Illegal Drugs: The Case for Legalization

Kenneth Cauthen

The essay that formerly appeared on this page was published as a part of a chapter in my The Ethics of Belief: A Biohistorical Approach, 2 vols. (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing Co., 2001).

The drug war has been a massive failure. We should see the problem as a matter of public health and not an issue for the criminal justice system. Marijuana should be legalized now, and we should work toward the goal of dealing with the other now illegal drugs as we do alcohol and cigarettes. The major drug problems in this country are not marijuana, cocaine, and heroine, and the like but tobacco and alcohol. We need immediately to shift the emphasis radically from imprisonment to prevention and treatment.

I invite comments, refutation, and suggestions.

Please remove * in my e-mail address before sending. The * was added to thwart spammers. Thank you. My E-Mail Address This is one of a series of essays on this site. For the rationale behind them and for a complete list of topics, see: Theological Essays Presently, the following essays are available: About the Author
A List of my Books
Interpreting the Bible Today
The Authority of the Bible
Using the Bible with Integrity
Natural Law and Moral Relativism
What is Truth -- and Does it Matter?
A Doctrine of God
Hints Toward a Doctrine of God
Trinity: God, Christ, Spirit
God as Masculine and Feminine
Theodicy: the Problem of Evil
Theodicy: A Heterodox Alternative
The Many Faces of Evil
Christ and Christians
A Critique of Niebuhr's Christ and Culture
The Incompatibility of Christianity and Civilization
Christian Ethics
Process Christian Ethics
The Ethics of Belief
Relativism, Morality, Belief
Capital Punishment
Physician Assisted Suicide
Bioethical Decision-Making
Prostitution
Abortion
Drug Policy
Homosexuality
Theology and Ecology
Religion and Politics
Science and Theology
Church and State
A Short Biographical Sketch For fun I have rewritten some Mother Goose Rhymes for an electronic age. Mother Goose Goes Electronic

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Last updated: Friday, June 15, 2001, 2:15 PM