We must end the war on drugs, as a story in the New York Times discusses: Numbers Tell of Failure in Drug War.
"Yet the presidential elections on both sides of the border offer a unique opportunity to re-examine the central flaws of the two countries’ strategy against illegal narcotics. Its threadbare victories — a drug seizure here, a captured kingpin there — pale against its cost in blood and treasure. And its collateral damage, measured in terms of social harm, has become too intense to ignore.
Most important, conceived to eradicate the illegal drug market, the war on drugs cannot be won. Once they understand this, the Mexican and American governments may consider refocusing their strategies to take aim at what really matters: the health and security of their citizens, communities and nations."
It is time to simply stop. Repeal all laws criminalizing possession or sale of drugs, and grant amnesty to all those convicted for such crimes.