Drug Use and Drug Policy in a Prohibition Regime

41 Pages Posted: 10 Apr 2008

See all articles by Robert MacCoun

Robert MacCoun

Stanford Law School

Karin D. Martin

University of California, Berkeley - The Richard & Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy

Abstract

Prohibition makes some drug use and drug selling a crime by statute, but licit drugs like alcohol are also associated with criminality in myriad ways. Within a prohibition regime, it is difficult but important to distinguish a drug's "intrinsic" psychopharmacological harms from the harms created or exacerbated by prohibition and its enforcement. Rather than debating the merits of legalization (see MacCoun & Reuter, 2001), we evaluate current epidemiological patterns and mainstream policy instruments within the US prohibition regime, but we go beyond the standard criterion of prevalence reduction by considering harm reduction and quantity reduction as well. We close by speculating about some emerging challenges, including the "thizzle" scene and the future of performance enhancing drugs.

Keywords: Drugs, Crime, Addiction

Suggested Citation

MacCoun, Robert and Martin, Karin D., Drug Use and Drug Policy in a Prohibition Regime. UC Berkeley Public Law Research Paper No. 1118460, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1118460 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1118460

Robert MacCoun (Contact Author)

Stanford Law School ( email )

559 Nathan Abbott Way
Stanford, CA 94305-8610
United States
650-721-7031 (Phone)

Karin D. Martin

University of California, Berkeley - The Richard & Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy ( email )

2607 Hearst Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94720-7320
United States

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