Before we look ahead to the debate over legalization, we should first look back at what took place to bring about the current drug prohibition. The drug hysteria first started around the turn of the century, by Orville Marshall who documented San Francisco's opium dens. In his report he documented the people who frequented these "dens of sin". He found, that a significant number of the patrons

But, as we attempt to crack down on the violence and drug trafficking. We find that our justice and prison systems are ill equipped to hand the influx of "...arrests that are routinely made (40,000 drug dealers and users over a two year period in Washington DC alone) and since those arrests barely skim the top of the pond, arguing that stricter enforcement is the answer begs a larger question: Who is going to pay the billions of dollars required to build the prisons, hire the judges, train the police men...for the load already on hand, let alone the huge one yet to come if we ever get serious about arresting dealers and users?(2)"

I should also add that after the repeal of prohibition alcohol use tripled and one year later had settled at a higher rate of use than before prohibition. Though we do not have any reliable information on the number of addicts before drug prohibition. There has been speculation that the misuse of drugs was at or above current levels of drug use. Raising the question, can we afford the costs that may come with the legalization of drugs "...increased use, more addicts, increase in deaths related to drugs, and the lose of worker productivity."

Washington DC: The American University Press

Though we may pay a high social cost by legalizing drugs it can be no higher than the social cost felt by the ever increasing "War on Drugs." Why don't we take that 40 billion dollars and put it to a good use like better education for inner-city youths(all) and drug intervention programs.

The report lead to the Harrison Act of 1914, which restricted the use of opiates and cocaine to medicinal uses only. The Harrison Acts language is relatively vague leading to varied interpretations and throughout the years has become the "cornerstone" of the American drug prohibition. Leading to the formation of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), in 1974.

Further more, "...it is not to say that society was wrong to repeal Prohibition. A democratic society may decide that recreational drinking is worth the price in traffic fatalities and other consequences. But the common claim that laws backed by morally motivated political movements cannot reduce drug use is wrong."

TANGENTLyou don't have to read(A little extreme but look at what liberties we have already given up because of this "war on drugs" , the banks are now to snitch on us if we move $2000, the tele-com bill of 1995 which was later found to be unconstitutional, which would have give the police the right to bug you phone even if they suspected you of drugs, not even reasonable cause, unreasonable car searches I realize your not a kid but I realize why those Inner-city youths are complaining about being pulled over, I tried to exercise my right not to have my car search, mind you I had nothing to hide, and the police officer detained me while he called for a k-9 unit mind you he told me he was righting me up for an impeding traffic ticket I ended up not getting. And I was in Dearborn Heights at 2pm just another routine stop A. whats next repealing the 2nd amendment. I REMIN

Some common words found in the essay are:
Moore Alcohol, Colombia Mexico, Washington DC, , Enforcement Agency, San Francisco's, War Drugs, Eighteenth Amendment, SALES Sorry, Harrison Acts, war drugs, prohibition alcohol, drug legalization, prohibition drugs, drug prohibition, social cost, alcohol prohibition, inner-city youths, doomed fail, drugs prohibition alcohol, legalization debate, drug legalization debate, prohibitions doomed fail,
Approximate Word count = 2078
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)