIFTY BILLION DOLLARS
A YEAR AT THE LOCAL,

STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVEL,

CLOGGING OUR COURTS
YEAR AFTER YEAR.

PEOPLE FIGHTING THE DRUG WAR
NEED TO ARTICULATE THAT
WHAT WE'RE AFTER

IS NOT BLANKET LEGALIZATION
BUT DECRIMINALIZATION.

WHY IN THE WORLD
DO WE HAVE MILLIONS

OF INNOCENT YOUNG PEOPLE

WASTING AWAY IN PRISON

WHEN THE BIG PEOPLE
WHO ARE COMMITTING

THESE HUGE,
ATROCIOUS CRIMES

ARE GETTING AWAY
EVERY DAY?

MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION--
I THINK THE JAIL CELL

IS BETTER THAN THE REHAB.

THIS YEAR IS THE 30th
ANNIVERSARY

OF THE DRUG
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

WAS CREATED BY RICHARD NIXON
IN 1973,

AND RICHARD NIXON
IS REALLY THE CREATOR

OF THIS DRUG WAR
FROM 1971.

Narrator:
WITH EVERY PASSING DAY
OF THIS DRUG WAR,

THE BATTLE LINE SEEMS
TO BE GETTING HARDER
AND HARDER TO SEE.

AND YET IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
TO BELIEVE THAT THE SAME RULES
APPLY TO EVERYONE.

WHOO!

WELL, A LOT OF US ARE
VERY UNCOMFORTABLE

WITH THIS NOTION
OF A WAR ON DRUGS.

SO WHAT WE ATTEMPTED
TO DO WAS ARTICULATE
A VERY DIFFERENT CONCEPT,

WHICH WAS VIEWING
THE DRUG ISSUE

AS A CANCER AFFECTING
AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.

YOU USED THE WRONG WORD.

YOU SAID "WAR."

IF THIS IS A WAR,

WE WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE WAR
AND WON THE WAR.

THIS IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD.

WHEN WE GO TO WIN A WAR,
WE WIN IT.

Man:
WE GOT MORE DRUGS TODAY
THAN WE DID 10 YEARS AGO,

AND THAT'S GOT TO
TELL YOU THAT

THERE IS SOMETHING BIGGER
THAT'S NOT BEING SHOWN.

IN 1972, WHEN RICHARD NIXON
STARTED THE WAR ON DRUGS,

THE FEDERAL BUDGET ALLOCATION
WAS $101 MILLION.

GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 2000,
THE FEDERAL BUDGET ALLOCATION
WAS $20 BILLION,

YET THERE WERE MORE DRUGS
IN THE COUNTRY IN 2000.

THEY WERE OF BETTER QUALITY,
AND THEY WERE LESS EXPENSIVE
THAN THEY WERE IN 1972.

WHAT'S WRONG
WITH THAT PICTURE?

WE ARRESTED 14 PEOPLE

TARGETING HIGH SCHOOLS,
SELLING HEROIN.

WE ALMOST TOTALLY
ELIMINATED

THE PRODUCTION
OF COCA.

Narrator:
THE DRUG WARRIORS LOVE TO
TALK ABOUT ILLEGAL DRUGS,

BUT WHAT DRIVES THE MOTIVE
TO LEGALIZE CERTAIN HARMFUL

AND EQUALLY ADDICTIVE
SUBSTANCES?

MONEY. MONEY CONTROLS
THIS WHOLE MOVEMENT.

YOU HAVE A GROUP CALLED

"THE PARTNERSHIP
FOR A DRUG-FREE AMERICA."

FIRST OF ALL, OF COURSE,
WE DON'T HAVE A DRUG-FREE
AMERICA.

NEVER HAVE, NEVER WILL.
BUT WHO ARE THE FUNDERS?

WHO ARE THE MAIN FUNDERS,
SOURCE OF FUNDING

FOR THE PARTNERSHIP
FOR A DRUG-FREE AMERICA?

OF ALL THINGS,
THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY

AND THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY.

THEY ARE DRUGS.
THEY ARE MIND-ALTERING,
SOMETIMES ADDICTING DRUGS.

"DRUG-FREE AMERICA," INDEED.
BUT WHY DO THEY DO THAT?

THEY SPEND HUGE MONEY
TO REINFORCE

THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN
LEGAL DRUGS ON THE ONE HAND

AND ILLEGAL DRUGS
ON THE OTHER.

Narrator:
I HAD LOST TWO FAMILY MEMBERS
AND A BEST FRIEND

IN A VERY SHORT SPAN OF TIME
TO ALCOHOL, CIGARETTES,

AND LEGAL
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

SO FEARING THAT I COULD
BE NEXT, DUE TO MY OWN
STRUGGLE WITH ADDICTION,

I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHY
THE DRUG WAR SEEMED TO BE
SUCH A HUGE FAILURE.

WHEN NIXON STARTED
THE DRUG WAR,

I WAS FAR TOO YOUNG TO
UNDERSTAND ITS IMPLICATIONS.

LIVING IN WHITE
TEXAS SUBURBIA,

GROWING UP
IN THE '60s AND '70s,

I CONSIDER MY CHILDHOOD
TO BE PRETTY AVERAGE.

AN OLDER SISTER AND BROTHER,

A STAY-AT-HOME MOM,
AND A FATHER WHO ENDED UP BEING

A TOP EXECUTIVE
OF A BIG CORPORATION.

FOR US, THE DRUG WAR
WAS SOMETHING THAT HAD
NO BEARING ON OUR LIVES.

AND EVEN THOUGH MY PARENTS
WERE BOTH HEAVY DRINKERS,

THEY NEVER CRASHED A CAR,
NEVER LOST A JOB,

NEVER MISSED
A MORTGAGE PAYMENT.

ON THE CONTRARY: MY PARENTS
WERE PILLARS OF RESPONSIBILITY,

SYMBOLS OF THE
POST-WORLD WAR II GENERATION

WHO HAD EARNED THE RIGHT
TO LIVE AND DRINK
THE AMERICAN DREAM.

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A SOCIETY
IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND,

AS LONG AS MANKIND HAS WALKED
THE FACE OF THE EARTH,

THAT HAS NOT HAD SOME FORM
OF MIND-ALTERING,
SOMETIMES ADDICTING DRUG

TO USE, TO MISUSE,

TO ABUSE, OR EVEN
GET ADDICTED TO.

Narrator:
UNFORTUNATELY,
MY BROTHER CURT DIDN'T INHERIT

MY PARENTS' ABILITY
TO DRINK HARD LIQUOR,

AND WHEN COMBINED WITH
SOME OF THE ILLEGAL DRUGS

THAT THE OTHER MEMBERS
OF HIS ROCK BAND USED,

HE WOULD OFTEN
BECOME VIOLENT.

WHEN I WAS ABOUT 6 YEARS OLD,
CURT GAVE ME A HIT OF ACID,

PROMISING ME THAT I WOULD
SEE GREEN MONSTERS.

YOU GET DOWN, MAN,
WITH THE LSD'S, MAN,

AND THE COCAINES
AND THE MARIJUANAS
AND THE DIET PILLS,

AND THEY START
CONTROLLING YOUR MIND.

START CONTROLLING, YOU KNOW,
OTHER THINGS IN THE ATMOSPHERE

BECAUSE OF YOUR
INTOXICATION, YOU KNOW?

Narrator:
AS IT TURNED OUT,
IT WAS ONLY AN ALLERGY PILL,

BUT SHORTLY AFTER,
CURT'S BEHAVIOR LANDED HIM

IN THE STATE HOSPITAL,
WHERE ALL THE DOCTORS
CONVINCED MY PARENTS

THAT ACID AND MARIJUANA
HAD CAUSED MY BROTHER

TO BECOME
A PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIC.

THE DRUG PROBLEM

IS DEVASTATING
TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.

DRUGS DO NOT DISCRIMINATE.
THEY DO EVERYBODY.

Narrator:
WHEN NIXON CREATED THE DEA,

THEY STARTED
THE NATIONAL DRUG SCHEDULING,

SCHEDULE 1 BEING
THE MOST DANGEROUS DRUG

WITH ZERO MEDICAL VALUE,
DOWN TO SCHEDULE 5

BEING THE LEAST DANGEROUS
WITH MEDICAL VALUE.

WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED
TO NIXON-- NIXON'S HISTORY--

BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT

HE USED THE DEMONSTRATORS

TO DIVERT

ATTENTION FROM HIS ILLEGAL
BOMBING OF CAMBODIA.

LOOK AT THE CONTEXT
IN WHICH THESE DRUGS ERUPTED

INTO THE CULTURE IN THE '60s.

WE WERE CONDUCTING A VICIOUS WAR
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

WHERE DID THIS POLICY
COME FROM?

UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE CONDUCTED
AN INQUIRY INTO THIS,

AND I HAVE DETERMINED THAT
DRUG PROHIBITION LAWS

CAME FOR REASONS
OF RACISM,

EMPIRE BUILDING,
AND IGNORANCE.

IN NIXON'S MIND,
I THINK DRUGS WERE ASSOCIATED

WITH NOT LIKING NIXON.

Narrator:
NIXON'S NEW DRUG
SCHEDULING PUT MARIJUANA

IN THE MOST DANGEROUS
CATEGORY,

SIDE BY SIDE
WITH DRUGS LIKE PCP,

CRYSTAL METH AND HEROIN.

Man: PEOPLE IN THE
UNITED STATES DIDN'T HAVE
ANY IDEA WHAT MARIJUANA WAS.

BUT IT BEGAN TO BE ASSOCIATED
WITH "THOSE MEXICANS."

Narrator:
IN AN ATTEMPT TO
KEEP ME AWAY FROM DRUGS

AND MY SICK,
ADDICTED BROTHER,

MY FATHER ENROLLED ME
INTO THE BOY SCOUTS.

IT WAS AT THE ACCLAIMED
PHILMONT SCOUT RANCH

THAT I HAD MY FIRST EXPOSURE
TO GETTING HIGH.

CLEARLY, GOING BACK TO
HIGH SCHOOL, FOR ME,

WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE
TO LOCK UP 80 MILLION AMERICANS

FOR HAVING TRIED
ILLEGAL DRUGS.

IF THE DEA DECIDED TO
CRACK DOWN ON ALL POT SMOKERS

AND FORCED EVERYONE
TO TAKE A PISS TEST,

ENFORCING THIS LAW WOULD REQUIRE
BUILDING PRISON WALLS

AROUND ALMOST EVERY CITY
IN AMERICA.

Man:
I JUST SEE
SUCH A COROLLARY

BETWEEN THE WAR ON DRUGS

AND THE PROHIBITION
OF ALCOHOL.

WE TRIED THE PROHIBITION
OF ALCOHOL, AND I DON'T THINK

ANYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY
WANTS TO RETURN TO THAT,

AND YET ALCOHOL IS
UNBELIEVABLY DESTRUCTIVE

FOR A SMALL PERCENTAGE
OF PEOPLE WHO IMBIBE.

Man:
PROHIBITION WAS AN ATTEMPT
BY IDEOLOGUES

SIMILAR TO THE IDEOLOGUES
THAT WE HAVE TODAY

TO IMPOSE THEIR MORAL VALUES
ON THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

AND WHAT THEY DISCOVERED WAS
THAT IT CREATES CRIME WAVES.

MY NAME IS T. RODGERS.

I AM THE C.E.O.
OF SIDEWALK UNIVERSITY

AND THE FOUNDER OF S.E.L.F.--

"SURVIVAL EDUCATION
FOR LIFE AND FAMILY."

I ALSO HELPED START
THE BLOODS ON THE WEST COAST.

( rapping, indistinct )

GET THAT BITCH UP OUT
OF MY FACE, HOMIE.

NO CAMERA?
YOU DON'T WANT NO CAMERA?

NO CAMERA TIME?

"BLOOD" USED TO MEAN
"MY BROTHER."

EXACTLY.
FROM THE VIETNAM WAR.

YEAH, FROM
THE VIETNAM WAR.

BEING A DRUG DEALER DOESN'T
MEAN YOU ARE A GANG MEMBER,

AND BEING A GANG MEMBER DOESN'T
MEAN YOU'RE A DRUG DEALER.

BUT THE WAR ON DRUGS
IN ITSELF, IN ESSENCE,

IT GIVES YOU THE POWER

TO SELL DRUGS
IN A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD.

Man:
DRUGS COME FROM POVERTY,

WHICH INSPIRES CRIME,

WHICH INSPIRES
A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE,

A LOSS OF PRIDE.

INSTEAD OF A WAR ON POVERTY,
YOU'VE GOT A WAR ON DRUGS,

SO THE POLICE
CAN BOTHER ME.

Man:
THE ADMINISTRATION
HAD A WAR ON POVERTY,

AND THAT SEEMED TO DISSIPATE,
IT SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR AT ALL.

I MEAN, IT WAS GONE.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,

UP POPPED THIS THING
CALLED "WAR ON DRUGS."

Narrator:
AFTER GETTING OUT
OF THE MENTAL HOSPITAL,

MY BROTHER WAS MOVED TO
A HALFWAY HOUSE DEEP
IN THE GHETTO.

HERE, CURT WAS INTRODUCED
TO CRACK COCAINE.

THE PEOPLE RUNNING
THE HALFWAY HOUSE DROVE
CURT TO THE PAWN SHOP,

WHERE HE PAWNED HIS GUITARS
WORTH OVER $2,000

IN TRADE FOR $100
WORTH OF CRACK.

I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THAT CRACK
WAS A BLACK MAN'S DRUG,

BUT NOW MY OWN BROTHER
WAS HOOKED.

DRUG PROHIBITION
FOR COCAINE

WAS BASICALLY PASSED IN ORDER
TO PROTECT WHITE WOMEN

FROM BLACK MALES,
AND HISTORY WILL DOCUMENT THIS.

Narrator:
TALKING TO PEOPLE
IN THE GHETTO,

ONE DEALER'S NAME
ALWAYS CAME UP

WHEN TALKING ABOUT
CRACK'S POPULARITY.

FREEWAY RICKY ROSS BECAME KNOWN
AS THE WALMART OF CRACK.

RICKY'S STORY HAS
BECOME AS LEGENDARY
AS TONY MONTANA IN SCARFACE,

BUT WITH AN EVEN MORE
BIZARRE TWIST.

RICKY, WHO IS CURRENTLY SERVING
TIME IN THE TEXARKANA
FEDERAL PRISON,

IS SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE
IN 2013.

THE PRISON DENIED ME ACCESS
WITH A CAMERA,

SO I STARTED INTERVIEWING RICKY
OVER THE PRISON PAY PHONE.

( chuckles )
I WOULD SAY.

THERE'S A NEW EPIDEMIC:
SMOKEABLE COCAINE,

OTHERWISE KNOW AS "CRACK."

Narrator:
I REMEMBER CLEARLY
ONE DAY IN THE LATE '80s,

EVERY SINGLE NEWS NETWORK
SIMULTANEOUSLY RUNNING

AN IDENTICAL NEWS ALERT
ABOUT THE NEW INCREDIBLE,

POWERFUL,
UNBELIEVABLY CHEAP DRUG

THAT WAS TO SWEEP
THE NATION.

THIS IS CRACK COCAINE.

SOON, EVERY SINGLE
BLACK PERSON

LIVING IN THE GHETTO WOULD SELL
HIS OWN MOTHER FOR ANOTHER HIT
OF CRACK COCAINE.

IT WAS LIKE WATCHING
A STRATEGICALLY ENGINEERED
AD CAMPAIGN.

TALK ABOUT PERFECT
PRODUCT PLACEMENT.

DID WE MENTION IT'S CHEAP
AND STRONG AND VERY ADDICTIVE?

ONLY $5, NOW,
SO STAY AWAY FROM IT.

LET THERE BE NO MISTAKE:
THIS STUFF IS POISON.

CRACK COCAINE EPIDEMIC.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK
COCAINE EPIDEMIC.

Narrator:
FEW STREET-LEVEL DEALERS
HAVE EVER REACHED

THE LEGENDARY STATUS
OF FREEWAY RICK,

WITH DISTRIBUTION THAT RIVALED
MANY FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES.

FREEWAY RICKY ROSS
WAS A YOUNG,

AGGRESSIVE, SAVVY,
STREETWISE MARKETER

WHO STARTED SELLING COCAINE,
AND THEN SUDDENLY

SOME MAJOR SOURCES
OPENED UP FOR HIM.

Narrator:
AT THE HEIGHT OF RICK'S
OPERATION, HE HAD OVER

40 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
IN LOS ANGELES ALONE.

HE HAD COOK HOUSES,
CASH-COUNTING HOUSES,

ROCK HOUSES,
DECOY HOUSES,

AND EVEN A HOUSE
HE LIVED IN.

RICK SHARES SOME GOOD
DOWN-HOME COOKING TIPS
ABOUT ROCKING IT UP.

Narrator:
I KNOW THIS IS
NOTHING TO JOKE ABOUT,

BUT RICK IS YOUR
ALL-AMERICAN OPPORTUNIST.

AND AS THE MEDIA TOLD US,
CRACK WAS NOW THE BIG, NEW
OPPORTUNITY.

Man:
THE GANGS EVOLVED,
AND THE GANGS

WERE A GREAT
BUSINESS VENTURE.

THEY WERE BASICALLY
MARKETING TOOLS.

THAT'S REALLY WHAT THEY WERE.

AND THEY WERE QUIETLY PROMOTED
BEHIND THE SCENES.

THEY GOT A LOT OF MONEY,
THEY GOT A LOT OF POWER,
THEY FOUGHT FOR DRUG TURF.

Narrator:
IN ORDER TO FILM PEOPLE
SELLING AND USING DRUGS,

WE WOULD HAVE TO GO
UNDERCOVER.

SO WE MET UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND
OF MINE WHO WAS LIVING

VERY CLOSE TO THE MOST INFAMOUS
SPOT IN ALL OF LOS ANGELES.

PUT THAT ONE BACK
IN YOUR FUNNY LITTLE
CASE I MADE YOU.

THIS IS SAN JULIAN
RIGHT HERE.

THIS IS FUCKING, LIKE--
THIS IS THE SPOT, DUDE.

I WALK DOWN SAN JULIAN,
WE WILL GET ALL THAT.

THIS IS TENT CITY
RIGHT HERE.

THIS IS SAN PEDRO
RIGHT HERE.

SAN PEDRO, GRAND,
ALL THIS SHIT,

THIS IS JUST
NOTHING BUT DRUGS.

THIS IS CONSIDERED
A NEUTRAL TERRITORY
TO GANGS.

LIKE, ALL DIFFERENT
GANGS-- BLOODS, CRIPS.

SHOULD WE JUST LOOK
FOR A PLACE TO PARK?

YEAH, BUT YOU SHOULD PUT
THAT CAMERA DOWN, DUDE.

Narrator:
MY FRIEND MACK LINDSAY AGREED
TO POSE AS A HOMELESS GUY

AND FILM PEOPLE
SMOKING CRACK ON SKID ROW.

DUDE, IF THESE PEOPLE KNEW
WHAT WE WERE DOING,
WE WOULD BE FUCKING DEAD.

I MEAN, DEAD. NOT EVEN,
LIKE, BEAT UP-- WE'D BE DEAD.

Narrator:
ONE THANKSGIVING, MY BROTHER
CAME HOME FROM A HALFWAY HOUSE.

