End of the War on Drugs?

[Rhys]

Headlines lately seem to indicate the coming admission that we have lost the War on Drugs - NYS liberalizing the Rockefeller Drug Laws, legalization of Marijuana in California, the imminent collapse of Mexico to drug gangs, etc.
While drug enforcement has kept the price of drugs up and limited their availability to some extent, it has also been a boon to organized crime. There is so much money in it that corruption of police and authorities is rampant and violence is epidemic.
Legalization would undercut the drug gangs by taking away their primary source of income, but it would also make drugs more widely available. My question is, is it worth the trade-off?

My own opinion is that if drugs are legalized, no one should get public benefits like welfare unless they pass random drug tests. No reason we should subsidize the druggies (except rehab should be available for anyone who wants it). Also, I doubt if this will cut into organized crime as hoped as we seem to be entering into a new war - the war on guns - which like prohibition and drug laws, will provide new opportunities for organized crime and gangs.

[Soldier4Christ]

No matter what gets legalized nor how much it is made legal there will always be a way that criminals will find a way to make money on others. Even though the prohibition days are over on alcohol and tobacco there is still an illicit business going on both and will continue to do so. Legalizing drugs will not remove their primary source of income. It will simply change the methods of these people somewhat and cause a greater problem for society.