The war against drugs certainly has been good for government, with bigger budgets, more bureaucracy, and new powers.
But does it have any positive impact, even from the perspective of people (like me) who think drug use has a net negative impact on both users and society?
The answer, almost surely, is no. A recent article from The Economist finds that marijuana use is very low in Portugal, even though most drugs – including heroin and cocaine – were decriminalized in 2001.
So if the Drug War has lots of bad consequences and no good consequences, isn’t it time to stop? After all, if you’re in a hole, doesn’t it make sense to stop digging?
[…] But I’ll simply observe that we have this problem with drugs being illegal already. Given the evidence from Portugal, I’m hopeful that decriminalization might lead to less drug use. […]
[…] But I’ll simply observe that we have this problem with drugs being illegal already. Given the evidence from Portugal, I’m hopeful that decriminalization might lead to less drug use. […]
[…] downside. And I’m not talking about more people wrecking their lives with drug abuse (indeed, evidence from Portugal suggests drug use may go […]
Prohibition and an outright war on drugs is a waste of time and a waste of financial resources. Another thing is the hypocrisy of some leaders in the U.S. who admitted to use of these drugs and want to punish other people who do the same thing.
[…] he’s not the only one who has commented on this development. The Economist also has noted the positive impact of Portugal’s pro-liberty […]