MY AUNTS, MY UNCLES,

MY YOUNG, RICH COUSINS
WERE ALL THERE.

NO ONE COULD HAVE BEEN
PREPARED FOR THE MOMENT

CURT PULLED OUT A CRACK PIPE
AT THE DINNER TABLE

AND STARTED SMOKING ROCK
DURING THE PRE-MEAL PRAYER.

THERE'S A THING CALLED A BELL.
YOU GET YOUR BELL RUNG.

THAT'S WHEN
YOU HIT THE PIPE

AND YOU HOLD IT,

AND YOU HOLD IT
FOR SO LONG

THAT SOMETHING INSIDE
OF YOUR HEAD, IT RINGS.

AFTER THAT FIRST HIT,
YOU'RE GOING ON A--

THAT'S THE HIGHEST
YOU'RE GONNA REALLY GET.

THAT IS THE HIGHEST
YOU'RE GOING TO GET.

Narrator:
IS THAT WHAT THEY CALL
"RINGING THE BELL"?

AFTER THAT, YOU HAVE

AN INCREASED APPETITE
FOR COCAINE,

AND YOU WANT MORE AND YOU WANT
MORE AND YOU WANT MORE.

AND YOU TELL YOURSELF,
"I'LL JUST TAKE $10 OR $5

AND BUY ME A LITTLE HIT
TO SUSTAIN MYSELF,
TO HOLD MYSELF OFF."

BUT AFTER YOU GET
THAT LITTLE HIT,

YOU WANT MORE AND YOU WANT MORE
AND YOU WANT MORE.

THAT'S CALLED
"CHASING THE ROCK."

Narrator:
DRUGS CAN OBVIOUSLY CAUSE
HORRIBLE ADDICTIONS,

BUT THE DRUG WAR CREATES
BLACK MARKETS,

CREATING AN EVEN MORE DANGEROUS
ADDICTION FOR MONEY.

BIG NAMES LIKE
FREEWAY RICK
GOING DOWN.

PEOPLE ACTUALLY
WANT TO BE LIKE HIM

BECAUSE THEY DON'T
THINK ABOUT DRUGS.

THEY JUST THINK
ABOUT THE MONEY.

Narrator:
BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE
WHOSE LIVES ARE STILL AFFECTED

BY THE LOS ANGELES
CRACK EPIDEMIC?

SOMEONE THAT WANTS
TO GET IN A PROGRAM,

SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO GET
AWAY FROM THIS LIFESTYLE,

EASILY CAN DO IT,
EASILY CAN DO IT,

IF THEY CAN JUST
OVERCOME THE ADDICTION.

Narrator:
MANY PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON
WILL TELL YOU

THAT THE CRACK EPIDEMIC
ENDED IN THE LATE '90s,

BUT ACCORDING TO
SERGEANT LOU DAIGLE OF THE
LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT,

CRACK SALES ARE
STRONGER THAN EVER.

Man:
BASICALLY, EVERY GANG-BANGER
COMES DOWN HERE TO MAKE MONEY.

THEY COME DOWN
FROM THE INNER CITY,

THEY COME DOWN FROM EAST L.A.,
THEY COME DOWN FROM EVERYWHERE,

ALL THE DIFFERENT RIVAL GANGS,
AND VERY RARELY, ACTUALLY,

ALL THE DIFFERENT RIVAL GANGS,
AND VERY RARELY, ACTUALLY,
IS THERE A SHOOTING
BETWEEN GANG MEMBERS.

IS THERE A SHOOTING
BETWEEN GANG MEMBERS.

Narrator:
ALTHOUGH FREEWAY RICK
REMAINS LOCKED UP,

MANY PEOPLE STILL BLAME HIM
FOR CRACK'S EASY AVAILABILITY.

Man:
I THINK THE DRUG WAR
IS GOING TO BE LOST.

YOU CAN'T WIN A DRUG WAR

BY PROHIBITING THINGS
THAT CAN BE MADE
IN YOUR BATHROOM

WITH STUFF BOUGHT
FROM A GROCERY STORE.

Narrator: BACK WHEN I WAS
IN COLLEGE, WE USED TO
CROSS THE MEXICAN BORDER

TO BUY
PHARMACEUTICAL SPEED.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS STRONG,
BUT IT WAS NOTHING COMPARED
TO THE CRYSTAL METH OF TODAY.

SERGEANT DAIGLE
SPOTS A MAN

SMOKING METH
OUT IN PLAIN SIGHT.

HE MAY HAVE BEEN TWEAKING
A LITTLE TOO HARD TO REALIZE

THAT HE WAS USING DIRECTLY
IN FRONT OF THE POLICE
HEADQUARTERS.

WHAT ABOUT THE
METHAMPHETAMINES?

YES, YES, YES.
BLACKOUTS,

PSYCHOSIS, DELUSIONS,

CUTTING MY WRISTS,
THINGS LIKE THAT.
REALLY?

YEAH.
WOW.

SEEING THINGS--
DEMONS AND STUFF.

PRETTY REALISTIC?
VERY REALISTIC.

Narrator:
TODAY, THE DEA CLAIMS
THAT CRYSTAL METH,

OR ICE, IS THE NEW EPIDEMIC,
REPLACING CRACK

BECAUSE OF HOW LONG IT LASTS
AND HOW CHEAP IT IS.

OH, METH IS MUCH BETTER.

YOU GET MORE ENERGY,
YOU CAN DO MORE THINGS.

IT LASTS LONGER.

Narrator:
FLYING OVER
THE MOJAVE DESERT,

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT
A MODERN-DAY DRUG EPIDEMIC

IS TAKING PLACE IN RURAL,
WHITE AMERICA.

WHAT ARE YOU IN HERE FOR?
WHAT AM I IN HERE FOR?

I'M IN HERE FOR POSSESSION OF
DANGEROUS DRUGS.

WHICH WAS?
WHICH WAS METHAMPHETAMINES.

METHAMPHETAMINES?
WERE YOU SELLING
OR JUST USING?

NO, I'M JUST A DRUG ADDICT.
JUST A DRUG ADDICT?

YEAH.

DO YOU THINK BEING IN HERE
IS HELPING YOUR ADDICTION?

Marching cadence:
LEFT, LEFT, LEFT,
RIGHT, RIGHT.

LEFT, LEFT, LEFT,
RIGHT, RIGHT.

I HAD A REAL BAD
COKE HABIT,

AND I FELT LIKE
METHAMPHETAMINES
SAVED MY LIFE, MAN,

BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE
TO USE COKE ANYMORE.

I FELL ASLEEP
AT THE WHEEL PULLING OUT OF
MY PARKING LOT AT MY HOUSE,

AND I WOKE UP TO
THE POLICE BEING THERE,

AND UNDERNEATH
THE SEAT OF MY CAR

WAS 11 CENTS' WORTH
OF METHAMPHETAMINES.

AND THEY CONVICTED
ME OF THAT.

Narrator: IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA,
A SINGLE MAN HAS CREATED

A KINGDOM FOR FIGHTING METH
AND OTHER ILLEGAL DRUGS.

WITH FOUR LANDSIDE VICTORIES
UNDER HIS BELT,

VERY FEW SHERIFFS HAVE
ENJOYED THE JOB SECURITY
OF SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO.

WHAT IS THIS,
A DOCUMENTARY ON DRUGS?

YOU EITHER LOVE HIM
OR HATE HIM.

AND IN PHOENIX, IF YOU HATE HIM,
YOU KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.

Arpaio:
DON'T TOUCH THAT.
IT'S ELECTRIC. YOU'LL DIE.

WE DON'T
SCREW AROUND HERE.
THIS ISN'T TEXAS.

( chuckling )

HI.
HOW ARE YOU
DOING, SIR?

THE REASON I'M THE TOUGHEST--
BECAUSE SEE THESE GUYS, RIGHT?

WHERE'S YOUR
PINK UNDERWEAR?

I GOT 'EM.
LET'S SEE 'EM.

HOW COME
THEY'RE FADING?

THEY DON'T GOT NO
NEW ONES FOR ME.

I ASKED. THEY JUST
DON'T GOT 'EM.

CAN WE START
WITH YOU

TELLING ME YOUR NAME
AND WHO YOU ARE?

I GOT TO TELL YOU
IN FRONT OF THESE GUYS?

THEY DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.

( chuckling )

JOE ARPAIO,
MARICOPA COUNTY,
ARIZONA, SHERIFF.

THIS IS THE LARGEST TENT CITY
IN THE UNITED STATES,

PROBABLY IN THE WORLD.

I WOULD ALMOST BET
HALF OF THESE GUYS
ARE HERE FOR DRUGS.

YOU SEE THIS?

THEY CAN ONLY MAIL POSTCARDS.
DID AWAY WITH THEIR ENVELOPES.

AND ON THE POSTCARD,
THAT'S ME.

WE PUT THE INMATES--

I MEAN, THE DOGS IN
THE AIR-CONDITIONED JAIL,

AND THESE GUYS ARE
IN THE HOT TENTS.

IT SAYS, "WHILE INMATES LIVE
IN A HOT DESERT TENT CITY,

RESCUE DOGS LIVE IN
AIR-CONDITIONING COMFORT."

RIGHT?

YOU WANT ME
TO SIGN THIS?
YES, SIR, PLEASE.

EVERYWHERE I GO,
I SIGN THESE THINGS
FOR THESE GUYS.

I SPENT 32 YEARS
FIGHTING DRUGS
AROUND THE WORLD.

I WAS A DIRECTOR
IN MEXICO, SOUTH AMERICA,

HAD OFFICES IN PANAMA.

WORKED WITH
GENERAL NORIEGA.

HAD OFFICES IN ARGENTINA.

I WAS THE ONLY
FEDERAL AGENT
IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

NOW WE HAVE
ARMIES OUT THERE.

MY JOB IN TURKEY--
I'VE LIVED IN TURKEY--

WAS TO STOP
THE FRENCH CONNECTION.

AND WE DID STOP
THE FRENCH CONNECTION

WHEN I WAS THE DIRECTOR
IN MEXICO.

WE ARRESTED THE TOP GUY
IN ASCENSION.

Narrator:
ALTHOUGH HE AND HIS MEN
STILL ARREST PEOPLE FOR CRACK.

A NEWER DRUG HAS LONG SINCE
TAKEN THE LEAD.

WE HAVE A BIG
METHAMPHETAMINE
PROBLEM RIGHT HERE.

YOU CAN'T BLAME MEXICO
FOR METHAMPHETAMINE

WHEN WE SEIZE 50 LABORATORIES
RIGHT HERE IN THIS COUNTY.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT CRYSTAL METH?
METHAMPHETAMINE
IS EASILY MADE.

YOU CAN MAKE IT ANYWHERE--
IN A MOTEL ROOM, IN A CAR--

THAT'S ONE REASON.

METHAMPHETAMINE--
IT'S ALL CHEMICALS.

IT'S THE EPIDEMIC
OF ARIZONA.

I KNOW THAT FOR SURE.
PHOENIX, MESA, TEMPE,
CHANDLER,

ALL THE SURROUNDING AREAS.

I KNOW IT'S AN EPIDEMIC HERE.

Narrator:
IS IT A SIGN OF THE TIMES THAT
THE NEWEST DRUG CAN BE COOKED UP

FROM COMMON SUBSTANCES FOUND AT
HARDWARE STORES AND PHARMACIES?

DURING THE 1920s
PROHIBITION OF ALCOHOL,

BOOTLEGGERS PROFITED
BY COOKING MOONSHINE,

A VERY DANGEROUS
HOMEMADE ALCOHOL.

IN PROHIBITION,
THE GOVERNMENT

FORBADE LEGAL BOOZE.

PEOPLE CREATED
MOONSHINE.

Narrator:
IS CRYSTAL METH
A MODERN-DAY MOONSHINE?

Man:
WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE DOING WITH
REGARD TO METHAMPHETAMINE

IS WE OUGHT TO BE ENGAGED
IN A REAL EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN

TO TELL PEOPLE JUST HOW
DANGEROUS METHAMPHETAMINE IS.

TO TELL PEOPLE JUST HOW
DANGEROUS METHAMPHETAMINE IS.

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

THESE GUYS WILL USE
ANY DRUG THEY CAN GET.

THAT HAS NO
BEARING ON IT.

CAN I ASK THEM?

TWEEK.
SPEED.

SPEED.
METH.

YOU GUYS DO SPEED?

WHY DO I THINK
IT'S BECOME SO POPULAR?

IT KEEPS YOU GOING.
YOU CAN WORK A LONG TIME.

YOU CAN STAY AWAKE.
HAVE GREAT SEX.

WHAT'S THE COME-DOWN LIKE?
WHAT'S THE COME-DOWN LIKE?

I DON'T KNOW.
I NEVER CAME DOWN.

( coughing )

HEROIN MAKES YOU NOD AND GET
INTO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS,

MARIJUANA MAKES YOU
SIT ON YOUR COUCH,

AND SPEED PUTS YOU
IN THE FAST LANE.

THAT'S YOUR OPINION.

AS GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
OF NEW MEXICO,

HALF OF WHAT WE SPEND
ON LAW ENFORCEMENT,

HALF OF WHAT WE SPEND
IN THE COURTS,

AND HALF OF WHAT WE SPEND
IN THE PRISONS

IS DRUG-RELATED.

Narrator:
SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRE
GARY JOHNSON

SHOCKED THE CITIZENS
OF NEW MEXICO WHEN,

AFTER BEING RE-ELECTED
TO A SECOND TERM,

DENOUNCED THE DRUG WAR AND TRIED
TIRELESSLY TO INTRODUCE

HARM-REDUCTION
STRATEGIES.

FORMER GOVERNOR
GARY JOHNSON
IS IN THIS FILM.

WHO'S HE?

HE WAS THE GOVERNOR
OF NEW MEXICO,

TRYING TO LEGALIZE
DRUGS FOR 8 YEARS.

OH, YEAH.
THAT'S WHY HE'S NOT
THE GOVERNOR ANYMORE.

WELL, HE WAS 8 YEARS.
BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK
ABOUT HIM?

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO AMERICA
IF DRUGS WERE LEGALIZED?

WELL, YOU KNOW THAT GUY?

IN FACT, IF I KNEW HE WAS
GOING TO BE ON YOUR CAMERA,

I PROBABLY WOULDN'T
EVEN BE TALKING TO YOU.

BECAUSE THAT'S A DEFEATIST
ATTITUDE, THIS GUY.

THAT'S RIGHT.
NEW MEXICO?

YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE
A DEFEATIST ATTITUDE
AND GIVE UP

BECAUSE YOU SAY
YOU CAN'T SOLVE A PROBLEM.

SO LET'S GIVE
UP ON BANK ROBBERIES--

LET'S MAKE
EVERYTHING LEGAL!

Johnson:
THE WAY I LOOK AT IT,
BASICALLY, IS THAT

WE HAVE GOTTEN TO WHERE
WE'VE GOTTEN TODAY,

AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE
OF POLITICIANS,

AND DRUGS HAVE BECOME
THE EASY BOOGEYMAN

TO PUT ALL BLAME ON.

I'M THE ONLY POLITICIAN,
IF YOU WANT TO CALL ME THAT,

THAT WILL TELL IT
LIKE IT IS.

THE JUDGE ORDERED ME
TO GO TO TREATMENT,

AND I'M NOT ABLE TO
GO TO TREATMENT SO THIS
IS WHAT I'M GETTING INSTEAD:

CHAIN GANG
AND COUNTY JAIL.

ARE YOU AFRAID YOU'RE GOING
TO FALL BACK INTO IT
WHEN YOU GET OUT?

I'M AFRAID I MAY,
IF I DON'T GET INTO
A DRUG REHAB RIGHT AWAY,

LIKE WITHIN THE FIRST
12 HOURS OF MY RELEASE.

ARE WE GOING
TO EVER ELIMINATE
METHAMPHETAMINE USE?

NO! BUT CAN
WE REDUCE IT?

YES! AND WE CAN DO THAT
THROUGH EDUCATION.

BUT THAT DOESN'T
HAVE TO INCLUDE

LOCKING PEOPLE UP
FOR ITS USE.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT
2 MILLION PEOPLE
IN PRISONS

AND JAILS
ACROSS THE NATION,

ABOUT 60% ARE
IN THERE FOR DRUGS
OR DRUG-RELATED CRIME.

FORWARD MARCH.

AND WHEN IT COMES
TO FEDERAL PRISONS,

I KNOW THAT THAT
NUMBER IS MUCH HIGHER

BECAUSE OF FEDERAL
MANDATORY SENTENCING.

THIS ISN'T A PRISON.
THIS IS A JAIL.

THE PRISONS ARE
THE COUNTRY CLUBS.

THAT'S WHERE SOME
OF THESE GUYS COULD END UP.

ANYBODY BEEN TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS?

WHICH ONE YOU LIKE BETTER--
HERE, THE JAILS,

OR THE STATE PRISON?
All: STATE PRISON!

WHAT?
PRISON!

YOU SEE? THESE GUYS
PLEAD GUILTY QUICK
SO THEY CAN GET TO PRISON.

Narrator:
I WAS RAISED BELIEVING
THAT INCARCERATION

WAS EXPENSIVE
TO THE TAXPAYER.

IT WAS NOT IN ANYONE'S
BEST INTEREST TO LOCK
SOMEONE IN A CAGE

UNLESS IT WAS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY.

IN THE MID-1980s,
A LAW WAS PASSED THAT ALLOWED

PRIVATELY OWNED CORPORATIONS
TO BUILD AND OPERATE PRISONS.

Johnson:
I'M A REAL ADVOCATE
OF PRIVATE PRISONS,

HAVING PRIVATIZED HALF
THE PRISONS IN NEW MEXICO.

AND THE REASON
FOR DOING THAT
IS THE SAME GOODS,

SAME SERVICES
AT A THIRD LESS
THE PRICE.

Narrator:
HAVE WE REACHED A POINT
OF BUILDING SO MANY PRISONS

THAT THE PURVEYORS
ARE NOW LOOKING FOR WAYS
TO KEEP THEM ALL FULL?

HERE'S THE WAY A PRIVATE
PRISON WORKS, OKAY?

YOU PAY SOMEBODY TO
BUILD A FANCY CAGE,

THEN YOU FILL IT UP
AS FAR AS YOU CAN GET IT,

WHICH IS PRETTY FULL,

FULL OF PEOPLE THAT THE PEOPLE
THAT BUILT THE CAGE

GET PAID $40,000 OR $50,000
A YEAR TO JUST KEEP IN THE CAGE.

YOU HAVE CORPORATIONS
LIKE WACKENHUT--

THEY JUST CHANGED THEIR NAME:
CORRECTIONS CORPORATIONS
OF AMERICA--

THAT HOUSE PRISONERS,
NONVIOLENT DRUG OFFENDERS--

AS A MATTER OF FACT,
I THINK 60%

OF THE INCREASE IN PRISON
POPULATION UNDER BILL CLINTON--

WHICH WAS LIKE
A MILLION PEOPLE--

60% OF THAT NEW
PRISON POPULATION ARE
NONVIOLENT DRUG OFFENDERS.

