Of the war on drugs, it is important to remember the victims of this senseless effort on the part of law enforcement.
Of all the things I don’t understand about people, the most aggravating characteristic is the desire to control what other people do to or with themselves. The War on Drugs™ is but one government policy driven by this need to control the lives of others.
I find it difficult to believe that unfettered trade in recreational drugs would be a worse case for our society than our current situation. You don’t see the Miller and Budweiser distributors having gun battles on the streets (or exporting their territorial disputes over distribution rights to Mexico) because they have access to the courts. Legalizing drugs would remove a lot of violence from our streets. Legalizing drugs would also help property crime rates; I suspect much property crime is simply fundraising for drug purchases.
Most important to me is recognizing that law enforcement is out of control on the drug enforcement front. The idea that a SWAT team is necessary to apprehend a criminal in the middle of the night is ridiculous. Why not just stop him next time he buys gas?
Hat Tip: Timothy Sandefur