by Dirk Chase Eldredge

About the author: Dirk Chase Eldredge is the author of Ending the War on Drugs: A Solution for America.

America’s war on drugs is reminiscent of the Russian princess who wept profusely at the death of the hero in the opera, while, at the curb, her waiting carriage driver froze to death in a cruel Moscow ice storm. Policy makers are deeply preoccupied with waging the war on drugs. While they do, the destructive, albeit unintended, consequences continue to pile up like the icy snows of Moscow.

The world would be a much better place if illicit drugs didn’t exist, but they do, so we must deal with them. Our challenge is to do so in a way that will advance our national interest. Our failed war on drugs is...