NOW, IF YOU'VE GOT
5,000 PEOPLE IN YOUR CAGE

AND YOU'RE BEING PAID $30,000
$40,000 A YEAR FOR THEM,

THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

AND IF YOU CAN,
ON TOP OF THAT,

USE THEM AS
YOUR PRIVATE PROPERTY,

AS CHATTEL PROPERTY,
THAT YOU CAN THEN

MAKE DO WORK

OR PRODUCE THINGS

THAT YOU GET PAID FOR ON TOP
OF THAT, WHAT A GREAT DEAL!

NOW, WHERE I COME FROM,

WHEN YOU TRANSFORM A PERSON
INTO A PIECE OF PROPERTY,

THAT'S CALLED SLAVERY.

Narrator: NOT FAR FROM
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
IS THE SMALL TOWN OF TAFT,

ONCE HOME TO A THRIVING
OIL INDUSTRY.

BUT LIKE SO MANY OIL TOWNS
ACROSS AMERICA,

THE OIL FINALLY DRIED UP.

LIKE MANY BANKRUPT TOWNS,
A PRIVATE PRISON STEPPED IN
TO SAVE THE DAY.

THE TAFT CORRECTIONAL
INSTITUTION IS OWNED BY
THE GEO GROUP,

FORMERLY KNOWN AS
WACKENHUT.

WACKENHUT CHANGED ITS NAME
AFTER A STORM OF BAD PUBLICITY.

THEY TRADE THEIR STOCK
ON WALL STREET

BASED UPON THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN JAIL.

IF THAT ISN'T SICK,
IF THAT ISN'T THE BEST
DEFINITION OF SICKNESS

IN A SOCIETY, IN A CULTURE,
IN A CIVILIZATION,

I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT IS.

Narrator:
SERVING TIME
IN THE TAFT FEDERAL PRISON

IS ACTOR/COMEDIAN TOMMY CHONG,
OF CHEECH AND CHONG.

TRYING TO GET INTO
THE PRIVATELY-OWNED PRISON
TO INTERVIEW TOMMY

WAS NOT UNLIKE DEALING WITH
ANY OTHER MAJOR CORPORATION.

MONTHS WENT BY, AS THEY KEPT
ASKING ME TO JUMP THROUGH
ENDLESS HOOPS.

AND IF I DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER,
I COULD SWEAR THEY WERE DOING

EVERYTHING POSSIBLE
TO GET RID OF ME.

BUT TOMMY WASN'T JUST
AN ICON OF DRUGS.

SITTING IN PRISON, HE WAS NOW
A SYMBOL OF THINGS TO COME

WITH THE NEW CONSERVATIVE FEVER
SWEEPING THE NATION
FOLLOWING 9-11.

THE "TRANSMITTER
ON THE GROUND" TRICK.

YOU GUYS ARE FROM TEXAS?
YES, AUSTIN, TEXAS.

AUSTIN! OH, NO WONDER.

OL' WILLIE TOWN, HUH?

"TOMMY CHONG,
ARRESTED FOR POT," RIGHT? NO.

TOMMY WAS TARGETED BY FORMER
ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT,

WHOSE "OPERATION PIPE DREAMS"
ENTRAPPED THE 65-YEAR-OLD ACTOR.

TOMMY'S SON WAS USING
HIS DAD'S FACE TO SELL
BONGS ON THE INTERNET

AND WAS BAITED INTO SHIPPING
A GLASS PIPE TO A COUNTY
THAT PROHIBITS THEM.

IN HIS ATTEMPT TO SHUT DOWN
THE PARAPHERNALIA INDUSTRY

AND SEND A MESSAGE
TO HOLLYWOOD,

JOHN ASHCROFT MADE
AN EXAMPLE OUT OF TOMMY,

PROVING THAT EVEN A RICH MOVIE
STAR IS NOT UNTOUCHABLE
FOR THE DEA

I'M TOMMY CHONG
OF CHEECH AND CHONG.

THAT'S LIKE A ROYAL TITLE.

THE PRIVATIZED
PRISON BUSINESS IS BIG.

IT'S A SLAVE LABOR MARKET.

WE GET THESE LITTLE JOBS,

AND WE GET LIKE $15
A MONTH, LOW-END.

AND IT PROVIDES EMPLOYMENT
FOR DEPRESSED RURAL AREAS.

SO YOU GET A PLACE
LIKE TAFT, YOU KNOW--

IF IT WASN'T FOR THE PRISON,
THERE WOULD BE NO INDUSTRY HERE.

THE OIL INDUSTRY
IS LONG GONE.

THERE'S NOTHING ELSE HERE,

EXCEPT MAYBE
THE GROUND-SQUIRREL INDUSTRY.

THE CONVICTION RATE
IS ALMOST 100%.

AND PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING
THE LONGEST TIME HERE

ARE THE ONES
THAT HAD A STRATEGY,
THAT WENT TO COURT,

AND FOUGHT IT, AND LOST.

YOU KNOW WHAT IT DID?
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT DID.

IT MADE ME FEEL
LIKE A BLACK GUY.

TULIA WAS,

FOR A LONG TIME, JUST
ANOTHER CRUMMY LITTLE TOWN
IN WEST TEXAS,

AND IT'S TREATED BLACK PEOPLE
AND HISPANIC PEOPLE

IN A REAL CRUMMY WAY
FOR A LONG TIME.

IT'S NOT ANY DIFFERENT THAN
TOWNS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH

AND PROBABLY
IN THE MIDWEST.

IT'S GOT A LARGE
CHURCH-GOING POPULATION,

IT'S GOT A VERY TIGHT-KNIT
COMMUNITY OF WHITE PEOPLE,

AND IT'S GOT A SMALL
OUTSIDE COMMUNITY--

THAT'S NOT REALLY EVEN
A COMMUNITY--

OF MARGINALIZED
BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.

I'M KIND OF THE CHIEF
REDNECK OUT HERE,

BECAUSE I AM
KIND OF PREJUDICED,

AND I ADMIT IT,
AND EVERYBODY IS.

YOU KNOW,
I'M NOT UNIQUE.

I AM UNIQUE IN THAT
I UNDERSTAND WHO I AM

AND ATTEMPT
TO CONTROL THAT,

WHICH CHRISTIANS ARE
SUPPOSED TO DO.

BUT ANY GUY THAT PUTS
HIS PANTS ON ONE LEG AT A TIME

AND SAYS HE'S NOT PREJUDICED,
I SAY, "COME WITH ME

AND I'LL TAKE YOU SOMEPLACE
AND SHOW YOU SOME PEOPLE

THAT YOU WILL BE SCARED
ON YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION."

Narrator:
CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY
JEFF BLACKBURN WITNESSED

HOW THE LURE OF LUCRATIVE
DRUG-WAR FUNDING

ENTICED AN ENTIRE POLICE FORCE
TO MAKE ILLEGAL ARRESTS.

ALL OF A SUDDEN OVERNIGHT
THERE WAS THIS MASSIVE ROUNDUP,

WELL-PUBLICIZED,
PUT ALL OVER THE TV STATIONS,

WHERE ONE TENTH OF
THE TOWN'S BLACK POPULATION

WAS ESCORTED
IN HANDCUFFS TO JAIL.

WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS
THE MOST MASSIVE

RURAL DRUG CONSPIRACY
EVER UNCOVERED

IN WEST TEXAS, THAT IT WAS DUE
TO THE STERLING POLICE WORK

OF AN INDIVIDUAL COP
NAMED TOM COLEMAN,
WHO IS A HERO.

THE TULIA NEWSPAPER RAN--
NOT AN EDITORIAL-- I'M SORRY--

IT WAS A "NEWS STORY"
THAT WAS HEADLINED,

"TULIA'S STREETS
CLEARED OF GARBAGE."

Narrator:
WHEN ALL OF THE MAJOR MEDIA
SOURCES, INCLUDING 60 MINUTES,

COVERED THE TULIA STORY,
THEY TOLD OF A LONE REDNECK COP

BY THE NAME OF TOM COLEMAN
WHO HATED BLACK PEOPLE.

BUT WHO WAS TOM COLEMAN
WORKING FOR?

WHEN YOU FOLLOW
THE TRAIL OF MONEY,
HE WAS MERELY A PAWN

OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT
POLICY THAT PROFITS
FROM MAKING LARGE ARRESTS.

SO THERE WAS THIS
THUNDERCLAP ARREST

AND SWEEP
OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

IT LANDED 46 PEOPLE IN JAIL,
NEARLY ALL OF WHOM WERE BLACK.

THEN, OF COURSE, THEY QUICKLY
STARTED GETTING PROCESSED
THROUGH THE SYSTEM

WITH COURT-APPOINTED
LAWYERS,

WITH ALL-WHITE JURORS.

AND WE BEGAN TO GET
SENTENCES LIKE 99,

75, 320 YEARS.

OUT OF CONTROL,
OVER-THE-TOP TEXAS

TYPICAL SMALL-TOWN
SENTENCES FOR DRUG DEALERS.

YEAH, I SAT IN JAIL
FOR 5 MONTHS

BEFORE MY LAWYER
CAME TO SEE ME.

HE SAID, THE ONLY THING
HE CAN DO FOR ME,

GIVE ME 25 TO 99.

IN THE OLDEN DAYS,
YOU HAD LEGAL LYNCHING.

THIS WAS...

THIS WAS LEGAL LYNCHING
ON A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

THIS WAS
ETHNIC CLEANSING

COMBINED WITH THE NEED
TO GET GRANT MONEY.

THE PROBLEM IN TULIA
AND THE PROBLEM WITH MOST OF

THE TASK FORCES
IN THE STATE OF TEXAS--

THEY'RE CREATED
AS AN ENTITY,

AS A CORPORATION
THAT MORE OR LESS STANDS ALONE.

IT'S NOT IN THE CHAIN
OF COMMAND OF D.P.S.

OR ANY STATE AGENCY.

Blackburn:
IT'S TEMPTING TO THINK
OF TULIA AS JUST SOME RURAL,

WEIRD REMNANT OF

THE DISTANT
DEEP-SOUTH PAST.

THE TRUTH IS, TULIA IS

THE CUTTING EDGE OF MODERN
DRUG-LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND YOU'VE GOT THIS TASK FORCE
OUT HERE OPERATING

LIKE A PIT BULLDOG
OR A ROTTWEILER

THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE
ON KIND OF A LEASH,

BUT IT'S RUNNING ALL OVER TOWN
TRYING TO FIND ANY KID
IT CAN TO BITE.

I KNOW I WAS SINGLED OUT
'CAUSE I WAS BLACK,

AN OLD BLACK GUY.

THE SPANISH
AND THE BLACKS,

WE IN BIG,
BIG TROUBLE.

Narrator:
SERGEANT LOU DAIGLE RECEIVES
A CALL ABOUT A NAKED GUY

WALKING INTO A RESTAURANT
AND PUTTING ICE UP HIS BUTT.

( radio chatter )

WE HAVE A MAN--

A MAN WITH NO CLOTHES ON,
EXPOSING HIMSELF.

HE WAS ON PCP.
PRETTY BAD.
PCP?

Narrator: THE NAME
"SHERM" COMES FROM PEOPLE
DIPPING SHERMAN CIGARETTES

INTO VIALS OF PCP.

IT BOTHERS ME
TO NO END

THAT SO MANY
YOUNG PEOPLE
ARE ON SHERM NOW.

YEAH, SHERM IS ONE
OF THE WORST DRUGS THAT
I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.

SEEING SOMEBODY--

SEEING SOMEBODY
THAT USE SHERM--
WHOA!

MONEY WILL EAT MONEY.
I'LL SUE YOUR SHOE...

I'VE SEEN GUYS GET BUCK-NAKED
AND RUN DOWN THE STREET.

BUCK-NAKED AND WALLOW
IN THE DIRT AND THE MUD.

I'VE SEEN A GUY
GET ASS-OUT NAKED--

I'VE SEEN A GUY
GET ASS-OUT NAKED
IN THE RAIN

AND HUMP ON THE GROUND
LIKE HE WAS WITH A WOMAN
OFF OF PCP.

AIN'T THAT
'BOUT A BITCH?

HEY, BROTHER...

WE'RE GOING TO
GO AHEAD AND PICK YOU UP,

AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT YOU
ON OUR GURNEY, OKAY?

SO I'M GOING
TO PUT YOU ON
MY GURNEY, ALL RIGHT?

JUST CHILL OUT.

HE'S IN CUSTODY
RIGHT NOW.

FOR CERTAINLY UNDER
THE INFLUENCE OF PCP,

CERTAINLY FOR
THE VANDALISM.

HE'S ALSO PROBABLY
FOR A.D.W. AGAINST
A POLICE OFFICER,

'CAUSE HE WAS
THROWING GLASS
AT THE POLICE OFFICERS.

ONCE AGAIN,
COMPLETELY INCOHERENT

AS A DRUG-INDUCED
CRIME, REALLY.

RIGHT.

WHEN WE CAME IN.
HIS BACK WAS...

HE WAS TRYING TO
COOL HIMSELF OFF.
OH, HE WAS?

YEAH, HE WAS HERE NAKED.

I HEARD HE WAS PUTTING
ICE UP HIS BUTT.

YEAH, HE STARTED THROWING
EVERYTHING AROUND.

Narrator:
NO SANE PERSON
WILL TELL YOU

THAT DRUGS LIKE PCP
OR CRYSTAL METH

SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE
TO THE PUBLIC.

BUT HOW DO YOU STOP THINGS THAT
PEOPLE CAN COOK UP ON THEIR OWN?

PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED
THAT THEY CAN COOK UP DRUGS.

AND SO THEY ARE
EXPERIMENTING NOW, MORE.

AND I BELIEVE WE WILL HAVE
A WHOLE MENU OF NEW DRUGS,

AND THESE DRUGS
WILL NOT BE REGULATED

BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT
HAS DRIVEN DRUGS UNDERGROUND.

WE'VE TOLD KIDS THAT MARIJUANA
IS JUST AS DANGEROUS
AS METHAMPHETAMINE,

AND KIDS HAVE TRIED
MARIJUANA,

AND THEY RECOGNIZE THAT
IT'S NOT A DANGEROUS DRUG.

AND THEN THEY GO
AND TRY METHAMPHETAMINE,

AND NOW WE'RE BACK TO KIDS
AND THEIR UNDERSTANDING
OF THESE THINGS,

AND, YOU KNOW, SO MANY OF THEM
PUT METHAMPHETAMINE THEN
IN THE SAME CATEGORY.

"GEE, IF THE GOVERNMENT'S LYING
TO ME ABOUT MARIJUANA,

THEY MUST BE LYING TO ME
ABOUT METHAMPHETAMINE ALSO."

IT'S A PLOY.
WHAT?

THIS "DRUG MONEY FUNDS TERROR"--
IT'S A PLOY.

"A PLOY"?

A MANIPULATION.

PLOY.

"DRUG MONEY FUNDS TERROR."
WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE THAT?

BECAUSE IT'S A FACT.
A FACT?

F-A-C-T. FACT.

SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT I SHOULD
BELIEVE IT BECAUSE IT'S TRUE?

THAT'S YOUR ARGUMENT?

IT IS TRUE.

SINCE 9-11, THE ONLY THING
THAT'S REALLY CHANGED

AROUND HERE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD
ARE THE ATTITUDES OF THE POLICE.

YOU KNOW, THE GANGS ARE NOW
THE NEW TERRORISTS.

I MEAN, HOW TOUGH
SECURITY'S GOTTEN
SINCE 9-11,

IT'S LIKE,
REALLY LIKE,
YOU KNOW,

HOW ARE DRUGS COMING
INTO THE UNITED STATES NOW?

HOW? YOU KNOW,
I DON'T HAVE AN AIRPLANE.

I DON'T HAVE A CAR
THAT'S GOING TO MAKE
IT WITH CALIFORNIA PLATES

TO MEXICO AND BACK
TO COLUMBIA.

I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE
IN COLUMBIA.

I DON'T HAVE A BOAT.

IT GOT TO BE
FLOWN OR SHIPPED.

THERE'S A GREAT LINE IN
THE MOVIE BOYZ N THE HOOD

WHERE LARRY FISHBURNE
IS SAYING,

"HEY, MAN,
WE DON'T GROW IT,

"WE DON'T OWN ANY AIRPLANES.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY LABORATORIES.

HOW DOES IT GET HERE?
WHY DOES IT GET HERE?"

AND THAT'S A VERY GOOD
COMMON-SENSE APPROACH

THAT INTUITIVELY THE PEOPLE
IN SOUTH-CENTRAL UNDERSTOOD:

THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING
MUCH BIGGER THAN THEM

THAT WAS MOVING THE WHOLE
DRUG ISSUE AND THE DRUG WAR.

Narrator:
MY PARENTS WERE
STAUNCH REPUBLICANS.

BACK IN THE '80s, THE BIG
CONCERN WAS NOT TERRORISM,

IT WAS COMMUNISM.

THE IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR WAS ONE
OF THE BIGGEST POLITICAL
SCANDALS IN U.S. HISTORY.

MEMBERS OF THE REAGAN
ADMINISTRATION,

HEADED BY OLIVER NORTH,
ENGAGED IN THE SALE
OF ARMS TO IRAN.

THE PROCEEDS FROM THESE ILLEGAL
DEALS WERE BEING USED TO
FUND THE CONTRAS,

A RIGHT-WING GUERILLA GROUP THAT
REAGAN REFERRED TO AS HIS
"FREEDOM FIGHTERS."

THE CONTRAS WERE FIGHTING
THE SOVIET-BACKED SANDINISTAS

FOR THE DOMINATION
OF NICARAGUA.

THE IRAN-CONTRA IS VERY
IMPORTANT IN HISTORY.

WE HAVE TO REMEMBER
THE FACT THAT IRAN-CONTRA--

ITS MANDATE WAS
TO INVESTIGATE

THE SALES OF MISSILES
TO IRAN.

Narrator:
FORMER DEA AGENT
CELERINO CASTILLO

NOT ONLY FOUGHT IN
THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT
OF THE AMERICAN DRUG WAR,

HE ALSO HAD THE RARE OPPORTUNITY
OF CARRYING A CAMERA

AND RECORDING SOME OF
THE REGRETTABLE ACTIONS
OF THE DEA AND CIA

WHILE THEY SUPPORTED
PRESIDENT REAGAN AND OLIVER
NORTH'S CONTRA MOVEMENT.

GEORGE BUSH SR.
CAME TO GUATEMALA

ON JANUARY 13, 1986,

AND HE APPROACHED ME
AND ASKED ME WHAT I DID

THERE AT THE U.S. EMBASSY,
WHAT MY JOB DESCRIPTION WAS.

AND I TOLD HIM I WAS
A DEA AGENT WORKING

INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS
INVESTIGATIONS AND I TOLD HIM,

"LOOK, WE HAVE
GATHERED INTELLIGENCE

"THAT THE CONTRAS ARE INVOLVED
IN DRUG TRAFFICKING

DOWN IN EL SALVADOR."

AND THEN HE JUST SMILED,
SHOOK MY HAND, AND WALKED
AWAY FROM ME.

AND IT WAS THEN AND THERE THAT
I KNEW THAT MY GOVERNMENT KNEW

THAT THESE ATROCITIES
WERE OCCURRING.

THEY WERE SO CONCERNED ABOUT

GIVING THE GUNS TO IRAN
AND ALL THAT STUFF.

THE QUESTION
SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASKED ABOUT

ALL THAT COCAINE
FLYING BACK OVER HERE.

