Prohibition

A series on the subject of the failure of Prohibition by filmmaker Ken Burns has created a buzz around ending drug prohibition. Former senior policy advisor to President Obama's drug czar, Kevin A. Sabet warns that alcohol prohibition is much different from drug prohibition in his article “Prohibition’sReal Lessons for Drug Policy.” Many who support ending drug prohibition reason since alcohol prohibition did not succeed then neither will drug prohibition so it should end. In Sabet’s article he warns this is not sound logic by highlighting the benefits of prohibition, the reason for its failure and the lesson we should take from its policies.

Sabet points out the differences in the two types of prohibition to explain how the failure of alcohol prohibition does not dictate the effectiveness of drug prohibition. First, the consumption of alcohol was never prohibited like drugs are, only the distribution and sale of it was prohibited. Second, Congress and the executive branch had no interest in enforcing the laws of prohibition unlike the constant enforcement of our drug laws today. Sabet also argues that the substances and societies views on them are different. Unlike drugs alcohol is a substance that has been accepted and used by almost every society since biblical times. Prohibition also decreased the consumption of alcohol and cases of cirrhosis of the liver among Americans. Sabet also explains that we learned that from legalizing alcohol big corporations are the ones that profit from the substance, encouraging lower taxes on it to increase use. The increase in use causes negative effects on people and society. For example tax dollars are used to provide alcoholics with treatment for addiction.

I do not agree that all drugs should be legalized but I do believe there would be some benefit to legalizing marijuana. Of course everyone knows that consuming alcohol has many negative side effects. However that does not change the fact that the American people have a right to consume it. Most drugs are too harmful to make legal but marijuana is one drug that is milder than alcohol. Legalizing would allow law enforcers to concentrate on more dangerous and addictive drugs like crystal meth. Unlike alcohol marijuana is not addictive and does not cause the accidents or wild behavior alcohol does which would mean no negative effects on society. I do not believe that in legalizing marijuana we would be able to solve any economic problems but it is a mild substance that does not require the same government control as other more dangerous substances. Tax dollars could then either go towards the prohibition of other drugs or to a different government program.