The idea of legalizing narcotics used to be supported by only a smattering of minority groups that see interest in such a move. However, the drug trade and markets have since bloated exponentially since the early 1990s that the question of prohibition of a long list of drugs is now affecting the decision of policy makers and law enforcement agencies. In fact, the legalization of drugs has been an important debate for the past two years.

There are conspicuous reasons as to the need to evaluate prohibition. ‘Drugs are now damaging long-term Western security interests, especially in Afghanistan and Mexico.’ Also, ‘production is migrating away from its traditional homes like Colombia and the Golden Triangle and moving into the heart of Western consumer areas like Canada, the Netherlands and Britain.’

There is now a mindset that ‘the War on Drugs is a disastrous policy that achieves none of its aims and inflicts huge damage on global security and governance wherever it is prosecuted.’

The supporters of legalization aver that ‘state regulation of the drug market would reduce the health and social risks posed by narcotics and generate huge tax revenues, which could be hypothecated to absorb any costs. At the moment, the vast profits from the illegal drug trade go into the pockets of organized crime syndicates and terrorist groups.’

The US and other Western countries are sitting on the anti-prohibition sentiment. There are no concrete efforts ‘to counter the growing sentiment in favor of drug law reform.’ But Obama, on record, opposes legalization.

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Via The New York Times