Narrator:
IN 1986, ON AMERICAN TV,
WE WERE ALL BEING FED

A STEADY DIET OF...

WE'RE TAKING DOWN
THE SURRENDER FLAG

THAT HAS FLOWN OVER
SO MANY DRUG EFFORTS.

WE'RE RUNNING UP
A BATTLE FLAG.

THIS SCOURGE WILL STOP!

Narrator:
BUT REGRETTABLY,

BACK IN CENTRAL AMERICA
AND IN THE JUNGLE...

I REMEMBER DOWN
IN CENTRAL AMERICA,

WE WERE REFUELING PLANES FULL OF
COCAINE COMING IN TO THE U.S.,

AND IT WAS A CIA OPERATION
BEING RUN BY THE WHITE HOUSE.

Narrator:
AT THE SAME TIME ALL OF
THE COCAINE FROM NICARAGUA

WAS FLOWING INTO THE U.S.,

FREEWAY RICKY ROSS
WAS AT HIS HEYDAY.

Narrator:
AFTER FREEWAY RICK
WAS ARRESTED,

AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST
BY THE NAME OF GARY WEBB
UNCOVERED A LINK

THAT CONNECTED HIM BACK TO
THE NICARAGUAN CONTRA MOVEMENT.

RICKY ROSS
WAS JUST LUCKY.

HE JUST HAPPENED
TO GET A SOURCE

WHO WAS CONNECTED TO THE CIA

FOR A LONG TIME
IN SOUTH CENTRAL,
THE BUZZ WORD WAS

THAT THE CIA
WAS SELLING CRACK.

I SAID, "NO, THE CIA
WASN'T SELLING CRACK,

THE CIA WAS IMPORTING
COCAINE."

RICKY ROSS GOT IT,
TURNED IT INTO CRACK,
AND HE SOLD IT.

Narrator:
ACCORDING TO GARY WEBB'S
DARK ALLIANCE,

WHEN DANILO BLANDON
WAS DISPLACED FROM HIS
HOME COUNTRY OF NICARAGUA,

HE SET OFF TO AMERICA TO RAISE
MONEY TO AID THE CONTRAS

IN RIDDING HIS HOME FROM
THE INVADING SANDINISTAS.

WHEN RICKY ROSS WAS
INTRODUCED TO BLANDON,

BLANDON WAS IN A POSITION TO
CREATE A PIPELINE OF COCAINE

THAT HE IN TURN GAVE TO
RICKY ROSS ON CONSIGNMENT.

SUDDENLY, SOME MAJOR SOURCES
OPENED UP FOR HIM--

DANILO BLANDON,
NORWIN MENECES--

BOTH OF WHOM WERE TIED
TO THE CIA AND THE CONTRAS.

AND GARY WEBB DID
A MASTERFUL JOB

OF BREAKING THOSE STORIES
AND PROVING WITH DOCUMENTS
THAT THAT WAS THE CASE.

THERE'S LEDGERS
OF OLIVER NORTH AND THEM

ACTUALLY TRANSPORTING
THE COCAINE INTO OUR COUNTRY.

THERE'S FILM. EVERY PIECE
OF DOCUMENT THAT'S POSSIBLE.

Narrator:
TALK ABOUT BEING IN THE WRONG
PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME,

FIRST-TIME DEALER
AND FORMER CRIP

LEROY "CHICO" BROWN
WAS ARRESTED WITH RICK.

CHICO WALKED INTO
A DEA STING OPERATION

THAT WAS SET UP
TO CAPTURE AND IMPRISON RICK

IN TRADE FOR RICK'S OLD PARTNER,
DANILA BLANDON.

"HOW COULD THIS BE POSSIBLE?"
AND THEN WE WERE READING
THROUGH THE DOCUMENTS,

AND THAT'S WHEN GARY WEBB
STARTED EXPLAINING IT TO US.

AND WE WAS LIKE--
EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER NOW.

Narrator:
ONE OF THE MOST
PARAMOUNT MOMENTS

PERHAPS CAUSED BY GARY WEBB'S
DARK ALLIANCE

TOOK PLACE IN
NOVEMBER OF 1996.

IT WAS A MONUMENTAL,
HISTORIC EVENT.

THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

WAS COMING TO WATTS
TO FACE THE PEOPLE.

Man:
NOW, WE ALL KNOW

THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
AND THE CIA SUPPORTED

THE CONTRAS IN THEIR EFFORTS
TO OVERTHROW

THE SANDINISTA GOVERNMENT IN
NICARAGUA IN THE MIDDLE '80s.

NOW IT IS ALLEGED THAT THE CIA
ALSO HELPED THE CONTRAS

RAISE MONEY FOR ARMS

BY INTRODUCING CRACK COCAINE
INTO CALIFORNIA.

DEUTSCH FELT HE HAD TO
DO SOMETHING TO TRY TO

DEAL WITH THE OUTRAGE THAT WAS
FORMING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
AT THE TIME.

AND OF COURSE,
IT JUST BLEW UP IN HIS FACE.

THE CIA FIGHTS DRUGS,

THE CIA DOES NOT
ENCOURAGE DRUGS.

IT WAS ACTUALLY
ONE OF THE MOST

MONUMENTAL BLUNDERS OF ALL TIME,
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE
OF A CONSPIRACY BY THE CIA

TO ENGAGE IN ENCOURAGING
DRUG TRAFFICKERS

IN NICARAGUA OR ELSEWHERE
IN LATIN AMERICA.

DEUTSCH WAS THERE BECAUSE
OF THE GARY WEBB STORIES.

THE GARY WEBB STORIES HAD
SPARKED A NATIONAL FUROR.

I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE
RICKY ROSS'S BROTHER
TO SPEAK, PLEASE.

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TURNED THEIR HEAD

AND LET THIS COCAINE COME INTO
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

ALLOW GARY WEBB
TO HAVE FULL ACCESS!

THIS WHOLE THING WAS
ORCHESTRATED!

IT WAS NEAR PANDEMONIUM.
IT WAS ABOUT, I GUESS,

1,200 PEOPLE, STANDING ROOM ONLY
IN THE AUDITORIUM,

2,000 PEOPLE OUTSIDE
LISTENING ON LOUDSPEAKERS,

AND IT WAS VERY HARD
TO KEEP CONTROL.

I GOT CALLED ON, FINALLY,
AND I SAID TO HER, VERY CLEARLY,

I WAS LOOKING
RIGHT AT DEUTSCH--

"I AM A FORMER LOS ANGELES
POLICE NARCOTICS DETECTIVE,

AND I WORKED SOUTH-CENTRAL
LOS ANGELES, AND I WILL
TELL YOU, DIRECTOR DEUTSCH,

THAT THE AGENCY HAS DEALT DRUGS
THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY
FOR A LONG TIME."

( cheering )

AND I WAS ABLE TO NAME
OPERATIONS.

DIRECTOR DEUTSCH, I WILL REFER
YOU TO THREE SPECIFIC
AGENCY OPERATIONS

KNOWN AS AMADEUS,
PEGASUS, AND WATCHTOWER.

I HAVE WATCHTOWER DOCUMENTS
HEAVILY REDACTED BY THE AGENCY.

I WAS PERSONALLY EXPOSED
TO CIA OPERATIONS

AND RECRUITED BY CIA PERSONNEL
WHO ATTEMPTED TO RECRUIT ME

IN THE LATE '70s TO BECOME
INVOLVED IN PROTECTING

AGENCY DRUG OPERATIONS
IN THIS COUNTRY.

HE STUMBLED AND STAMMERED
AND WRUNG HIS HANDS.

( imitating stammering )

IF YOU HAVE
INFORMATION ABOUT

CIA ILLEGAL
ACTIVITY IN DRUGS,

YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY
BRING THAT INFORMATION

TO WHEREVER YOU WANT,
BUT LET ME SUGGEST THREE PLACES:

THE LOS ANGELES POLICE
DEPARTMENT....

( derisive laughter )

AND OF COURSE, MY RESPONSE
WAS, "I STARTED THERE

18 YEARS AGO, SIR, AND THEY
TRIED TO KILL ME. NOW WHAT DO
YOU WANT ME TO DO?"

IF THIS INFORMATION

TURNS UP WRONGDOING.

WE WILL BRING THE PEOPLE
TO JUSTICE AND MAKE THEM
ACCOUNTABLE.

( crowd chanting )

THE CROWD STARTED CHANTING,
"WE TOLD YOU! WE TOLD YOU!

WE TOLD YOU!
WE TOLD YOU!"

AND IT WAS A GREAT
MOMENT OF UNITY.

AND IT WAS A HEALING
MOMENT FOR ME,

'CAUSE I HAD BEEN
OUT ALONE FOR 18 YEARS

AND DIDN'T REALLY KNOW THAT
THAT SUPPORT WAS THERE
FOR ME EITHER.

THE AVERAGE PERSON IN
SOUTH-CENTRAL LOS ANGELES
DID NOT KNOW

ANYTHING ABOUT REALLY
HOW THE CIA WORKED.

THEY HAD AN INTUITIVE SENSE.

THAT YOU HAVE A PRIVATE
NETWORK RUN BY GEORGE BUSH
AND OLLIE NORTH.

NOT THE CIA. YOU WON'T FIND
THE RECORDS IN THE CIA.
THEY'RE NOT THERE.

THEY'RE IN THESE PRIVATE--
PRIVATIZED INTELLIGENCE
AGENCIES.

WILL YOU PURSUE THAT?
WILL YOU PURSUE OLLIE NORTH

AND GEORGE BUSH
AND THE MASSIVE DOCUMENTATION--

LIKE THIS GENTLEMAN HERE,
THE CO-DEFENDANT OF RICKY ROSS--

THEY NEEDED THE MONEY TO FINANCE
THE WAR IN NICARAGUA.

THEY HAD THE LINK.
WE KNOW THAT

FROM RECORDS NOW THAT
THE SENT BLANDON

WHO WAS A CIA OPERATIVE,
TO SCHOOL FOR MARKETING--

MARKETING A PRODUCT
WHICH WE NOW KNOW
WAS COCAINE.

ME AND RICKY ROSS IS WAITING
TO GET SENTENCED TUESDAY.

AND WHAT'S THE JUDGE GONNA
SAY TO US COME TUESDAY?

MAY I JUST SAY THAT THE QUESTION
WHICH WAS ASKED OF US
BY THE JUDGE WAS,

"WAS RICKY ROSS EVER

A AGENT OR A CONTRACT
EMPLOYEE--"

Narrator:
RICKY HAD ALREADY SERVED A 5 1/2
YEAR SENTENCE FOR DEALING CRACK,

BUT WAS NOW GIVEN A SECOND
20-YEAR SENTENCE

AFTER BEING SET UP
BY HIS PARTNER, BLANDON,

WHILE OLIVER NORTH
WALKED AWAY AS A HERO,

WEALTHY AND FREE TO TRY
HIS HAND AT POLITICS.

OLIVER NORTH WAS BEING PROMOTED
BY THE CHRISTIAN COALITION.

AND TO THEM HE WAS
THE LAST WHITE HOPE

THAT THEY WERE
GOING TO HAVE

FOR A RIGHT-WING CHRISTIAN

TO RUN FOR U.S. SENATE
IN VIRGINIA.

Narrator:
DURING THE 1986
KERRY COMMISSION,

OLIVER NORTH'S CRIMES WERE
EXPOSED TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.

AND YET TODAY, OLIVER NORTH
IS NOT ONLY A FREE MAN,

HE HAS HIS OWN SHOW
ON THE FOX NEWS NETWORK.

HOW DOES A FEDERAL AGENCY
LIKE THE CIA

EXERT CONTROL OVER LOCAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES?

THE WAY IT'S DONE,

WHICH I SAW FIRST-HAND
AT LAPD,

THERE ARE NETWORKS CALLED
THE NARCOTICS INTELLIGENCE
NETWORK,

OR NOW IT'S CALLED
CLEARINGHOUSE,

WHERE AGENCIES WHO ARE
DOING A DRUG CASE

DON'T STEP
ON EACH OTHER'S TOES.

EVERY TIME THE POLICE
WERE GONNA RAID US,

I KNOW RICK USED
TO GET CALLS AND SAY,

"MOVE OUT," YOU KNOW.
THEY COMING."

Ruppert:
WE ACTUALLY SAW
THAT HERE IN 1986,

WITH MAJOR
TASK FORCE INVESTIGATIONS
OF FREEWAY RICKY ROSS.

THEY HAD SEARCH WARRANTS
FOR 19 LOCATIONS

THAT WERE PREPARED
ONE NIGHT,

AND BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE
THE NEXT MORNING,

ALL 16 LOCATIONS
HAD BEEN CLEARED OUT.

AND THAT MEANS THAT OBVIOUSLY
THERE WAS A LEAK.

THAT'S THE WAY THE CIA PROTECTS
ITS SHARE OF THE DRUG TRADE.

THE UNITED STATES
SENTENCING GUIDELINES

AND THE FEDERAL
SENTENCING SYSTEM

REWARDS THOSE WHO GET OTHERS

INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL CONDUCT,
AND THAT'S WHAT BLANDON DID.

DURING THE EXACT
SAME PERIOD

THAT FREEWAY RICKY ROSS
WAS AT HIS HEYDAY,

HOME VALUES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL
LOS ANGELES WERE TANKING.

PEOPLE OWED $100,000
ON THEIR HOME.
THE PLACE WAS A WAR ZONE.

DEAD BODIES IN THE BACKYARD,
PROSTITUTES IN THE FRONT.

DRIVE-BY SHOOTING.
I MEAN, IT WAS HORRIBLE.

AND PEOPLE WALKED ON THEIR
MORTGAGES BECAUSE THEY
COULDN'T SELL THE HOUSES.

AND TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF HOMES WERE MOVED LITERALLY

FOR 10 AND 20 CENTS
ON THE DOLLAR AFTER PEOPLE
ABANDONED THEIR MORTGAGES.

WE CALL THAT
ETHNIC CLEANSING.

THERE WAS A GREATER PLAN
TO PUT CHURCHES,

TO PUT LIQUOR STORES,
GUN SHOPS,

AND COCAINE,
DRUGS INTO THE GHETTO,

INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS,
AND DRIVE THE PRICES DOWN.

AND THEY PRETTY MUCH DID
A GOOD JOB OF THAT.

REAL ESTATE IN CALIFORNIA,
WHAT WE CONSIDER COMPTON,

WATTS, EAST L.A.,
SOUTH-CENTRAL,

WHERE THE DRUG-INFESTED,
GANG-KILLING HIGHEST RATES
IN THE COUNTRY,

AND FAMILIES REALLY STARTED
MOVING OUT OF THE INNER CITY

TO WAY OUT--
I'M TALKING ABOUT
70 MILES OUT OF L.A.

TO GET RID OF--
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FOREMAN.

THEY'RE PROMISING PEOPLE THEY'RE
GOING TO BUILD UP JOBS
AND EVERYTHING,

ESPECIALLY IN THE '80s.

THERE WAS A BIG THING ABOUT
MOVING TO MORENO VALLEY.

YOU GONNA HAVE ALL THESE
BIG CORPORATIONS COME IN.

IT NEVER HAPPENED.
PEOPLE ACTUALLY MOVED OUT THERE,

ENDING UP LOSING EVERYTHING
BECAUSE THE BIG CORPORATIONS
NEVER CAME.

AND THEN A LOT OF INVESTORS
CAME BACK HERE

AND STARTED BUYING
PROPERTY FOR SO CHEAP.

CHEAP PRICES. AND NOW
THE PROPERTY VALUE IS SKY-HIGH.

YOU CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO LIVE
IN COMPTON AND WATTS NO MORE
WITHOUT SPENDING $300,000

FOR A HOME THAT MY MOTHER
AND THEM PAID $9,000 FOR.

I THINK THE PREVAILING VIEW
ON WALL STREET IS

ANYONE STUPID ENOUGH
TO BUY DRUGS DESERVES TO DIE.

AND IF YOU CAN MAKE MONEY
FROM THEM WHILE THEY'RE
DOING IT, THAT'S GREAT.

AND IF THAT'S IMPOSING
A CRIME WAVE ON A COMMUNITY

AWAY FROM WALL STREET,
THAT'S OKAY.

THERE'S NO DRUG CRIME
ON WALL STREET.

ONE OF THE IMPORTANT FACETS

OF THE DISCUSSION SHOULD BE

WHAT I CALL
"CONSPIRACY THEORIES."

THERE ARE LOTS OF FOLKS
OUT THERE, AND THERE ARE
BOOKS WRITTEN ON THIS

BY PEOPLE WHO ARE
IN A POSITION TO KNOW:

FORMER DEA AGENTS,
FORMER CIA OPERATIVES,
THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEY TELL STORIES ABOUT
HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY,

LARGE-SCALE CORRUPTION
IN THE BIG PARTS
OF GOVERNMENT, ETC.

AND ARE THESE STORIES TRUE?
AND THE ANSWER IS, OF COURSE,
I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO
ANY PARTICULAR INFORMATION

MORE THAN ANYONE
ELSE DOES.

HOWEVER, ASK YOURSELF
THIS QUESTION:

IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
A MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH,

HOW MUCH CORRUPTION
CAN YOU BUY,

AT ANY LEVEL,
FOR THAT MILLION DOLLARS?

AND THE ANSWER HAS TO BE,
QUITE A BIT.

Narrator:
ON DECEMBER 10, 2004,

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST
GARY WEBB WAS FOUND SHOT
IN HIS APARTMENT.

Man:
NO! YOU'RE LYING!

Man #2:
NO. WHEN?

Man #1:
SATURDAY.

Man #2:
AW, MAN!

Narrator:
THE INTERNET WAS SET ABLAZE
WITH CONSPIRACIES

OF A CIA
ASSASSINATION PLOT,

BUT OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE
OF A SUICIDE SOON PUT
THE THEORIES TO REST.

Man:
BY THE WAY,
THE HEAD OF THE DEA--

HIS NAME IS ROB BONNER,
WHO'S A FRIEND OF MINE--

THROUGHOUT THE FIRST
GEORGE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

SAID AND DOCUMENTED THAT,
YES, THE CIA WAS INVOLVED

WITH IMPORTATION OF
A FAIR AMOUNT OF COCAINE

WITH REGARD TO
THE IRAN-CONTRA, ETC.,

BUT IT JUST HAS TO HAPPEN
BECAUSE OF THE MONEY.

Man:
LET ME UNDERSTAND
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

A TON OF COCAINE
WAS SMUGGLED

INTO THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA...

IN COOPERATION
WITH THE CIA?

THAT'S WHAT-- THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT APPEARS TO HAVE HAPPENED.

Man:
WHEN I WAS A CLANDESTINE
CASE OFFICER,

I THOUGHT I WAS DOING
GOD'S WORK, THE NATION'S WORK,

BY RECRUITING TRAITORS

IN VARIED COUNTRIES
AROUND THE WORLD,

AND WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE
WAS THAT I WAS LITERALLY
THERE FOR SHOW.

I WAS JUST GOING
THROUGH THE MOTIONS,
BECAUSE THE TRAITORS

WEREN'T PRODUCING
REALLY USEFUL INFORMATION.

WE WERE IGNORING
ALL OF THE OPENLY
AVAILABLE INFORMATION

THAT WOULD HAVE PRODUCED
MUCH RICHER RESULTS.

