I am not a drug user (but have, in my long-past college days experimented). Despite my decades of abstaining from (non-prescribed) drugs, I think it is time to ask a more fundamental question.

Why is there a War On Drugs at all?

Since 1971 the War on Drugs has been an abject failure at the only stat that matters, it has never decreased supply.

Take that in for a second and remember that most of the profitability that creates the violence is created by criminalization.

Remember that the War on Drugs has been one of the prime (if not the) drivers of Mass Incarceration.

Remember that the War on Drugs exports misery worldwide as cooperation in interdiction operations and anti-drug policies has been a quid pro quo condition of our aid policies for decades.

Remember that the War on Drugs has not decreased addiction or done anything to prevent (and most likely exacerbated) addiction by pushing failed “tough on addicts” models of recovery instead of Harm Reduction, treatment, and care.

Remember that it has been the War on Drugs that has made poor communities and communities of color into militarized war zones and resulted in MASSIVELY disparate enforcement and sentencing.

In short, the War on Drugs manufactures misery, incarceration, moral lepers, racism and death.

Why do we support it again?

Some people in this comment stream are making the argument “drugs are destructive and bad.” Even if I were to 100% concede that argument, it would not make the case for drug enforcement being good.

What we are doing doesn’t work. It isn’t fixing the problems. We need new solutions (not to tinker with the same failed policies over and over again). People’s lives are literally on the line.

In my opinion, EVERY discussion of Drugs policy should start and end with these two statements:

1. The War on Drugs is a failure and needs to be ended
2. Addiction is a public health not a criminal justice problem.

So,

The War on Drugs is a failure and needs to be ended. Not reformed, ended.

Marijuana is one example of the failure of the War on Drugs and should be legalized.

Addiction has been proven time and again to be a public health and not a criminal justice problem.

Let’s stop supporting a “solution” that makes all of the problems of addiction worse.