The drug war was declared around the time when drug use among educated people began to decline, indicating a political motive behind the war on drugs targeting minorities.

We live in a prohibitive society that denies access to substances that could help people, even those that have never killed anyone.

The drug problem is fundamentally a US issue, as the country is a major producer of synthetic drugs, and the financial flows from drug trafficking largely go through US banks. Additionally, the criminalization of marijuana lacks substantial medical evidence to justify it, and the American Medical Association has never supported its criminalization.

In the 1980s, substance use declined among educated people while remaining steady or increasing among poorer populations, highlighting a class divide in drug use.

Legalizing all drugs could lead to many addicts who wouldn't have been addicts otherwise, and it raises concerns about people's ability to handle them.

We need to stop punishing people who use substances, as sending them to jail sends a confusing message about addiction being a health problem.

The U.S. has seen a dramatic increase in incarceration rates since the 1980s, largely due to the war on drugs and harsh sentencing for victimless crimes.

Fear of crime in the U.S. is manufactured by politicians, who debate over who can be tougher on crime rather than addressing it as a societal issue.

The prohibition of psychedelics in the 1970s was largely a political move to suppress social movements, and the stigma surrounding them continues to hinder their acceptance despite their potential for positive change.