End Prohibition?

I believe one of the most contentious issues of today is drug use, and the war on drugs (WoD). The WoD has cost around 1 trillion dollars since it started in the 1970 but has had a negligible effect on actual drug use in this country. In the overall cost of drugs has fallen, while teenagers report that it is easier to purchase drugs that alcohol. Therefore if the purpose of the WoD is to reduce drug use and access, it is certainly not working. Let’s look at some facts and values then and see if we can’t formulate a better policy, one that works.

First, I think people on both sides of the isle can acknowledge that drug abuse is bad. People that abuse drugs ruin their own lives, and often the lives of people they love. Moreover, drug abuse can be linked to increased crime. Therefore, strategies to reduce drug abuse should be encouraged. However, the problem is that incarceration does little to nothing to discourage drug abuse. Drug abuse is a medical and social problem, and locking people up has been repeatedly shown to not be an effective treatment option. Instead incarceration just keeps people down, and encourages that same type of behavior that led to drug abuse in the first place. Therefore, treatment not incarceration is the solution if our goal is to reduce drug abuse.

Next, drug use does not equal drug abuse. For example, a person that likes to smoke a joint, or drink a beer on Saturday while watching TV, is a drug user. They have their life in order, pay their bills and taxes, and just enjoy getting high. On the other hand the person, who has lost their job, can’t pay their bills etc, because of drugs or alcohol is an abuser. That person needs treatment (not incarceration). Moreover, drug use does not have to lead to drug abuse. As with many things moderation is key, and those that are able to partake responsibly should not be punished or incarcerated because some others can’t. If my neighbor Jake gets drunk and beats his wife, does that mean I should not be able to drink a glass of wine? No, that is the worst kind of nanny state that says no one can do anything.

Therefore, I believe that we should end prohibition on the grounds that one it is not working, and two it is morally wrong to take away someone’s individual liberties by prohibiting them from using drugs.

Ending prohibition would have many benefits. It would stop ruining people’s lives because they did drugs on occasion. It would force gang members to get jobs because they would no longer be able to sell drugs for a living. It would save billions of dollars in prison costs. It would allow police to focus on actual crimes. It would stop invasive policies designed to deter drug use that really just amount to spying on citizens. And, it would raise billions in new tax revenues that could be then put into crime prevention, drug abuse prevention and treatment, and maybe even into schools J

However, I realize that there are some that are not willing yet to end prohibition. They have been scared so long by the tales about reefer madness that they are certain that society would crumble if we ended prohibition (just like it ended when alcohol prohibition was ended in the 1930’s). So I propose that if people are not willing to end prohibition nation wide, why not do a test. Let’s take a city and revoke prohibition in that city. Then see how things go, if the city turns into one great big ghetto then go back to what we are doing. But if somehow magically life goes on, and maybe even gets better, then we will have an objective manner in which to evaluate the new policies.

I think the best choice for this would probably be Las Vegas. It’s already known for partying etc, and would have the infrastructure necessary to do something like this. The drugs would be treated in a similar manner as to alcohol. You would have to be 21 to purchase, and they would be heavily taxed. The large amounts of extra tax revenue would be used to extra police, and drug prevention/abuse programs. Plus, I’m sure that you would have enough extra revenue left over for other projects. I posit that a program like this would actually make Las Vegas safer. There would be more cops on the street, less gangs, and no more shootings over things like drug deals gone bad. Drug use would be treated the same as alcohol, IE no drugged in public etc.

If prohibitions look at this proposal objectively they will have no choice but to agree to a trial. Unless of course they don’t want to try it because they are afraid that it will actually work. It’s time to move on and try something new, and stop locking people up for getting high. Open your mind, and give this a shot.
PS. you can find a number of very good articles on the WoD here http://www.reason.com/topics/topic/144