NCJ Number
133729
Journal
Science Volume: 245 Issue: 4921 Dated: (September 1989) Pages: 939-946
Date Published
1989
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Drug legalization is examined as an analytical model and as a policy option for addressing the drug problem.
Abstract
Although legalization would increase availability of drugs, decrease their price, and remove the deterrent power of criminal sanctions, there are still three reasons why drug legalization should be implemented. First, criminal justice policies have proven limited in their ability to curtail drug abuse. This includes international drug enforcement efforts, interdiction, and both high-level and street-level domestic drug enforcement efforts. Secondly, the criminalization of the drug market has proven highly costly and counterproductive as was the national prohibition of alcohol 60 years ago. The greatest beneficiaries of drugs laws are organized and unorganized drug traffickers. Thirdly, these risks of legalization will be minimized if the drug legalization policies are wisely implemented. Between reduced government expenditures to enforce drug laws and new tax revenues from legal drug production and sales, Federal funding of drug treatment programs is possible and may even yield effective social and education programs that create incentives for children, especially those in the ghetto, not to abuse drugs. This can minimize the risks of legalization, dramatically reduce the costs of current policies, and directly address the problems of drug abuse.