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The Great Legalization Debate and the Repercussions of Past Policies: A Review of the Current Literature James Falconi
Abstract This review sifts through the current literature on the popular and controversial topic of how the United States should deal with controlled substances. There is as great of a cry as ever for the United States to reform the legality and approach to controlled substances. The US government has been involved in a “War on Drugs” since the Nixon Administration of the 1970’s and has been resistant to loosening or reforming stiff drug laws that were set under the Controlled Substance Act during this era. These laws have been criticized harshly by a variety of different people including politicians, academics, and activists. These critics come at current policy from a variety of different angles but agree that current policy is harming our society and societies close to ours. A large part of the pro-‐ legalization argument is based on the United States’ tenure with alcohol prohibition, which showed how much less harmful alcohol is to society when legalized and regulated. Arguments for legalization include the discussion of social, health, criminal, racial and economic
Abstract This review sifts through the current literature on the popular and controversial topic of how the United States should deal with controlled substances. There is as great of a cry as ever for the United States to reform the legality and approach to controlled substances. The US government has been involved in a “War on Drugs” since the Nixon Administration of the 1970’s and has been resistant to loosening or reforming stiff drug laws that were set under the Controlled Substance Act during this era. These laws have been criticized harshly by a variety of different people including politicians, academics, and activists. These critics come at current policy from a variety of different angles but agree that current policy is harming our society and societies close to ours. A large part of the pro-‐ legalization argument is based on the United States’ tenure with alcohol prohibition, which showed how much less harmful alcohol is to society when legalized and regulated. Arguments for legalization include the discussion of social, health, criminal, racial and economic
Cited: (2001): 875-‐880.