What we can learn from prohibition: legalization is the only way.

Prohibition was a period in America which the sale, manufacture, or transport of alcoholic beverages became illegal. It started January 16, 1919 and continued to December 5, 1933. Although it was designed to stop drinking completely, it did not even come close. It simply created a large number of bootleggers who were able to supply the public with illegal alcohol. By doing so, criminals became more efficient and more organized as they evolved to large criminal organizations. Many of these bootleggers became very rich and influential through illegal sales of liquor.

If it weren't for prohibition, criminal organizations probably would not have been as sophisticated as they are today nor would they have had any source of income if liquor was legal. This brings me to reflect on present situation where certain stimulants such as marijuana, ecstasy and other illegal substances are the culprit of numerous labor consuming and expensive operations from agencies throughout the world in effort to stop the drug trade. Why haven't we learned from prohibition? Did the world come to a halt after the legalization of alcohol? Why can't we do the same for other stimulants? From top of my head, I can name a great deal of benefits through legalization. Government agencies such as FBI or the RCMP and others would have more valuable time to investigate terrorist activity instead of fighting a lost cause which is the drug trade. In fact, most of these terrorist organizations are funded by the sales of illegal drugs.

Through legalization, criminal or terrorist organizations would lack any source of income as corporate investment would obviously take control of once illegal trade through legitimate sales. Not only would this help against terrorism, but also help open hundreds or even thousands of new legal jobs which would guarantee worker safety and minimum wage to their employees. On top of that, the government would be able to collect taxes over sale of these substances as they do today with tobacco and alcohol. So in the end, it's a win win situation.

I know some are concerned that the public would be exposed to more harmful drugs, and that this would lead to more consumption. I would disagree, as I believe, the people who are stimulant free will remain as such, and the people who do use it will continue to do so. This is not to say there will be temptation to try it once. But in the end, nurture more than nature dictates our lifestyle. Why are some people chain smokers, others alcoholics or heavy coffee drinkers? Are these vices any different than a womanizer or a glutton? I think the culprit is not exposure but social dysfunction, and more so in a multi-cultural society that is run by fast paced capitalism.

Everyone finds a way to exhaust their daily stresses on something. So if drug addicts are able to obtain their fix in dangerous and uncontrollable ways, we as a society, might as well benefit and learn from their demise instead of pointing illegal substances as an obvious scapegoat. We tabooed it, we frowned upon it, and we even tried to stop it. It all failed; now let's try a new alternative.