LET'S JUMP OVER TO GENERAL
MANUEL NORIEGA IN PANAMA.

GENERAL NORIEGA
WAS TOLD BY BILL CASEY,

THEN DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY,

THAT HE COULD HAVE A FREE RUN
WITH DRUGS INTO AMERICA

PROVIDED THAT
HE ALLOWED US TO

SUPPORT THE CONTRAS
FROM PANAMA.

THAT WAS A STRAIGHT-UP DEAL.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND
WHY THE GOVERNMENT

DIDN'T USE FREEWAY RICK
THE WAY THEY USED HIM.

SET HIM UP TO
BUY IT FROM THE BIG MAN
AND BUST THE BIG MAN.

HE AIN'T THE BIG MAN.
SOMEBODY'S BRINGING IT
TO HIM.

YEAH.
SO WHY DIDN'T
THEY REVERSE IT?

THEY TAKE YOU ALMOST TO--
THEY MAKE IT SEEM
LIKE HE'S THE MAN.

THEY NEVER FOUND THE MAN.
WHO IS THE REAL DRUG LORD?

Narrator:
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO
THE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, LIKE,

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE
FAMILIAR WITH THE BOOK
CALLED DARK ALLIANCE,

WRITTEN ABOUT THE CIA
BRINGING IN COCAINE
INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL L.A.

THE WHOLE RICKY ROSS STORY.
MM-HMM.

WELL, YOU KNOW,
I'VE BEEN WORKING
WITH THE CIA FOR YEARS.

I TAKE GREAT PRIDE
IN WHAT THEY DO.

THEY'RE A VERY DISCIPLINED
PEOPLE OF GREAT COURAGE.

THERE AREN'T MANY OF THEM.
IT'S A VERY SMALL AGENCY.

THEY'RE OUT THERE
IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT TRYING TO

PROTECT
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,

SO I THINK THEY DESERVE
TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT.

BUT THE NOTION THAT
THEY'RE SMUGGLING DRUGS

INTO AMERICA
IS JUST ABSURD.

I THINK RICKY ROSS

SIMPLY DIDN'T INVEST ENOUGH
MONEY IN BRIBING LOCAL
AUTHORITIES.

HAD HE INVESTED IN
A PROTECTION INSURANCE POLICY

AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL
THROUGH LEGAL FRONTS--

I MEAN, THERE ARE ALL KINDS
OF LAWYERS THAT ARE WILLING
TO SELL THEIR SOULS

AND HAPPY TO TAKE THEIR MONEY
AND THEN CHANNEL IT INTO BRIBES.

SO BASICALLY, I THINK
RICKY ROSS DIDN'T REALIZE

THAT HE COULD
BECOME A PAWN

IN THE WAR ON DRUGS.

ARE YOU AWARE
OF WHETHER OR NOT
NARCOTICS PROCEEDS

AT SOME TIME

MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE
SUPPORTED CONTRA EFFORTS?

YES, SIR.
NARCOTICS PROCEEDS WERE USED

TO SHORE UP
THE CONTRA EFFORT.

DID YOU PERSONALLY
PLAY A ROLE

IN SOME OF THE TRANSFER
OF THAT MONEY?
YES, I DID.

Narrator:
SIX MONTHS AFTER
CIA DIRECTOR JOHN DEUTSCH

CAME TO LOCKE HIGH SCHOOL,
THE RESIDENTS OF WATTS
WERE HARDLY SURPRISED

THAT THE CIA
FOUND ITSELF INNOCENT
OF ALL DRUG-DEALING CHARGES.

TODAY, RICKY ROSS REMAINS IN
PRISON AS THE SOLE PERPETRATOR

OF AMERICA'S BIGGEST
DRUG WAR SCANDAL.

AND DRUGS WERE USED,
TOGETHER WITH SAUDI ARABIAN
CONTRIBUTIONS--

ALSO OFF-THE-BOOKS--
DRUGS WERE USED BY THE CIA

TO CARRY OUT A COVERT ACTION
THAT HAD BEEN FORBIDDEN
BY CONGRESS.

Narrator:
WHEN BUSH SENIOR LOST
THE ELECTION TO BILL CLINTON,

EVERYONE FELT AS IF A NEW DAY
WERE BORN IN AMERICA.

NOW THE PEACEFUL LIBERALS
WOULD RULE,

AND THE TIRED, CORRUPT
IRAN-CONTRA REAGAN CREW

WOULD BE GONE FOR GOOD.

NICK AND NORM
ARE BROUGHT TO US

BY THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL
DRUG CONTROL POLICY,

ALSO KNOWN AS THE OFFICE
OF THE DRUG CZAR.

UNDER BILL CLINTON,
THE OFFICE WAS HEADED UP

BY FOUR-STAR GENERAL
DRUG CZAR, BARRY McCAFFERY.

CLINTON HAD A DRUG CZAR
BY THE NAME OF BARRY McCAFFREY.

AND WHAT HE DID,
HE WAS THE EVIL ONE.

NOW, CLINTON WAS THE GOOD ONE,
EVERYONE LOVED CLINTON.

HE PLAYED THE SAX,
AND, YOU KNOW,
HE SAID HE DIDN'T INHALE,

AND HE GOT THE B.J.
FROM THE BROAD AND EVERYTHING.

KISSING BLACK BABIES.

YEAH.
CLINTON WAS THE MAN.

( chanting )
WE WANT BILL!
WE WANT BILL!

Narrator:
LESS THAN A MILE AWAY
FROM T'S PLACE.

FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON
MADE AN APPEARANCE TO
PROMOTE HIS NEW BOOK.

SO MANY ADORING FANS SHOWED UP
THAT CLINTON WAS NOT ABLE TO
SIGN EVERYONE'S COPY.

PROBLEMS TODAY WITH PRESIDENT
CLINTON'S BOOK-SIGNING TOUR
THROUGH THE SOUTHLAND.

HE APPEARED AT S-O-1 BOOKS
IN BALDWIN VILLAGE.

I'M ALL THE WAY
FROM MORENO VALLEY

JUST TO SEE
PRESIDENT CLINTON.

I LOVE HIM, AND I LOVE
WHAT HE STANDS FOR.

BUT IN ACTUALITY,
HE HAD THIS EVIL, EVIL,

CRAZY, MANIACAL PERSON

THAT HEADED UP
THE WAR ON DRUGS.

NOW, THAT'S THE GOOD GUY
GETTING THE BAD GUY
TO DO THE BAD WORK.

YEAH. THE SCAPEGOAT.
THE SCAPEGOAT.

THAT'S ALL IT IS.
THE SCAPEGOAT.

LIKE WE'RE THE SCAPEGOAT.
THEY ALL GOTTA HAVE
AN ESCAPE-GOAT.

Narrator:
BACK IN AUSTIN,
GENERAL BARRY McCAFFREY

WAS MAKING AN APPEARANCE
AT A FUNDRAISING EVENT.

THE FORMER DRUG CZAR
WAS NOW A REGULAR WAR
CORRESPONDENT ON MSNBC,

BUT HE WOULD NEVER
KNOWINGLY PARTICIPATE

IN SOME INDEPENDENT FILM
WITH A QUESTIONABLE MESSAGE.

MAYBE BY ACCIDENT,
I TOLD THE GENERAL SECRETARY

THAT I WAS WORKING
ON AN ANTI-DRUG VIDEO,

WHICH IS KIND OF TRUE.

SO I DONNED MY
REPUBLICAN DISGUISE,

CONSISTING OF A GOLF SHIRT,
NAME TAG, AND SLACKS.

CAREFULLY CHOOSING
THE CORRECT FORKS

AND NIBBLING ON
SOME ASPARAGUS,

I WAITED FOR THE PERFECT
MOMENT TO APPROACH

THE WELL-PROTECTED
FORMER DRUG CZAR.

MOSTLY KNOWN AS A DRUG CZAR,
AND IF I TALK TO THE MEDIA

OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY'D
RECOGNIZE WHAT I WAS DOING.

Narrator:
IN THE EARLY '90s,
MY FRIENDS WERE ALL QUITTING

THE '80s HARD DRUGS
AND SWITCHING TO
HIGH-QUALITY MARIJUANA.

A GUY I KNEW ALWAYS
HAD POUNDS OF HYDROPONIC,

THE KIND OF POT
YOU SEE ON THE COVER
OF HIGH TIME MAGAZINE.

IT WASN'T LONG UNTIL
THE LAW CAUGHT UP WITH HIM,

AND HE WAS SENT
TO A PRISON WORK CAMP.

MAMBO DIED
A FEW YEARS LATER.

TURNS OUT THAT THIS WAS
BECOMING A RATHER COMMON STORY,

BECAUSE DURING McCAFFREY'S REIGN
UNDER BILL CLINTON,

LITERALLY MILLIONS OF
NONVIOLENT POT SMOKERS

WERE ARRESTED
AND SENTENCED.

AND EVEN IF YOU STILL
DON'T RECOGNIZE BARRY,
EVERYONE REMEMBERS

BARRY'S CLASSIC "THIS IS
YOUR EGG BRAIN ON DRUGS"

ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN.

Gray:
THE METAPHOR OF THE DRUG WAR
LED TO FLAWED THINKING.

I WAS INVITED
A FEW YEARS AGO

WHEN GENERAL McCAFFREY
WAS THE DRUG CZAR

TO BE INVOLVED IN A DEBATE.

HE BRAGGED,
WITH A SMILE
ON HIS FACE,

THAT THE BUDGET
FOR HIS OFFICE--

NAMELY THE
OFFICE OF NATIONAL
DRUG CONTROL POLICY.

WAS GETTING
AN INCREASE IN FUNDING

FROM $17 BILLION PER YEAR

TO SOMETHING LIKE $18 1/2
BILLION PER YEAR.

CAN YOU IMAGINE
HOW MUCH MONEY THAT IS?

YOU GO TO CHILDREN
AND YOU SAY,

DO YOU REMEMBER
YOUR MOM/DAD/COACH/TEACHER

SAYING,
"MARIJUANA IS UNACCEPTABLE"?

IF I REMEMBER HEARING THAT,

I'M NOT USING DRUGS.

WE HAVE ACTUALLY DONE
A TERRIFIC JOB

IN THE UNITED STATES
REDUCING DRUG ABUSE.

IT'S DOWN FROM 14%
OF THE POPULATION

PAST-MONTH TO 7%.

AND IF YOU EXPECT SOMEBODY
THAT CONTROLS THAT MUCH MONEY

TO BE IN FAVOR OF CHANGE,
LOOK AGAIN.

OF COURSE NOT,
BECAUSE MONEY IS POWER.

OUR PROBLEM ISN'T THAT
WE USE TOO MANY DRUGS.

OUR PROBLEM IS,
WE'VE GOT TOO MUCH MONEY.

Narrator:
MOST PEOPLE TODAY
CANNOT EVEN TELL YOU THE NAME

OF OUR CURRENT DRUG CZAR,
WHO WORKS UNDER THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION.

WE WANT TO EXPAND DRUG TREATMENT
COURTS THAT FINE PEOPLE

WHO ARE IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW
BECAUSE OF THEIR ADDICTION.

OUR VIEWPOINT
AND OUR FUNDING WAS TO

ENHANCE PREVENTION
AND EDUCATION.

OF ALL THE DRUG CZARS
SINCE McCAFFREY,
OR SINCE BILL BENNETT--

WHO WAS THE FIRST ONE
UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES--

THEY ALL DO THE SAME THING,
THEY ALL TALK THE SAME WAY,

THEY ALL GIVE LIP SERVICE
TO DRUG TREATMENT,

BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT,
AND THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD,

THE ONLY MONEY THAT IS SPENT
IS FOR INCARCERATION.

THE REASON WHY WE DON'T HEAR
ABOUT THE DRUG CZAR--

AND BY THE WAY,
THE DRUG CZAR IS THE SON
OF GENERAL VERNON WALTERS,

WHO WAS A GREAT CIA HAND
DURING IRAN-CONTRA,

A GREAT CIA PLAYER,
JOHN WALTERS IS HIS NAME,

WE DON'T HEAR
ABOUT IT NOW BECAUSE
THE DRUG BUSINESS IS DOING

EXACTLY WHAT
IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO.

THE DRUG MONEY IS FLOWING,
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO JAIL,

THE MONEY IS GOING
THROUGH WALL STREET,
PEOPLE ARE HAPPY.

IT'S NOT OUT OF CONTROL,
AND EVERYBODY IS LOOKING
THE OTHER WAY.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY
THE WAY THEY NEED IT TO BE
BECAUSE THEY CANNOT SUSTAIN

NOT ONLY THE U.S. ECONOMY,
BUT THEY CANNOT SUSTAIN

THE U.S. EMPIRE,
THE AMERICAN EMPIRE,
WITHOUT THOSE DRUG FLOWS.

EVERYBODY IS OUT TO GRAB MONEY.

EVERYBODY'S TRYING
TO MAKE MONEY

OFF THE DRUG WAR
ON THE GOOD SIDE.

AND OF COURSE, UN-BESPOKEN
ON THE BAD SIDE,

THE PEOPLE THAT USE DRUGS

AND SELL DRUGS,
THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE MONEY.

THE RULING CLASS
HERE IN AMERICA

HAD TO COME UP
WITH SOMETHING

SO THAT THEY COULD CONTROL
CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY

SO THEY COULD
STAY IN POWER.

SO THEY CREATED THE DRUG WAR FOR
THE FELONIZATION OF AMERICANS.

SO THE DRUG WAR HAS
ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED

A FALSE CAPITALIST
ECONOMY THERE

THAT'S DRIVEN BY
THE MONEY YOU THROW AT IT.

THE MORE MONEY
YOU THROW AT IT,

THE WILDER IT GETS.

Narrator:
BACK IN THE '70s,
JOE PIETRI WAS A LARGE-SCALE

MARIJUANA AND HASHISH SMUGGLER
WORKING IN NEPAL.

WHEN NIXON STARTED
THE DRUG WAR,

HE GAVE OVER $50 MILLION
TO THE GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL

TO OUTLAW MARIJUANA
AND HASHISH.

JOE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND
HOW A ONCE-PEACEFUL NEPAL

QUICKLY TRANSFORMED
INTO A SOCIETY OF HEROIN ADDICTS

CONTROLLED
BY A VIOLENT BLACK MARKET.

I WAS IN THE MARIJUANA
AND HASHISH BUSINESS
FOR 25 YEARS.

I SPENT 25 YEARS OF MY LIFE

LIVING IN SOUTHEAST
AND SOUTHWEST ASIA,

WHERE I SAW THE CIA,
THROUGH THEIR POLITICAL AGENDAS,

ALLOW THE PRODUCTION

OF OPIUM POPPIES
AND HEROIN PRODUCTION

IN SOUTHWEST
AND SOUTHEAST ASIA

THAT EVENTUALLY REACHED
THESE SHORES.

Narrator:
WHY DO YOU THINK HEROIN USE
HAS GONE UP SO MUCH?

WELL, I DON'T THINK
HEROIN USE HAS GONE UP.

HEROIN IS INCREASING.
I JUST STOPPED A--

YOU GUYS GONNA KEEP QUIET,
OR DO I HAVE TO GO DO THIS--

Narrator:
BACK ON THE STREETS OF L.A.,
DEALERS USE LITTLE BALLOONS

TO SELL SMALL AMOUNTS
OF HEROIN.

SERGEANT DAIGLE POINTS OUT
BALLOONS ON A STREET

THAT GETS CLEANED
EVERY FEW DAYS.

WHEN I LOOKED UP, I REALIZED
I WAS STANDING ON LITERALLY

THOUSANDS OF EMPTY BALLOONS
AS FAR AS I COULD SEE.

Daigle:
YOU CAN LOOK ON THE GROUND,
AND YOU CAN SEE WATER--

A LITTLE PURE WATER
THAT'S GIVEN OUT.

ALL THE LITTLE BALLOONS,
YOU'LL SEE THEM ALL OVER THERE.

THEY'RE AS COMMON
AS CIGARETTE BUTTS.

THAT'S ALL HEROIN BALLOONS.

Narrator:
MY WIFE AND I HIRED A YOUNG
WOMAN TO HELP AROUND THE HOUSE.

SOON, I STARTED FINDING
BURNT, BENT SPOONS

HIDDEN IN STRANGE PLACES.

JONA PLAYED IN A PUNK BAND,
AND AS I LEARNED
BACK IN THE '80s,

MUSIC AND DRUGS
GO HAND IN HAND.

( singing punk )

WELL YOU JUST THINK, LIKE,

"OH, IGGY POP, KURT COBAIN,
THEY USED HEROIN.

MAYBE I'LL BE ABLE
TO WRITE BETTER SONGS."

ESPECIALLY LIKE--

PEOPLE WHO ARE
INTO ART AND SHIT,

THERE'S MORE OF
A DRAW TOWARDS DRUGS

JUST 'CAUSE YOU WANT
TO EXPERIENCE

DIFFERENT STATES
OF YOUR MIND, YOU KNOW?

RIGHT NOW, IT'S AS EASY
FOR ME TO GET HEROIN

AS WALKING INTO A GAS STATION
AND BUYING A PACK OF CIGARETTES.

Narrator:
THE AMOUNT OF HEROIN
REACHING U.S. SHORES

SEEMS TO COME IN CYCLES,

BUT NOTHING IN PAST HISTORY
CAN COMPARE TO THE INFLUX

EXPERIENCED IN THE WAKE
OF THE NEW WAR ON TERROR.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE
AMERICAN TAXPAYER TO UNDERSTAND

THAT AFGHANISTAN
WAS PRODUCING VIRTUALLY

NO HEROIN UNDER
THE TALIBAN

AND IS NOW RESPONSIBLE
FOR 80% OF THE HEROIN

COMING TO THE UNITED STATES
AND THE WESTERN COUNTRIES.

Man:
WE INVADED AFGHANISTAN
RIGHT AFTER 9-11,

SECURED THE COUNTRY
IN NOVEMBER.

JUST BY COINCIDENCE,
THE PLANTING SEASON FOR
THE OPIUM POPPY IS NOVEMBER,

AND YOU HARVEST
IN LATE MAY AND EARLY JUNE.

Narrator: FORMER DEA AGENT
CELERINO CASTILLO
SERVED IN THE DEA,

WHERE HE HELPED TO ERADICATE
VAST POPPY FIELDS.

WHEN THE TALIBAN
WAS IN AFGHANISTAN.

THEY WERE
WHAT THEY WERE.

BUT THEY WERE
DEFINITELY AGAINST

OPIUM CROPS CULTIVATION,

AND A LOT OF IT
WAS DESTROYED.

WE SECURED THE COUNTRY
JUST IN TIME

TO RELEASE A WHOLE BUNCH
OF OPIUM WARLORDS FROM PRISON.
IT WAS IN THE NEWS.

DRUG MONEY COULD SOON

BE FUNDING AL QAEDA
AND OTHER TERROR GROUPS.

THESE BEAUTIFUL-LOOKING FLOWERS
ARE FUELING SOME UGLY
ADDICTION AND TERRORISM.

WHEN YOU TAUGHT EVERYBODY HOW
TO MAKE MONEY WITH HARD DRUGS,

WHAT ARE THEY
SUPPOSED TO DO, STOP?

