Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Jeanne Giraldo. Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-77). Also available online.

Of the people, by the people, for the people stated in the Declaration of Independence in 1776 is what the framers of the Constitution had in mind. It was the intention to establish a framework that would create sound and just government. It held a bill of rights that provided examples for the world to follow. Unfortunately, the United States fails its own declaration when considering some of its policy and legislation. When examining drug policy, it is apparent that these laws were not of the people, by the people, or for the people, and in fact are contrary to the Constitution of the United States. This thesis will examine the history of drug policy in the United States. It will provide examples of other nation's policy on drugs to compare. In addition, a recount of the Bill of Rights and specific examples of the War on Drugs will illustrate the contradiction of U.S. drug policy to the Constitution. The thesis will end with a recommendation for the formation of new policy and a reminder of who is ultimately responsible.

Thesis (M.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2003. / Title from title screen (viewed Mar. 25, 2004). Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in paper format.

Even if the main criminals of an organization are incarcerated, they will be replaced by others who would continue illegal activities, unless their financial assets are removed. Thus, civil forfeiture intends to dismantle the economic infrastructure of drug trafficking networks. Civil forfeiture considers the property as guilty, rather than the owner, and it may exist even if there is not a criminal action. Therefore, it is claimed that police agencies have chosen easy targets, such as wealthy drug users rather than major drug traffickers. Consequently, it has been particularly challenged on the basis of the Excessive Fines, Double Jeopardy, and Due Process Clauses. The use of criminal forfeiture instead of civil forfeiture and the elimination of the equitable sharing provision are considered to be the primary solutions.

This thesis examines how drug policy and enforcement affect drug manufacturers. The approach taken is a comparative institutional analysis of cannabis and methamphetamine production. I focus on the effects of prohibition, privacy, and clandestine markets on producer behavior for these two drugs and the unintended consequences that result. I demonstrate that cannabis and methamphetamine producers both face substantial transaction costs and that producers alter their behavior to manage these transaction costs. I conclude that cannabis producers can adopt indoor, small-scale operations to hide their activity, which are capable of yielding continuous, high-potency crops. Methamphetamine producers also adopt small-scale, decentralized strategies, but commodity control increases their exposure and leads to greater overall transaction costs during the manufacturing process.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The "War on Drugs" is the most expensive effort to control the personal behavior of American citizens. This study is an effort to analyze the battle over the meaning of cannabis. This "war" has waged on for the majority of the twentieth century and beyond. The federal government has utilized a variety of weapons in the "war" including most notably media. The government has succeeded in altering the definition of cannabis from hemp to marijuana.