Paul Hager

About the author: Paul Hager is a software engineer and developer in Indianapolis, Indiana and member of the Libertarian Party. His position on the legalization of drugs has been part of his 1996 and 1998 congressional campaigns and his reports to the Indiana Civil Liberties Union.

The U.S. Constitution specifically grants certain powers to the federal government, and all other powers are reserved for the states. No amendment grants the federal government power to restrict drugs, yet the government encourages the myth of rising crime and drug use to justify its interference in these matters. Alcohol and tobacco are more addictive and the consumption of alcohol often promotes violence, yet unlike other drugs, these substances are not prohibited. The attempt to prohibit alcohol during the 1920s and '30s led to an increase in homicides, alcohol use...