Man on TV: POLICE DON'T BOTHER
THEM. THE U.S. MILITARY HAS
OTHER PRIORITIES.

SO WITHIN THIS PAST YEAR
THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

HAS CONTROL
OF AFGHANISTAN,

WHY IS THERE
A MAJOR CROP OF HEROIN

THAT'S GOING TO
BE COMING INTO THE U.S.

OR HAS COME INTO THE U.S.?

WE SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,

A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, YOUNG
MALE AND FEMALE WHITE COUPLES.

THEY ACTUALLY COME
DOWN HERE ON VACATION
IF THEY'RE HEROIN USERS

BECAUSE HEROIN
IS SO READILY AVAILABLE

DOWN HERE IN DOWNTOWN L.A.

BUT IT'S JUST SO--
IT'S INEXPENSIVE,
IT'S GOOD QUALITY.

IT TYPICALLY COMES IN
FROM THE HARBOR.

DOWN IN THE
HARBOR DIVISION.

L.A.P.D.

IT'S SHIPPED IN FROM OVERSEAS.
COMES IN ON CARGO SHIPS,

THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT IT'S JUST
READILY AVAILABLE.

YOU KNOW?

Man:
AFGHANISTAN
STANDS ON THE BRINK

OF BECOMING
A NARCO-TERROR STATE.

THIS "DRUG MONEY FUNDS TERROR,"
IT'S A PLOY.

A PLOY?

I SUPPORT THE TROOPS,

BUT I DON'T SUPPORT
MY GOVERNMENT,

BECAUSE OUR GOVERNMENT
HAS LIED TO US.

THOSE PEOPLE
AT HOMELAND SECURITY

WERE ALL BROUGHT IN TO FIGHT
THE SO-CALLED WAR ON DRUGS.

WHEN THEY REALIZED
THAT IT FAILED,

THEY WENT INTO TERRORISM,

AND NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO
COMBINE BOTH OF THEM BY SAYING,

"IF YOU SUPPORT
DRUG-TRAFFICKING

"OR IF YOU SELL
A DIME BAG AT A CORNER,

THAT MEANS YOU ARE NOW
SUPPORTING TERRORISM,"

WHICH IS ANOTHER LIE
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

THE PATRIOT ACT DEFENDS
OUR LIBERTY, IS WHAT IT DOES,

UNDER THE CONSTITUTION
OF THE UNITED STATES.

DID I SAY THAT?

WE DIDN'T NEED
THE PATRIOT ACT

TO HAVE PREVENTED 9-11,

AND YET THE PATRIOT ACT
WAS ALREADY

PRETTY MUCH WRITTEN
BEFORE 9-11 EVEN HAPPENED.

IT WAS ON THE BOOKS
WITHIN WEEKS,

AND NORMALLY THAT PROCESS
TAKES MONTHS TO DRAFT
THAT KIND OF LEGISLATION.

ISN'T IT
THE ULTIMATE IRONY

THAT PERHAPS
THE MODERN-DAY AL CAPONE,

OSAMA BIN LADEN, EXISTS

BECAUSE OF
POTENTIALLY THE FACT

THAT HE IS A DRUG KINGPIN?

DON'T PEOPLE SEE THIS?

PEOPLE ARE NEVER GOING TO
DO AWAY WITH A MARKETPLACE
FOR DRUGS,

BUT THAT, IN FACT,
IT'S PROHIBITION

THAT MAY HAVE LED
TO THE ACTUAL BOMBING,

THE ACTUAL DESTRUCTION OF
THE TWIN TOWERS IN NEW YORK.

BIN LADEN DIDN'T
BLOW UP THE TWIN TOWERS

BECAUSE HE DIDN'T
JUST LIKE AMERICANS.

IT WAS ABOUT MONEY.
SOME TYPE OF WAY,

BUSH GOT INTO MAKING MONEY
AND CUT HIM OFF.

( shouts )

WE SUPPORT 44 DICTATORS,
WE SUPPORT DRUGS,

WE SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT
OF AFGHANISTAN,

WHOSE BROTHER IS THE BIGGEST
DRUG LORD IN AFGHANISTAN.

WE SUPPORT
THE PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN,
WHO IS THE ONE WHO PROFITS.

IF YOU QUIT DRUGS,
YOU JOIN THE FIGHT

AGAINST TERROR
IN AMERICA!

WHEN YOU HAVE A GOVERNMENT
THAT PROMOTES DRUGS

TO GET THEIR AGENDAS ACROSS
IN CENTRAL AMERICA,

IN SOUTH AMERICA,
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA,
IN SOUTHWEST ASIA,

AND THEN PUTS ITS OWN PEOPLE
IN JAIL FOR USING THEM,

ARE YOU REALLY LIVING
IN A FREE COUNTRY?

I'VE HAD TWO SITTING
CONGRESSMEN TELL ME THIS:

"JIM, YOU'RE RIGHT. MOST PEOPLE
IN WASHINGTON REALIZE

THAT THE WAR ON DRUGS
IS NOT WINNABLE,

BUT IT'S IMMINENTLY
FUNDABLE, AND PEOPLE
IN GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY

ARE ADDICTED TO
THE DRUG-WAR FUNDING."

Narrator:
IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME THAT
ANYONE SHOPPING FOR GROCERIES

WILL HAVE THE CHOICE TO BUY
HARD LIQUOR AND CIGARETTES

ALONG WITH THEIR
MILK AND BREAD.

NOT THAT I HAVE ANYTHING
AGAINST THOSE THINGS,
BUT IN THE '90s,

IT WAS THE LEGAL SUBSTANCES
OF ALCOHOL,

TOBACCO,
AND PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS

THAT AFFECTED
MY LIFE FOREVER.

IN 1994, AT AGE 32,

MY CLOSE FRIEND PASSED AWAY
FROM PANCREATIC CANCER.

HE HAD BEEN 5 YEARS SOBER,
RELIGIOUSLY ATTENDING
A.A. MEETINGS.

ALTHOUGH CANCER
RUNS IN HIS FAMILY,
IT WILL ALWAYS BE MY OPINION

THAT THE NONSTOP
CHAIN SMOKING PLAYED

A MAJOR ROLE
IN HIS SICKNESS.

SO ALTHOUGH 10,000 PEOPLE
DIED LAST YEAR

FROM THEIR USE
OF COCAINE AND HEROIN,

IT'S ESTIMATED THAT 450,000

DIED FROM THEIR USE
OF TOBACCO.

A FEW YEARS LATER, AT AGE 47,
MY BROTHER CURT SUFFERED
A SEIZURE CAUSED BY

YEARS AND YEARS OF TAKING LEGAL
PHARMACEUTICAL MEDICATIONS

USED TO CONTROL HIS
SCHIZOPHRENIA.

Johnson:
IT'S ESTIMATED THAT 100,000
PEOPLE DIED LAST YEAR

FROM THEIR USE OF LEGAL
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

Narrator:
MY MOM, WHO HAD BATTLED
DIABETES FOR MANY YEARS,

STARTED DRINKING HARDER
AFTER CURT'S DEATH,

AND EVEN AFTER SURVIVING AN
ALMOST COMPLETE LIVER FAILURE

WAS STILL UNABLE
TO QUIT DRINKING

AND LOST HER LIFE
IN 2001.

NOT LONG AFTER
MY MOM'S PASSING,

MY DAD'S DRINKING FINALLY
CAUGHT UP TO HIM.

BUT LUCKILY FOR MY DAD,
HE TOLD ME THAT
THE DIALYSIS MACHINE

ALLOWED HIM TO DRINK
WAY MORE THAN EVER

BECAUSE OF HOW
IT FILTERED THE ALCOHOL.

IT'S ESTIMATED THAT
150,000 PEOPLE

DIED LAST YEAR
FROM THEIR USE OF ALCOHOL.

AND I'M NOT TALKING NOW ABOUT
DRINKING AND DRIVING.

I'M TALKING ABOUT JUST
THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCE
OF DRINKING.

I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE A FEW
PEOPLE THAT DIED LAST YEAR

FROM THEIR USE OF MARIJUANA,
BUT THERE ARE

NO DOCUMENTED DEATHS AS A RESULT
OF PEOPLE SMOKING MARIJUANA.

Narrator:
PERHAPS THE MOST ABSURD
ASPECT OF THE DRUG WAR

IS THE CONTINUING BATTLE OVER
THE LEGALIZATION OF MEDICAL
MARIJUANA.

THEY'RE TRYING LIKE CRAZY
TO COME UP WITH PILLS

TO HELP WITH CHEMOTHERAPY
AND HIV.

I MEAN, THESE ARE
SERIOUS ILLNESSES.

Narrator:
FOR CANCER SURVIVOR
TODD MCCORMICK,

THE RIGHT TO USE MEDICAL
MARIJUANA HAS BEEN
A LIFELONG STRUGGLE.

TODD SPENT 5 YEARS
IN THE VICTORVILLE PRISON

IN A CELL COINCIDENTALLY
RIGHT NEXT TO FREEWAY
RICKY ROSS.

TODD WAS NOT CAUGHT
SELLING MARIJUANA,

HE WAS ARRESTED FOR
GIVING IT AWAY FOR FREE

TO DYING PEOPLE WHO WERE
NOT ABLE TO AFFORD IT.

WHEN I WAS 2 YEARS OLD,
I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
HISTIOCYTOSIS X.

I SUFFERED THROUGH
10 MAJOR LESIONS

OF THESE HISTIOCYTITES

BETWEEN THE AGES
OF 2 AND 10,

AND I STARTED USING CANNABIS
TO EFFECTIVELY TREAT

THE NAUSEA
AND THE SIDE EFFECTS.

Narrator:
AS INSIGNIFICANT
AS IT MAY SEEM TO MOST PEOPLE,

THIS CONTROVERSY
CUTS TO THE VERY CORE
OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT

TO CONSUME ANY DRUG
PRESCRIBED BY A DOCTOR.

CANCER AND AIDS--

ALL THIS CANCER RESEARCH,
THEY HAVEN'T COME UP
WITH ANYTHING

THAT EVEN COMPARES
TO WHAT MARIJUANA DOES.

Man:
MANY ARGUE
THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE

THAT MARIJUANA
HAS MEDICAL VALUE.

IT'S A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE
WHO WANT TO SEE

NOT JUST MARIJUANA
BUT ALL DRUGS LEGALIZED.

Narrator: WHY IS OUR GOVERNMENT
SPENDING BILLIONS OF OUR TAX
DOLLARS EVERY YEAR

TO STOP PEOPLE FROM GROWING
A PLANT THAT HELPS THE SIDE
EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY?

YOU'RE LOOKING AT
PHARMACEUTICALS.
THIS IS A MULTI-

MULTI-MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR
INDUSTRY.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT
ALL THE PAIN MEDICATIONS,
ALL OF THE DRUGS THAT WE USE,

PROBABLY 80% OF THEM COULD BE
ELIMINATED BY PEOPLE
USING CANNABIS.

Narrator:
MEET DR. CLAUDIA JENSEN.

SHE MIGHT LOOK LIKE
A SOCCER MOM,

AND MOST CERTAINLY
DOES NOT GET HIGH,

BUT WHEN IT COMES
TO GIVING HER PATIENTS

WHAT SHE BELIEVES TO BE
THE BEST MEDICINE AVAILABLE,

SHE IS NOT AFRAID OF THE BULLIES
IN WASHINGTON WHO FIGHT SO HARD
TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS.

YOU EVEN TESTIFIED
BEFORE CONGRESS
A FEW WEEKS AGO

ON THE USE
OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

WHAT LED YOU
TO THE CONCLUSION

THAT THIS IS A VIABLE TREATMENT
FOR THIS DISORDER?

THAT'S WHAT PATIENTS
REPORTED TO ME,
SO I LISTENED TO THEM.

MARIJUANA DOESN'T
KILL YOUR LIVER,

DOESN'T DAMAGE YOUR KIDNEYS,

DOESN'T CAUSE ULCERS,

IT CAN INCREASE RISK
OF RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS--

BRONCHITIS AND PNEUMONIA.

THE RISK OF CANCER IS NOT
SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT.

VERY MINIMAL INCREASE
IN RISK FOR CANCER.

IT JUST GENERALLY DOES NOT
HAVE A DEATH PROFILE.

Narrator:
AS THEY SAY,
"LIFE IMITATES ART,"

AS I RECEIVED WORD THAT
MY DAD HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED
WITH THROAT CANCER.

I HAD NEVER EVEN SEEN
MY DAD SMOKE,

BUT HIS 40-YEAR-OLD,
2-PACK-A-DAY HABIT
REARED ITS UGLY HEAD.

IRONIC, BECAUSE HE DRANK
ENOUGH SMIRNOFF VODKA

TO DROWN
A RUSSIAN BATTALION.

BUT NOW HIS LIFE WAS THREATENED
BY SOMETHING WE'D NEVER
EXPECTED.

MY MOM AND DAD VOTED FOR NIXON

AND THEY WERE HAPPY ABOUT IT,
EVEN AFTER WATERGATE.

WERE PROUD THAT
THEY VOTED FOR NIXON.
THEY VOTED FOR REAGAN.

THEY VOTED FOR BUSH 1,
VOTED FOR BUSH 2.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I BRING UP
MARIJUANA TO MY DAD,

HE JUST ROLLS HIS EYES

WHILE HE'S SITTING THERE
DRINKING HIS SMIRNOFF.

GETTING THROUGH TO SOMEONE
LIKE YOUR FATHER IS, TO ME,

SOMETHING THAT ALMOST HE WOULD
HAVE TO EXPERIENCE ON HIS OWN

UNTIL THE BARRICADES THAT
HE'S SET UP MENTALLY COME DOWN

AND HE WANTS
TO OPEN HIS MIND

TO WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING HIM
WITH THIS INFORMATION.

EVERYTHING IN OUR BODIES
IS REGULATED

BY MARIJUANA-LIKE COMPOUNDS
THAT OUR BODIES PRODUCE.

SO WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM,
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM,

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM,
REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM,
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM,

ALL OF THESE COORDINATED
BODY FUNCTIONS

ARE REGULATED IN A HOMEOSTATIC
MANNER BY CANNABINOIDS.

Narrator:
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
YOU NEED NOT DRIVE FAR

TO FIND A MEDICAL MARIJUANA
DISPENSARY.

BUT BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUING
TENUOUS LAWS,

THE DEA STILL PERFORMS
RANDOM BUSTS.

IT WAS NOT EASY,
BUT MY FRIEND JOE ROGAN
OF FEAR FACTOR

WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE THEM
THAT I COULD BE TRUSTED,

AND GAINED OUR CAMERAS
SOME ACCESS.

Man:
WHAT WE TRY TO DO
WHEN MEMBERS COME IN HERE

IS THAT WE TRY TO GIVE THEM
AN INTRODUCTION

AS TO WHAT IS AVAILABLE.

Narrator:
PAUL SCOTT RUNS A DISPENSARY
AND KNOWS ALL TOO WELL

THE RISKS HE FACES
FOR DOING SO.

BUT PAUL HAS AIDS AND REMEMBERS
THE SACRIFICES MADE

BY THE PEOPLE BEFORE HIM.

MY FRIENDS WERE DYING.

BRAIN CANCER. YOU KNOW,

IT WAS THE PEOPLE EARLY ON
WHO WERE DYING.

AND MOST PEOPLE WHO
HELPED START THAT OPENING
A CANNABIS CLUB ARE DEAD.

SOMETHING THAT COULD
ALLEVIATE THE NAUSEA,

SOMETHING THAT
IF YOU'RE IN THE HOUSE

AND YOU'RE LIGHT-SENSITIVE
BECAUSE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS,

YOU CAN AT LEAST DESIRE
SOMETHING TO EAT.

FOR SOMEONE THAT'S OLDER,
THERE'S NO WAY

THEY'RE GOING TO SMOKE SOME
MARIJUANA WITH YOU.

PUT IT IN A LITTLE BROWNIE
OR A LITTLE CHOCOLATE CHIP
COOKIE

OR SOMETHING THAT THEY LIKE,
AND LET THEM EAT IT

AND LET THEM DISCOVER
THE EFFECTS OF IT,
ON THEIR OWN.

Scott:
AGAIN, THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT
DELIVERY METHODS

OF BEING ABLE TO EAT
THE CANNABIS WITHOUT SMOKING IT.

SO IF THE GRANDFATHER
WHO IS AT HOME

NAUSEATED AND IN BED
AND NOT EATING,

THERE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL
BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM

THAT'S WELL TOLERATED
AND THAT WILL BRING ON

BENEFICIAL SIDE EFFECTS
OF EATING

AND FEELING JUST A LITTLE BIT
BETTER THAT DAY.

BIG BUSINESS DOES NOT WANT US
TO KNOW THAT WE CAN CURE CANCER

FOREVER,
AT VERY LOW COST.

Man:
DEAR OLD DONNIE RUMSFELD,
OUR CHIEF TORTURER,

CHIEF LIAR ON 9-11--
ONE OF THE CHIEF LIARS--

WAS THE CEO OF
SEARLE PHARMACEUTICALS.

WHY WOULD THE PHARMACEUTICAL
COMPANIES WANT YOU
TO BE ABLE TO GROW A PLANT

IN YOUR BACKYARD THAT MIGHT CURE
YOUR MENSTRUAL CRAMPS?

MIGHT SOLVE YOUR HEADACHE?

MIGHT GIVE A TERMINALLY-ILL
CANCER PATIENT

SOME CHANCE OF
GAINING SOME WEIGHT

AND HAVING A TINY
QUALITY OF LIFE?

IF YOU CAN GROW THAT
IN YOUR BACKYARD, THERE'S NO
NET PROFIT FOR CORPORATIONS.

AND WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT NET
PROFIT MEANS TO STOCK PRICES.

TEN STATES HAVE
PASSED LAWS PERMITTING

THE USE OF
MEDICAL MARIJUANA,

BUT TODAY THE COURT RULED THAT
THE FEDERAL BAN ON MARIJUANA

SUPERSEDES THOSE
STATE LAWS.

POLLING HAS SHOWN THAT
A LARGE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS

CONSISTENTLY SUPPORT
THE USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

STILL, IN A 6-TO-3 DECISION,
THE JUSTICES SAID

THAT FEDERAL AUTHORITIES
MAY PROSECUTE SICK PEOPLE
WHO USE MARIJUANA,

EVEN IF IT'S AT
THE DIRECTION OF A DOCTOR.

Narrator:
HERE WE ARE IN THE MODERN WORLD,
WHERE SICK PEOPLE

OF ALL COLORS FEAR
INCARCERATION BECAUSE
OF THE MEDICINE THEY USE.

IS THEIR PLIGHT
HELPED OR HURT

BY WHAT I CONSIDER
TO BE THE MOST HONEST
OF ALL POT SMOKERS:

PEOPLE WHO JUST
WANT TO GET HIGH?

( laughing, shouting )

THAT WAS TOBACCO.

HELLO, NBC.

YOU ARE LYING.

YOU ARE NOT HERE FOR
ONE MARIJUANA CIGARETTE.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

DAVID.
I'M HERE FOR A COUPLE.

NO, I'M GONNA TELL YOU--
SO THIS IS GARBAGE,

AND YOU SHOULDN'T LIE
TO THE SHERIFF.

SMOKE WEED EVERY DAY-E-AY!

