NoNonsense Legalizing Drugs

The question is no longer if we should end the war on drugs but how do we do it.We urgently need to legalize and regulate drugs - this book explains why, and how to do it. The human and financial costs of 50 years of drug war are vast - but there's a better way. It requires a paradigm shift from an ideological `war on drugs', to a pragmatic system of control and regulation grounded in public health and human rights. The question is no longer if, but how. This is an accessible blueprint for regulation.This latest addition to the NoNonsense series counts the human and financial cost of fifty years of drug war-and proceeds to outline a better way, looking at where drug law reform is already working, how to overcome the obstacles to reform, and what a post drug war world looks like.Steve Rolles is a writer and policy analyst at drug reform organization, Transform. He was lead author on After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation. He is a regular contributor to the public debate on drug policy and law in the media.

The 'war on drugs' is a complete failure that is destroying lives all over the world. It is time to take control. Legalizing drugs does not mean a free-for-all. It involves ensuring that substances are safe and taking distribution out of the hands of the criminal networks who currently benefit from an illegal market with a turnover of $320 billion a year. This book is not just a litany of the damage done over the past four decades of drug war—it assesses the careful, progressive attempts at reform by some governments and, more important still, it looks forward to examine exactly how legalized drugs will be produced, distributed and regulated in future. The change is going to come—but this book will put you well ahead of the curve.

The question is no longer if we should end the war on drugs but how do we do it. This latest addition to the NoNonsense series counts the human and financial cost of fifty years drug war—and proceeds to outline a better way, looking at where drug law reform is already working, how to overcome the obstacles to reform and what a post drug war world looks like.