Unitarians call for legalizing all drugs

Christian Century, July 17, 2002

The Unitarian Universalists have called for the decriminalization of all drugs and an end to treating drug users like criminals. Meeting in Quebec for its annual General Assembly, the Boston-based church association passed a "Statement of Conscience" that called the American war on drugs an abject failure.

"Our current drug policy has consumed tens of billions of dollars and wrecked countless lives," said the statement, which supporters say carries more weight than an ordinary resolution because it commits the church to key objectives. UUA President William Sinkford said, "It's time for a cease-fire."

The statement, passed by two-thirds of delegates at its June 20-24 assembly, is one of the strongest pro-legalized drug statements ever adopted by a major religious body. It goes further than a 1970 UUA statement that called for the legalization of marijuana, for instance.

In addition to pledging to work for the decriminalization of all drugs, which would be available with a prescription from a doctor, the church said insurance companies should be forced to pay for drug abuse treatment like "other chronic health conditions."