NOW THIS IS MY FIRST TIME
USING DRUGS,

SO ARE YOU SUPPOSED
TO INHALE?

Narrator:
BACK IN THE HOOD,

WE WERE JOINED BY
T. RODGERS' SON LUCKY,

WHO INFORMED US THAT
IT WAS TIME FOR US TO
TAKE A LITTLE TEST

TO MAKE SURE WE WERE NOT
UNDERCOVER NARCS.

WELL, I FOUND ME
A BAG OF BUD OUTSIDE.

I'M GRATEFUL FOR IT,

AND I'M ABOUT TO SMOKE IT.

YOU CAN'T RETURN IT
TO THE LOST AND FOUND, RIGHT?

I MEAN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO
IF YOU FOUND A BAG OF WEED?

SMOKE THE SHIT!
GODDAMN RIGHT?

WHAT YOU GONNA SAY?
"MAN, I FOUND A BAG OF WEED.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO"?

WELL, I KNOW.

WE'RE ABOUT TO--

WE IS 'BOUT TO SMOKE.

I JUST FOUND THIS, MAMA.

Narrator:
ALMOST EVERYONE I KNOW,
INCLUDING MYSELF,

HAS TRIED SMOKING MARIJUANA
AT LEAST ONCE.

SO WHY DOES OUR GOVERNMENT
CLASSIFY MARIJUANA

RIGHT ALONGSIDE OF DRUGS
LIKE CRACK AND CRYSTAL METH,

WHEN ITS EFFECTS ARE
OBVIOUSLY SO DIFFERENT?

Man:
MARIJUANA IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST
CAUSE OF TREATMENT NEED

IN THIS COUNTRY BY FAR.

THE PEOPLE
IN WASHINGTON REALIZE

THAT 85% OF ALL PEOPLE IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TODAY

THAT USE ANY FORM OF ILLICIT
DRUG USE ONLY MARIJUANA.

THAT MEANS THAT THE TOTAL
NUMBERS OF EVERYBODY ELSE

THAT USES ANY OTHER DRUG
WOULD NOT JUSTIFY

THIS COLOSSAL
PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX,

THIS COLOSSAL BUREAUCRACY
THAT WE HAVE TO FIGHT
THE WAR ON DRUGS.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO ARREST
BASICALLY THE BACKBONE,

THE FABRIC OF AMERICA TODAY.

YOU GOT 80 MILLION AMERICANS
WHO HAVE TRIED OR USED
MARIJUANA.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
DOCTORS, LAWYERS,

SCIENTISTS, ENTREPRENEURS.

ATHLETES.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
THE BACKBONE OF AMERICA,

THE MARROW OF AMERICA,
THAT DOES SMOKE
OR HAS SMOKED MARIJUANA.

MARIJUANA IS SCHEDULE 1.

Narrator:
DO YOU THINK MARIJUANA
BELONGS IN SCHEDULE 1?

I'M NOT SURE WHAT
THE POLITICS OF THAT IS,

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

Narrator:
WHAT ABOUT COUNTRIES
LIKE AMSTERDAM,

WHERE THEY'VE NOT SO MUCH
LEGALIZED BUT DECRIMINALIZED,

AND THEY CLAIM THAT IT'S HELPED
CRIME AND THAT IT'S HELPED
ADDICTION?

AMSTERDAM--
WHEN I'VE BEEN THERE,

YOU HAVE TO CROSS OVER BODIES
LYING ON THE STREET

BECAUSE THEY'RE HIGH
ON DRUGS.

THEY'RE JUST LYING
ON THE CORNER.

YOU HAVE TO JUMP OVER THEM
WHEN YOU WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE.

Narrator:
LESS THAN A WEEK
AFTER BAKING IN THE SUN

IN SHERIFF JOE'S TENT CITY,
I DECIDED TO TAKE A QUICK TRIP

TO SEE IF HE WAS BEING 100%
HONEST ABOUT THE EFFECTS

OF DUTCH DRUG LAWS
ON THE STREETS OF AMSTERDAM.

WHEN I ARRIVED, I WAS JOINED
BY A FRIEND OF A FRIEND

WHO HAD GROWN UP IN AMSTERDAM
AND KNEW THE STREETS

LIKE THE BACK OF HIS HAND.

YES, WE DID SEE
DRUG DEALERS,

BUT THEY WERE EXTREMELY POLITE
AND ALWAYS BACKED AWAY

AFTER REALIZING I WAS NOT
LOOKING FOR DRUGS.

AND UNLIKE SHERIFF JOE,
WHO WAS CROSSING OVER BODIES,

WE ENDED UP HAVING TO
PAY A DEALER TO INTRODUCE US

TO A SINGLE ENTHUSIASTIC
CRACK SMOKER.

THIS IS CRACK, MAN.

THIS IS CRACK IN AMSTERDAM.

THE CRACK.

Narrator: WHAT DO YOU
THINK ABOUT THE FACT
THAT YOU CAN DO THIS

ON THE STREETS HERE
WITHOUT BEING
TAKEN TO PRISON?

BECAUSE WE ARE--
WE PAY TAX FOR USE.

YEAH?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT
AMERICAN DRUG LAWS AS
COMPARED TO THESE DRUG LAWS?

THEY ARE VERY HARSH
IN AMERICA.

YOU CAN'T EVEN SMOKE
A JOINT OF MARIJUANA.

YEAH, I KNOW.
YOU GET INTO PROBLEMS.

HERE, YOU GET IT
AT COFFEE SHOPS.

THAT'S WHY
I DON'T UNDERSTAND

WHY YOU CAN'T LEGALIZE
THE SHIT.

BUT WHAT DO YOU
THINK ABOUT THE FACT
THAT IN AMERICA

THEY'RE FILLING UP
THE PRISONS WITH PEOPLE
THAT JUST WANT TO DO DRUGS?

IT'S NOT RIGHT.
THEY GOT TO TRY
ANOTHER, DIFFERENT APPROACH,

LIKE...

TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE ADDICTED,

THEN GIVE THEM PLACES
TO USE THE SHIT,

AND TAKING CARE
OF PEOPLE

WHO DON'T HAVE
A HOUSE TO SLEEP.

THAT'S THE WAY THEY DO IT
HERE IN HOLLAND.

Narrator:
BY TOTAL COINCIDENCE,
WE FOUND OURSELVES

AT THE 420 BAR
ON APRIL 20th.

UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, 4-20
IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT DATE

IN THE WORLDWIDE
POT-SMOKING COMMUNITY.

MY NAME IS MICHAEL VELING.

I AM THE OWNER OF THIS
BAR-CUM-COFFEE SHOP,

WHICH MEANS THAT
YOU CAN DRINK A BEER IN HERE

AND YOU CAN ALSO BUY
A BAG OF GRASS,

IF YOU SO WISH.

I'VE HAD THIS PLACE
FOR 18 YEARS,

AND I'VE NEVER HAD
A FIGHT IN HERE.

Narrator:
AMERICAN COMEDIAN TOM RHODES
MOVED TO HOLLAND,

WHERE HE BECAME THE DUTCH
EQUIVALENT OF DAVID LETTERMAN.

Announcer:
MR. TOM RHODES!

PEOPLE THINK THAT ALL DRUGS
ARE LEGAL THERE.
IT'S NOT TRUE.

AND ACTUALLY MARIJUANA
AND HASH IS NOT LEGAL,
IT'S TOLERATED.

AS ARE MUSHROOMS.
ALL ORGANIC DRUGS ARE TOLERATED.

I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY
ABOUT DUTCH DRUG POLICY.

THEIR MODEL APPLIED TO THE
UNITED STATES WOULD BE
INAPPROPRIATE,

AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT--
WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEGALIZE
DRUGS.

DRUGS ARE ALREADY
DECRIMINALIZED,

BY AND LARGE,
IN THE UNITED STATES.

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE
IN HOLLAND?

WELL, THEY REALIZE, OF COURSE,
THAT THE DRUGS ARE HERE,

THE DRUGS ARE HERE TO STAY,
AND LET'S TRY TO MANAGE
THE PROBLEM.

AND THEY HAVE PUT IN
A REALLY EFFECTIVE
HARM-REDUCTION PROGRAM.

IN HOLLAND,

THEY CALL PEOPLE "JUNKIES"
WHO DO ANYTHING TOO MUCH.

IF YOU DRINK TOO MUCH,
YOU'RE CONSIDERED A JUNKIE.

IF YOU SMOKE TOO MUCH WEED,
YOU'RE CONSIDERED A JUNKIE.

WHICH, WHEN I FIRST MOVED OVER
THERE AND I HEARD PEOPLE GO,
"OH, HE'S A JUNKIE,"

I ALWAYS THOUGHT THEY WERE
TALKING ABOUT HEROIN.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED?
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH
OF HOLLAND

HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE
A FEW YEARS AGO,

SAYING, "YOU KNOW SOMETHING?
WE HAVE ONLY HALF
THE MARIJUANA USAGE

"IN HOLLAND AS YOU DO
IN YOUR COUNTRY,

"BOTH FOR ADULTS
AND FOR TEENAGERS.

"WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN HOLLAND
IN MAKING POT BORING."

HOLLAND HAS 60% THE DRUG USE
AS THAT OF THE UNITED STATES,

AND THAT'S AMONG
KIDS AND ADULTS,

AND THAT'S FOR MARIJUANA
AND HARDER DRUGS.

IF YOU DO WEED
AND IT LEADS TO COKE
AND THEN YOU DO HEROIN,

THAT'S REALLY
THE INDIVIDUAL'S

OWN PSYCHO PROBLEM.

Narrator:
IN AMSTERDAM,
PEOPLE ADDICTED TO HEROIN

NEED NOT RESORT TO STEALING
OR PROSTITUTION.

THE RAINBOW IS A FREE CLINIC
THAT ALLOWS JUNKIES

TO COME IN OFF THE STREET FOR
A FIX OF GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED
HEROIN AND A CLEAN SYRINGE.

HEROIN ADDICTS ARE PITIED,
AND THE GOVERNMENT

DOES THE BEST THEY CAN
TO TRY AND GET THEM OFF HEROIN.

LIKE,

LAST YEAR IN THE PAPERS,

DUTCH DOCTORS SAID THAT THEY
THINK THEY SHOULD BE TREATING
HEROIN ADDICTS

WITH HEROIN INSTEAD OF
METHADONE AND MORPHINE

BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT JUST
MAKES THE ADDICTS ADDICTED
TO THOSE THINGS.

Jona:
METHADONE WITHDRAWAL
IS LIKE FIVE TIMES

AS LONG AS
HEROIN WITHDRAWAL.

I GUESS ALSO, THE POINT
OF METHADONE IS TO LIKE,

GET YOURSELF OUT
OF THE HOLE.

I DON'T SUPPORT THAT
ALL DRUGS SHOULD BE LEGAL.

I DON'T THINK HEROIN
SHOULD BE LEGAL.

I THINK IT RUINS
PEOPLE'S LIVES.

AND I'VE SEEN COCAINE

RUIN A LOT OF PEOPLE'S LIVES
AND TURN GOOD PEOPLE
INTO TOTAL ASSHOLES.

I THINK THAT
THE ORGANIC BASIS

FOR THE DRUG LAW
THAT HOLLAND HAS--

AND YOU KNOW, THEIR ENTIRE
SYSTEM ISN'T RIGHT, YOU KNOW?

BUT THE FACT
THAT MUSHROOMS

AND MARIJUANA AND HASH,

IT COMES FROM THE EARTH.

SO THEY'VE GOT MORE OF

A CHRISTIAN IDEA
OF CREATION

AND WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO

BE USED TO HELP US GET ALONG
IN THIS LITTLE JOURNEY.

THE DUTCH DRUG POLICY
IS VERY SUCCESSFUL.

IF YOU COMPARE
THE STATISTICS OF THIS COUNTRY

AND YOU COMPARE THEM
TO OTHER COUNTRIES

WHERE THERE IS A MUCH LESS
LENIENT POLICY ON DRUGS,

YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED
TO FIND OUT THAT HOLLAND
HAS VERY LOW FIGURES.

AMSTERDAM--
IT'S NOT LEGAL.
IT'S SEMI-LEGAL.

WHEN YOU GO INTO
A COFFEEHOUSE,

YOU CAN SMOKE A COUPLE OF
MARIJUANA CIGARETTES
OR THE HASHISH,

BUT IT'S STILL AGAINST
THE LAW TO SELL IT AND TO
HAVE LARGE QUANTITIES.

BUT IT DOESN'T WORK.
THE ENGLISH SYSTEM HAS
NEVER WORKED.

YOU SHOULD NEVER,
NEVER LEGALIZE DRUGS.

OKAY KEVIN,
I'M GOING TO HIT IT.

HIT IT. TAKE IT ALL.

Narrator:
I REMEMBER IT WASN'T LONG AFTER
LOOKING DOWN MY NOSE AT JONA

FOR HER HEROIN ADDICTION
THAT I FOUND MYSELF

ADDICTED TO
PRESCRIPTION PAIN PILLS.

A SERIES OF CHILDHOOD ACCIDENTS
FROM MOTOCROSS, GYMNASTICS
AND HIGH-DIVING

HAD LEFT ME WITH A COMPRESSED
DISC IN MY LOWER SPINE.

NOW MY BIGGEST NIGHTMARE
OF ALL TIME HAD BECOME TRUE:

NOT ONLY WAS I AN ADDICT,

BUT I HAD SOMETHING IN COMMON
WITH RUSH LIMBAUGH.

LIFE CAN BE CRUEL.

THE JOKE WAS REALLY ON ME WHEN
I LEARNED THAT QUITTING VICODIN

AND OXYCONTIN COULD ACTUALLY
BE HARDER THAN QUITTING HEROIN,

DUE TO THE HIGH PRECISION
OF SYNTHETIC OPIATES.

Chong:
RUSH LIMBAUGH,
AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED,

HE'S A VICTIM.

HE'S A VICTIM
OF THE DRUG WAR.

BECAUSE HE GOT HURT,
HE GOT ADDICTED TO OXYCONTIN,
WHICH IS LIKE HEROIN.

APPARENTLY, IT'S HARDER TO GET
OFF OF THAN HEROIN.

AND HE GOT SO ADDICTED
THAT HE HAD TO GO ILLEGAL.

BUT RUSH PERSONALLY?

I HAVE COMPASSION FOR HIM

AND I FEEL SORRY FOR HIM
AND I WOULD LIKE TO
TURN HIM ON TO POT.

IF HE NEEDS SOMETHING
TO MELLOW OUT,

YOU KNOW,
SMOKE A JOINT, RUSH.

THAT'S MY
PRESCRIPTION TO YOU.

MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THIS,
BUT THE CIA HAS THE HIGHEST

ALCOHOLISM, ADULTERY,

DIVORCE,
AND SUICIDE RATES,

OTHER THAN THE POST OFFICE.

MOST PEOPLE AT CIA
DRINK TOO MUCH.

AND I KNOW FOR A FACT
THAT THERE'RE PEOPLE AT CIA
THAT SMOKE MARIJUANA,

AND THEY'RE JUST HOPING
THAT THEY WON'T GET CAUGHT ON
THEIR NEXT LIE-DETECTOR TEST.

MARIJUANA IS, LIKE ALCOHOL,

SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE
WANT TO USE.

AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT
AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT
DRIVING A CAR.

Gray:
ASK YOURSELF: WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
IF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

OR CALIFORNIA
OR ANY OF OUR STATES

WERE TO TREAT MARIJUANA
LIKE ALCOHOL?

THIS RIGHT HERE IS 1/4 OUNCE BAG
OF THE JACK HARER.

AND THE ANSWER IS, THREE THINGS
WOULD HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY.

ALL OF THEM
WOULD BE GOOD.

THE FIRST THING-- AND I'M
IN CALIFORNIA, SO I CAN TALK
ABOUT MY NATIVE STATE--

THE FIRST THING IS THAT
THE TAXPAYERS OF CALIFORNIA

WOULD SAVE ABOUT A BILLION
DOLLARS THAT THEY SPEND

IN ONE YEAR ALONE
TO TRY TO ERADICATE MARIJUANA

AND PROSECUTE AND INCARCERATE
NONVIOLENT MARIJUANA USERS.

THIS IS AWESOME WEED, MAN!

Gray:
AND BY THE WAY, MARIJUANA
IS THE LARGEST CASH CROP

IN THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA TODAY,
EVEN THOUGH IT IS ILLEGAL.

SO YOU CAN TELL HOW SUCCESSFUL
WE ARE AT THAT.

NUMBER TWO IS GRAPES,
BY THE WAY, IF YOU CARE.

THE SECOND THING
THAT WOULD HAPPEN IS,
WE COULD TAX THE STUPID STUFF

AND GENERATE REVENUE OF AT LEAST
A BILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS

EVERY YEAR,
JUST BY THE TAX BASE.

NOT CHEAP.

Gray:
NOW ALREADY WE HAVE A CHANGE
IN OUR BUDGET DEFICIT

IN CALIFORNIA ALONE FOR A YEAR
OF ABOUT $2 1/2 BILLION.

IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD DO
WITH THAT MONEY.

AND THE THIRD THING,
IT SEEMS TO ME,
TRUMPS THE FIRST TWO.

THE THIRD THING IS, WE WOULD
MAKE MARIJUANA LESS AVAILABLE

FOR OUR CHILDREN
THAN IT IS TODAY. WHY?

BECAUSE THE ALCOHOL
IS REGULATED AND CONTROLLED

BY THE GOVERNMENT
AND ILLEGAL DRUG DEALERS.

ILLEGAL MARIJUANA DEALERS
CONTROL THE SALE OF MARIJUANA.

AND AS A RESULT,
THEY DON'T ASK FOR I.D.

I THINK IF YOU WANTED
TO START TO DO THIS--

AND THAT'S WHY THE DEA
HAS FOUGHT IT SO HARD--
YOU WOULD START BY

LEGALIZING MEDICAL MARIJUANA
ACROSS THE BOARD.

BUT YOU'VE SEEN
HOW HARD THE DEA HAS FOUGHT.

THEY'LL STOP SHIPMENTS
OF BIRDSEED

COMING ACROSS
THE CANADIAN BORDER

THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE
ANY THC CONTENT,
OR CAN'T GET YOU HIGH.

AND THEY WILL FIGHT THAT
TOOTH AND NAIL,

BECAUSE THAT'S HOW FLIMSY
THE FACADE OF THE DRUG WAR IS.

YOU WANT TO COME HOME TO
YOUR HOME AND SMOKE MARIJUANA,

THEN THAT'S YOUR BUSINESS,
THAT'S NOT THE GOVERNMENT'S
BUSINESS.

OUR GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS
TOLD US IT'S ADDICTIVE
AND SO FORTH.

BUT MARIJUANA HAS BEEN AROUND
FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS

AND HAS NEVER KILLED
ANYBODY.

Narrator:
WHAT'S YOUR OPINION
ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA?

WELL, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE.

TOUGH ONE.

IF IT'S ISSUED BY TIGHT
CONTROLS BY A PHYSICIAN...

I DON'T KNOW
IF I OPPOSE THAT.

IF SOMEONE'S DYING
OF CANCER,

AND THAT'S GONNA HELP
THAT PERSON,

I DON'T KNOW IF I'M STRICTLY
OPPOSED TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA,

YOU'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT,
IF IT CAN HELP THE DYING
PATIENT.

