Should The U.S. Legalize Hard Drugs?

I have been against our war on drugs for years now and I have never seen a more concise and persuasive argument against it than this by George Will.

Should The U.S. Legalize Hard Drugs?

By George F. Will, April 11, 2012

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/should-the-us-legalize-hard-drugs/2012/04/11/gIQAX95QBT_story.html?wprss=rss_george-will

The real dollar cost of this failed policy is anywhere from $11 billion a year to $40 billion to incalculable.

The comparison of this “war” to Prohibition is inevitable and it leaves us with the only argument that drug prohibitionists have.  Before, during and after Prohibition, everybody who wanted to drink alcohol did and they could do it everywhere – this is not so with hard drugs;  access is restricted.  Many illegal drugs are far more addictive than alcohol and a reduction of restrictions could lead to many more destroyed lives.  A problem perceived as one for the lower classes could infect the incredibly over protected children of today’s middle classes.  Unfortunately, the urge to protect other people from their weaknesses has a long, consistent history of failure.

And the bogeymen of legalization should not prevent us from seeing the failure of the current policy, the successes of legalization in other countries or opportunities for trying other approaches.

P.S.  Personally, I think marijuana should be legalized and taxed – it appears to be better for us than booze.  But either way, marijuana should be a completely separate issue from our policy on hard drugs.  Don't let the windsock politicians dupe us into thinking that legalizing pot will have any affect on the failed war on drugs.