Contents
1 A brief history of the global ‘war on drugs’
Prohibition of alcohol in the US
The history of cannabis prohibition
Nixon launches his war on drugs
The end of the global drug-war consensus
2 Counting the costs of 50 years of drug war
Chasing the illusion of ‘a drug-free world’
Why the war on drugs threatens public health
Bringing high-risk drug use into prisons
Wasting billions, undermining economies
Banks and the illegal drug trade
Undermining peace and security
3 What would a post-drug-war world look like?
Why the goal should be to reduce harm
Regulation: the pragmatic middle-ground
Institutions for regulating non-medical drug markets
Addressing key concerns around legalization and regulation
Will legalization mean more drug use?
Are developing countries able to deal with the regulatory challenge?
What will all the criminals do?
4 Drug-law reform in practice around the world
Why decriminalization and legalization should not be confused
Cannabis legalization and regulation around the world
Uruguay: the first country to legalize cannabis
Switzerland’s successful experiment
Innovative approaches to other drugs
5 Obstacles to reform – and how to negotiate them
Why has the war on drugs proved so resilient?
Shifting the political cost-benefit analysis