BUT IT HAS TO BE DISPENSED
BY A DOCTOR, JUST LIKE CODEINE
AND OTHER DRUGS.

DOCTORS DISPENSE
OTHER DRUGS.

Man:
SO, THE SECRET
TO ALL OF THIS--

I'VE BEEN DOING THIS
FOR A LOT OF YEARS--

THE SECRET BOILS DOWN
TO ONE THING:

PROHIBITION NEVER WORKS AS WELL
AS REGULATION AND CONTROL.

LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN:

PROHIBITION NEVER WORKS AS WELL
AS REGULATION AND CONTROL.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN
THAT WE ABANDON OUR CHILDREN

TO COCAINE USE OR MARIJUANA USE
OR ANYTHING ELSE.

BUT AS SOON AS YOU
PROHIBIT SOMETHING,
YOU GIVE UP ALL CONTROL.

AND NOW
THE ONLY PEOPLE IN CONTROL
ARE THE ILLEGAL DRUG SELLERS,

AND THEY DO WANT
YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER
TO GET HOOKED ON COCAINE.

BEFORE, WHEN YOU WENT TO BUY
MARIJUANA. YOU DIDN'T FIND
COCAINE OR HEROIN THERE.

YOU DIDN'T SEE GUNS.
IT WASN'T A VIOLENT SCENE.

THAT'S WHY IT WAS
EASY TO CATCH US.

Narrator:
DUE TO THE LACK
OF PROFIT POTENTIAL,

ANOTHER CATEGORY OF
NATURALLY-OCCURRING DRUGS

IS RARELY DISCUSSED
WHEN DEBATING THE DRUG WAR.

IT'S A QUESTION
I RUSH TO AVOID.

( laughter )

I DON'T MEAN
TO BE CRITICAL,

BUT IT'S SUCH A TINY,
SILLY THING,

IT'S ALMOST NOT WORTH
COMMENTING ON.

THE NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE
HAD TO FIGHT LONG AND HARD

FOR THE USE OF PEYOTE
FOR THEIR RELIGIOUS PRACTICE.

SHAMANISM IS THE OLDEST
RELIGION IN THE WORLD,

AND THE WAR ON DRUGS
DIRECTLY

IMPOSES ITSELF UPON OUR
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM,

AND THE, IN FACT,

WHAT IS THE OLDEST RELIGION
KNOWN TO HUMANKIND.

Narrating:
TRIBAL MEMBERS REPORT
A REDUCED RATE IN ALCOHOLISM,

GAMBLING ADDICTION,
AND EVEN DRUG ADDICTION

FOR THOSE WHO GO THROUGH
THE ANCIENT HALLUCINOGENIC
RITUALS.

WE TRY TO KEEP

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE FROM

USING ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
THROUGH THESE CEREMONIES,

AND TELLING THEM,
SHOWING THEM

THE WAY OF LIFE THAT
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LIVING.

I THINK PROBABLY
IF THERE WERE A CLAIM

THAT THESE KINDS OF DRUGS
ACTUALLY HELP

DEAL WITH ALCOHOL ABUSE,
THAT'S PROBABLY SILLY.

WE HAVE TO GET OUR TREATMENT
PROTOCOL FROM NIDA,

NOT FROM MALARKEY.

Narrator:
THOUSANDS OF YEARS
OF ANCIENT TRIBAL TRADITION

NOW BOILED DOWN
INTO ONE WORD:

MALARKEY.

KNOWN FOR BEING THE MAN WHO
INTRODUCED TIMOTHY LEARY TO LSD,

DR. GARY FISHER BELIEVES
THAT THE DRUG WAR

AND RELIGIOUS OPPRESSION
ARE ONE AND THE SAME.

THE PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS
HAVE BEEN USED

THROUGH TIME
IN VERY POSITIVE WAYS,

AND THEY DO NOT PRESENT

A THREAT TO ANYBODY
EXCEPT THE POWER
ESTABLISHMENT.

Narrator:
AFTER GETTING WORD
THAT MY FATHER'S CONDITION

HAD TAKEN A TURN
FOR THE WORSE,

I SPOKE WITH A DOCTOR
WHO USES HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS

IN ORDER TO PREPARE
TERMINALLY ILL PEOPLE

FOR THE INEVITABLE
TRANSITION.

IN TERMS OF
THE HALLUCINOGENS, PER SE,

MY INTEREST RESTS PRIMARILY

IN THEIR POTENTIAL
APPLICATION

AS A MEDICAL
PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT.

AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE
PARTICULARLY VALUABLE

FOR PATIENT POPULATIONS

THAT DO NOT RESPOND WELL
TO CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS.

Narrator:
DIAGNOSED WITH
TERMINAL LUNG CANCER,

ONE WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED
TO ACCUSE PAM SAKUDA OF
ONLY WANTING TO GET HIGH.

THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE WAGING
THE WAR ON DRUGS

HAVE EVERY INTEREST IN
CONTINUING TO DO SO.

BECAUSE ESPECIALLY MEDICINES
LIKE HALLUCINOGENS.

AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE
IN THESE DISCUSSIONS

THAT WHAT THEY DO
IS THEY ALLOW YOU TO
CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE

AND TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
THAT YOU'RE CLOSED INTO.

AND THAT'S THE LAST THING THAT
THIS POWER STRUCTURE WANTS

IS FOR YOU TO THINK
OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.

IN FACT, THEY'D RATHER MAKE
YOUR BOX SMALLER.

HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE
A TRULY RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.

AND NOT HEARING
ABOUT RELIGION,

BUT TO HAVE THAT
PRIMAL EXPERIENCE.

OF COURSE, YOUR DAD IN
HIS CONDITION AND ALL OF HIS--

HIS MIND-SET AND HIS RIGIDITY
WOULD BE HIGHLY UNLIKELY
TO ACCEPT THAT.

THE TRUTH IS,
A SICK PERSON,

A PATIENT WHO IS ILL,
SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO USE

ANYTHING THAT THEY CAN USE
THAT WILL HELP

RELIEVE THEIR PAIN
AND SUFFERING.

Narrator:
BECAUSE OF MY FATHER'S BELIEFS
AND THE LAWS IN TEXAS,

I'LL NEVER KNOW
IF NATURALLY-OCCURRING DRUGS

COULD HAVE HELPED HIM THROUGH
THE MOST PAINFUL EXPERIENCE
IN HIS LIFE.

AND IN THE END,
LIKE MOST AMERICANS,
HE PUT HIS FAITH

IN WESTERN MEDICINE
AND LOST HIS BATTLE WITH CANCER.

( bell tolling )

MY FATHER LIVED
AN AMAZING LIFE.

HE STARTED WITH NOTHING
AND TIRELESSLY WORKED
HIS WAY TO THE TOP.

AND EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T AGREE
WITH HIS DRINKING,

IT WAS THE WAY
HE CHOSE TO LIVE.

AS FAR BACK AS
I CAN REMEMBER, MY PARENTS,

LIKE THE REST OF
THE WORLD WAR II GENERATION,

ALL DRANK LOTS
OF HARD LIQUOR.

OUR COUNTRY'S PSYCHE SEEMS
TO BE ONE FUELED BY ALCOHOL,

SO IT ONLY MAKES SENSE
THAT THE DRUG WAR IS
AGAINST ANYTHING

THAT THREATENS
ALCOHOL OR TOBACCO.

Man:
WHEN ALCOHOL PROHIBITION
ENDED, IT EMPOWERED

A NEW GROUP OF ENTREPRENEURS:
THE LIQUOR INDUSTRY.

THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY
HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB

OF JUMPING INTO THE FDA
AND EXEMPTING ITS PRODUCT

FROM EVERY SINGLE LAW
THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED
IT TO GET OFF THE SHELVES.

ALL MY BROTHERS--
ALL THEM DEAD.

AND MY MOM AND DAD.

AUNTIES.
EVERYBODY ELSE.

I'M THE ONLY ONE LEFT.

THEY WAS DRINKERS.

THEY DIED WITH CIRRHOSIS
OF THE LIVER.

EVERYBODY LIKES TO SIN.
DON'T YOU LIKE TO SIN?

YEAH.
( indistinct )

IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH
SINNING YOU DO, PILGRIM.

Narrator:
EVER SINCE
MY FRIEND BILL DIED.

I HAD DONE MY FAIR SHARE OF
CONSUMING VARIOUS SUBSTANCES.

I THOUGHT I HAD ESCAPED
THE ADDICTIVE TRAITS
OF MY FAMILY,

BUT FOR ME THE HOOK CAME
IN THE FORM OF PAIN PILLS.

NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD REHAB,
WHILE SEARCHING THE INTERNET,

I FOUND A NEW DRUG TREATMENT
THAT BREAKS THE ADDICTION
TO OPIUM.

IT SEEMS LIKE BEING ADDICTED
IS PUNISHMENT ENOUGH.

I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE
HAVING THE LAW INVOLVED.

MANY, MANY, MANY,
MANY PEOPLE.

GOOD PEOPLE.
GOOD, TALENTED PEOPLE.

IT MAKES AS MUCH SENSE TO ME
TO PUT THIS GIFTED ACTOR
ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

IN JAIL FOR HIS COCAINE
PROBLEM--

AND REGRETFULLY HE CERTAINLY
SEEMS TO HAVE ONE--

AS IT WOULD HAVE BETTY FORD
IN JAIL FOR HER ALCOHOL PROBLEM.

IT'S THE SAME THING. BUT,

IF BETTY FORD
OR ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
OR YOU OR I

DRIVE A MOTOR VEHICLE
WHILE IMPAIRED BY

WHATEVER DRUG
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT--
BE IT MARIJUANA,

ALCOHOL,
COCAINE OR WHATEVER--
THAT'S A CRIME.

BRING THEM TO COURT.
BRING THEM TO PEOPLE LIKE ME,

AND WE WILL ADDRESS
THEIR ACTIONS.

THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE USE
OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

Narrator:
THE MEDIA AND THE DRUG WAR HAVE
A LONG, SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP.

DURING THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS,
FREEWAY RICKY ROSS' LEGEND
CONTINUED TO GROW.

A PLATINUM-SELLING RAPPER
USING THE NAME RICKY ROSS

TELLS STORIES THAT GLORIFY
RICK'S LIFE AS A DRUG DEALER.

RICKY EVEN HAD HIS OWN
HOUR-LONG B.E.T. SPECIAL,

ONCE AGAIN PROVING HOW
A WAR-WEARY COUNTRY

HAS BECOME IMMUNE TO COMPLETE
GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION.

HOWEVER, IN LATE 2005,
RICKY DID CATCH A BREAK

AND GOT HIS SENTENCE REDUCED
DOWN TO A FEW YEARS.

RICKY ROSS IS
REALLY A GOOD GUY

WHO TOOK ADVANTAGE
OF AN OPPORTUNITY.

HE WAS AN ENTREPRENEUR.
BUT HE'S AT THE BOTTOM

OF THE FOOD CHAIN,
SO HE WENT TO JAIL.

ALL THE GUYS THAT
VIOLATED THE LAW,

THAT IGNORED CONGRESSIONAL
SANCTIONS ON IRAN-CONTRA,

THEY'RE ALL IN POWER.

AND GEORGE BUSH,

A GUY WHO NEVER
SUCCEEDED AT ANYTHING

AND IS CERTAINLY NOT
SUCCEEDING AT THIS PRESIDENCY,

A GUY WHO STOLE
TWO ELECTIONS,

WHO HAS COMMITTED AT LEAST TEN
DIFFERENT IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES,

HE'S PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.

( man singing metal )

LOOK, I HAVE COME
MORE THAN 180 DEGREES.

I WORKED NARCOTICS
IN SOUTH-CENTRAL LOS ANGELES.

NOW I AM COMPLETELY
AND TOTALLY IN FAVOR

OF DECRIMINALIZING
ALL DRUG USE, PERIOD.

DRUG ADDICTION,
LIKE ALCOHOL ADDICTION,
IS NOT A CRIMINAL PROBLEM.

IT'S A MEDICAL PROBLEM,
A SOCIAL PROBLEM,
A SPIRITUAL PROBLEM.

HERE WE GO.

BUT, YOU KNOW,
THE MONEY INCENTIVE

BEHIND THE DRUG WAR
IS SO GREAT,

THAT TO SHUT THIS
BIG, BIG MACHINE,

THAT REHAB MACHINE,
PRISON MACHINE,
FELONIZATION MACHINE,

THIS WHOLE OTHER THING
THAT THEY HAVE GOING DOWN,

IS GOING TO TAKE
A REAL REVOLUTION.

BUT AS EMILIANO ZAPATA
ONCE SAID,

"I'D RATHER
DIE ON MY FEET

THAN BE LIVING ON MY KNEES
FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE."

THE NEXT BIG STEP

IS THE PEOPLE REFUSING TO

PAY TAXES OR TO
RE-ELECT PEOPLE.

IN FACT,
I SEE 80 MILLION AMERICANS

GETTING THEMSELVES ORGANIZED
TO THE POINT WHERE

THEY CAN TELL CONGRESS THAT

IF IT DOESN'T DRAMATICALLY
REDUCE WHAT WE SPEND

ON HEAVY-METAL MILITARY,
ON SECRET INTELLIGENCE,

ON PRISONS-- WHICH ARE
ACTUALLY SLAVE FARMS--

THEN THESE PEOPLE
WILL BE FIRED.

Woman:
ARE YOU READY TO ORDER?

GIVE ME TWO WAFFLES,

ONE BREAST,
ONE SIDE ORDER OF GRITS.

Narrator:
TODAY'S HEADLINES SOLELY FOCUS
ON THE WAR ON TERROR,

A WAR THEY SAY
COULD LAST 100 YEARS.

BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR
THE FUTURE OF THE DRUG WAR?

THE FEDS ARE LISTENING.

YOU GOING DOWN
IF YOU USE THIS PHONE.

YOU SHOULD BE MUCH MORE AFRAID
OF FIRST DATA CORPORATION

THAN OF THE CIA.

IT'S PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
THAT ARE CATALOGING
EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION.

THEY DON'T NEED WARRANTS
NOW TO TAP YOUR--

WELL, THEY NEVER DID
FOR CELL PHONES--
BUT THEY DON'T NEED WARRANTS

TO TAP YOUR ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATIONS,
WHICH ARE NOT SECURE.

I'VE BEEN
VIOLATED ALL MY LIFE,
SO IT DON'T MATTER.

THERE GOES THE 5th AMENDMENT--
( tires screech )

THERE GOES THE 5th AMENDMENT
AND THE 6th AMENDMENT.

SOMEBODY DIDN'T
LIKE THAT.

THEM COMING OUT AND ADMITTING IT
IS JUST AN ADMISSION OF GUILT.

SO... LIFE GOES ON.

LIFE GOES ON.

Narrator:
BACK IN SHERIFF JOE'S JAIL,
THE DAILY GRIND GOES ON.

AND IN ALL HONESTY,
AS MUCH AS I WANTED
TO HATE JOE ARPAIO,

I WAS GLAD THAT SOME OF
THE INMATES I MET WERE
NOT LIVING ON MY STREET.

MARCH TIME. MARCH!

LEFT, RIGHT,
LEFT, RIGHT,
LEFT, RIGHT...

80% OF THE COPS SHOT
IN THIS AREA

WERE SHOT BECAUSE PEOPLE
WERE HIGH ON DRUGS.

SO WE WANT TO GIVE
DRUGS TO EVERYBODY,
LET 'EM ALL SHOOT THE COPS.

Narrator:
GROWING UP DURING
NIXON'S DRUG WAR,

I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE
HOW LIFE WOULD BE

WITHOUT THIS
DRUG PROHIBITION.

I OFTEN WONDER WHO IN MY FAMILY
MIGHT STILL BE ALIVE

HAD THEY USED NATURALLY
OCCURRING DRUGS

FOR BOTH THEIR MEDICAL
AND RECREATIONAL NEEDS.

THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMS THAT
THE FUTURE OF ILLEGAL DRUG USE

IS HEADING TOWARDS
SYNTHETICS, SUCH AS

PRESCRIPTION ABUSE
AND CRYSTAL METH.

THIS MAN LIVES IN THE MOST
DRUG-INFESTED AREA OF AMSTERDAM.

MUCH CRYSTAL
METH HERE?

UH, NO. I NEVER HEARD
ABOUT CRYSTAL METH.

WHAT IS IT?
SPEED.

SPEED. OKAY.

IN A PLACE THAT HAS ADOPTED
A MORE CHRISTIAN VALUE

TOWARDS ORGANIC SUBSTANCES
THAT COME FROM THE EARTH,

SYNTHETIC DRUGS
LIKE CRYSTAL METH
ARE ALMOST NON-EXISTENT.

DO YOU WANT YOUR FUTURE
TO BE THIS?

OR TO STAY ON THE PATHWAY
THAT ALLOWS A GREEDY FEW

TO PROFIT FROM THE FELONIZATION
OF SICK PEOPLE?

IT'S A FREE-FOR-ALL
ON THE STREET.
YOUR KIDS CAN GO

AND BUY HEROIN
AND COCAINE EASIER THAN

THEY CAN GET
CIGARETTES
AND ALCOHOL.

SO THERE HAS TO BE
SOME CONTROL.

McCaffrey: WE'RE NOT
GONNA LEGALIZE DRUGS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT.

WE HAVE ACTUALLY
DONE A TERRIFIC JOB

IN THE UNITED STATES
REDUCING DRUG ABUSE.
IT'S TRUE!

( cadence continues )

NO ONE TALKS ABOUT MAKING
CIGARETTES ILLEGAL,

SO THEY ARE NOT
PROTECTING PEOPLE.

THEY ARE NOT PROTECTING SOCIETY.

I CAN DRIVE STONED.
I CAN'T DRIVE DRUNK.

BUT ALCOHOL IS LEGAL
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW
HOW TO MAKE WHISKEY.

DO YOU KNOW HOW
TO MAKE WHISKEY?

Man:
OKAY. PUT YOUR HANDS...

TURN IT OVER
AND UNWRAP IT.

NOW TAKE A BITE.

DELICIOUS.

TASTES LIKE WEED, DUDE.

IT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER
AS A PHYSICIAN TO KNOW

THAT THE MEDICAL BOARD
SEES MARIJUANA AS A DRUG

AND THEY ARE DEALING
WITH IT AS A MEDICATION,
BECAUSE THAT'S THE TRUTH.

WELL, MY MESSAGE
TO RICKY IS, "MAN,

"THE WORLD IS GREAT
WHEN YOU GET OUT
HERE, MAN.

"YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP
YOUR HEAD UP.
I MISS YOU.

AND YOU'RE GOING
TO BE OKAY."

HE'S BEEN FINE
ALL THESE YEARS.

RICKY'S GOT A REALLY
GOOD SENSE OF SELF.

I LOVE HIM, MAN.
I REALLY LOVE RICKY ROSS.

I THINK HE IS
A GREAT PERSON.

RICKY ROSS IS DOING
GEORGE BUSH'S TIME.

( people cheering )

( techno music plays )

WHAT ARE YOUR
OPINIONS ABOUT

DRUGS LIKE MUSHROOMS
AND ECSTASY?

I LOVE MUSHROOMS.
WHY, AM I VIOLATING
THE LAW EATING MUSHROOMS?

NO, HALLUCINOGENIC.
WHAT THE--