The war on drugs has been ongoing for many decades now and this illogical fight has failed in a variety of ways.

It has neglected to achieve the intended goals such as keeping drugs out of the hands of users or preventing people from starting in the first place, decreasing demand, getting addicts treatment, reducing drug violence, or preventing drug abuse etc.

The war on drugs has fueled mass incarceration however, it's clogged the justice system, destroyed families and communities, corrupted law enforcement, and contributed to the erosion of civil liberties.

It's prevented people from being able to exercise their right to consume or trade property peacefully with other individuals. And the cost has far outweighed any possible benefits that it could have produced. There are more than enough reasons to end the drug war for good.

And one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world, the British Medical Journal, recently asserted that they agreed with such a stance. According to them, as with many others who have voiced similar opinions in the past, they say that the evidence calls for an immediate end to drug war prohibition.

Those with the BMJ believe that the drug war fuels too dangerous a threat to public health and their stance is that the drugs should be legalized, regulated, and taxed.

Though, the highly regulated route isn't exactly an ideal situation for those who would prefer their freedom to exchange with others be respected, without any intervention or force involved. There will likely be many people who will be happy to finally have legal access to something that they would previously be risking a lot for.

Even though prohibition still remains and many areas are actively fighting against drugs and drug use, the market has still managed to flourish over all these years. Trading was still possible even though there wasn't any central authority or force involved.

Safety or control?...

Ending the drug war would foster a myriad of positive impacts; likely to drastically reduce drug-related violence, fuel new innovative research, and improve the quality of life for many.

The act of using drugs is a non-violent act and a war should not be waged on people who would probably benefit more from receiving help and treatment rather than punishment, fines, and violence being exerted against them.

After all, the users and the drugs have essentially won the war. And the multi-trillion dollar battle that's continually being waged against them will only further fuel undesired consequences and that won't stop until bureaucrats and their enforcers reverse their approach.

Pics:
Pixabay

Sources:
https://www.alternet.org/drugs/world-prestigious-medical-journals-bmj-called-legalize-all-drugs
https://hightimes.com/news/british-medical-journal-advocates-decriminalizing-all-drugs/
https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2057.full

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