The War on Drugs has been going on since 1971 – and it is no more effective today than it was the day President Richard Nixon started it. The truth is, prohibition is a lost cause and we really need to stop wasting the time and money spent on this un-winnable battle.

<strong>It’s Never Stopped Anyone</strong>

The truth is, it is just as easy to day to get your hands on marijuana as it was in the 60s. In fact, it may actually be more available than it was back then! It might sound crazy, but go ahead and ask any middle school or high school student and I bet they can either get you a “hook up” or at least know who in school would be able to.

With <a href="http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-it-time-to-scale-back-the-war-on-drugs/americas-longest-war-has-once-again-shown-that-prohibition-doesnt-work">cannabis being so easily obtained</a> by teens and adults all over the United States wouldn’t it make more sense to profit from it? In most cases, it is easier for a teen to get a hold of a bag of weed than it is to find someone 21 or older willing to buy them alcohol or over 18 to get them cigarettes.

<strong>A Drug Dealer is the Modern Day Speak-easy</strong>

When alcohol went under prohibition people were outraged. Did they conform to the rules because it was law now? Of course not! They found a way around it – something that has not changed a bit over the years.

From 1920 – 1933 when alcohol was constitutionally banned people took matters into their own hands. They opened speak-easies, which were like bars, but in people’s basements. They would brew their own alcohol – which is very dangerous and bad liquor actually caused many deaths while the ban was in place.

In the end people found out it was better to regulate alcohol from production to sale in order to keep people safer.

Now think about this for a second – people may not die from marijuana, but there is risk of overdose or adverse reactions if a dealer were to lace the marijuana with another, more dangerous substance.

Though this is not likely to happen, wouldn’t it be safer for an adult to be able to go into a store and buy their marijuana where they know it was grown properly and not laced with another substance? It would also make it easier for people to determine if what they are getting is a high or low TCH strain – and just like beer versus hard liquor, smokers have their preferences too.

Many drug dealers work out of their homes and their cars. Some will invite you over to try the new strain they just got. How is this any different than the 1920s Speak-easy?

Regulation of production and sales would make the consumption of cannabis safer for everyone involved!

<strong>The States Don’t Care What the Federal Government Says Anymore</strong>

Quite frankly, the American population is coming to the conclusion by themselves that marijuana is not something to be feared. Enough people have tried it now that the lies projected by 1970s slander campaigns are holding no weight – except with the oldest generations.

In 2012 Colorado and Washington were officially the first two states to fully – medicinally and recreationally – legalize marijuana within state lines. The amount of positive change that these states have seen after letting the people make their decision is tremendous.

Between the tax revenues and the decrease in crime alone these states are already better off. There’s no point in denying it any longer, prohibition doesn’t work. The states are one by one going to prove this point until the War on Drugs (or at least the War on Marijuana) is finally over.