For most of us, in an ideal world, fewer people would be doing drugs. While many people favor legalization of marijuana, the issue becomes more divisive when we apply it to other drugs. Nobody wants rampant drug use taking over society. But is legality the thing holding people back from doing drugs? Would legalization lead to a drug-fueled society, with teenagers roaming the streets on meth and rampant crime wreaking havoc all around? Today, we’re looking at what actually happens when countries legalize drugs. Show Highlights: The history of prohibition and its effects on society A look at how much money we’re sinking into the incarceration of non-violent drug offenders The correlation between drug use and legalization What economic changes happen when countries legalize drugs The impact legalization has on crime How legalization can lead to health benefits for drug users A look at countries like Portugal and Sweden, who have taken on progressive drug approaches What drug legalization does and could look like in America Sources & Further Reading: http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/04/30/2018-09062/annual-determination-of-average-cost-of-incarceration https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p18.pdf https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2018/03/more-imprisonment-does-not-reduce-state-drug-problems https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radical-drugs-policy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it https://www.opb.org/article/2020/11/04/oregon-measure-110-decriminalize-drugs/ https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-that-have-decriminalized-drugs.html https://ssir.org/articles/entry/inside_switzerlands_radical_drug_policy_innovation https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/making-economic-case-legalizing-drugs https://www.cato.org/blog/55-americans-favor-decriminalizing-drugs Facebook Twitter