The War on Drugs- Insanity?

I read a very thought-provoking commentary by CNN writer Jeff Cafferty, who makes a strong case on how the war on drugs is not just unfeasible, but straight up crazy. The government spends $44 billion a year to try and keep an uncontrollable cause under control. A huge percentage of law enforcement is preoccupied with incarcerating people who partake in substances many would call no more destructive than alcohol. That it is illegal gives great economic incentive to drug cartels and criminals. To me, this situation sounds very much like prohibition; a war waged on the pretense of morality that becomes very unattractive once the economy drops. The Great Depression prompted the lift on the illegalization of liquor. Perhaps this economic panic will spur lawmakers to recognize that by legalizing, regulating, and taxing narcotics, they could, according to a Harvard economist Cafferty cites, profit them $33 billion. That would be a turnaround of $77 billion, not to mention a huge blow to criminal organizations who make most of their revenue on narcotics. So I must agree with Cafferty that, while drugs aren't the most pleasant of products, it's insane for the government to put so much effort into ridding the country of them (which is an impossibility) when they could control them. Pure craziness.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/31/cafferty.legal.drugs/index.html