That irresistible urge has cost more than a trillion dollars, destroyed countless lives, and created a prison industry that is bursting at the seams. There is so much money in the system, from federal dollars to those taken from arrestees through forfeiture laws that law enforcement is loath to let it go. But the battle against the War on Drugs just got some major reinforcements from the NAACP.

"The significance here with the NAACP is that it's an old and established organization which is well-rooted and well-organized throughout the country," says Franklin. "This creates a very good network for getting information out and getting things done. I'm interested and excited about what happens from here. The one thing that would serve them well to push for is a proper discussion at the national level, out of Washington D.C., that's what really needs to happen. It's time for policymakers to properly address this issue."

These are things that would not have been addressed by your grandfather's NAACP.

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