The international drug trade thrives on the overwhelmingly lucrative nature of the black market. Drug enforcement officials estimate that the international drug trade generates $300 to $400 billion annually. The United States contributes approximately 80 percent of drug traffickers’ income, despite enforcing one of the strictest antidrug policies in the world. Regardless of increases in antidrug funding and staffing, drug use in the United States has steadily increased since 1992, and officials claim that the drug supply increases by about 350 pounds every day. Much debate surrounding the effectiveness of the current war on drugs has led to controversial proposals on how drugs and drug trafficking can be combated.

Many argue that the war on drugs mirrors the alcohol prohibition era at the beginning of the twentieth century and has been just as unsuccessful. According to David D. Boaz, vice president of the Cato Institute...