DdC

Debate: Legalize marijuana? + Poll
And a look at demand side policies in the U.S. war on drugs

Editor's Note: Shannon O'Neill is the Douglas Dillon Fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, where she blogs.

The “drug war” strategy of the last four decades revolves primarily around supply side measures. Whether eradication, interdiction, or arrests, it fixates on stopping the seemingly endless flow of drugs and cash across U.S. borders . But there is obviously another side to the equation – U.S. demand. The United States is the largest consumer of drugs across the globe (though there are signs that the cocaine and marijuana markets in Europe and the developing world are catching up) with 1 in every 7 Americans having tried an illegal substance. Marijuana accounts for the vast majority of that consumption, followed by prescription drugs and cocaine. continued...

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Yes 94.78% (1,888 votes)

No 2.21% (44 votes)

Only for medical use 3.01% (60 votes)

Total Votes: 1,992