Should All Drugs Be Legalized?: A Primer for the 21st Century

Journalist Busby delivers a brisk and informative introduction to the case for decriminalizing drugs. Contending that when “used judiciously, drugs can induce feelings ranging from ecstasy to serenity, relaxation and calm, while helping people to embrace spiritual and emotional intimacy,” Busby notes that cannabis was first cultivated in China 12,000 years ago and that Indigenous people in Latin America have been chewing cocoa leaves for 8,000 years. Throughout, Busby contends that harsh prohibition policies have “done more to harm people than the drugs themselves.” He alleges that the U.S.-led war on drugs has turned Juárez, Mexico, into a “dystopian nightmare” and fueled violent insurgencies in Afghanistan and Colombia; details the medical and therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, esketamine, ayahuasca, and other psychedelics; and notes that Portugal’s death and HIV infection rates declined rapidly after drugs there were decriminalized in 2001. Though the title is somewhat of a misnomer, as Busby gives short shrift to arguments against decriminalization, he builds a convincing case that the current system is not working. Enriched by vibrant photographs and plenty of statistical and anecdotal evidence, this is an invigorating argument for rethinking humankind’s relationship with mind-altering substances. Illus. (July)