Just Dope: The Case for Legalizing All Drugs for a More Just World

“The war on drugs is bullshit,” according to this frank but uneven memoir-cum-manifesto. Calling for the legalization of all drugs, criminal defense attorney Margolin builds her case with a mixture of social history, autobiography, and legal analysis—an immersive if somewhat jumbled approach that finds her hopscotching from the “problematic cocaine habit” she developed in her 20s to her custody battles with her daughter’s father to analyses of the “media frenzy” over “crack babies” in the 1980s and ’90s. Some of Margolin’s best arguments draw on her courtroom experience to reveal how harsh and convoluted drug laws can be, even in states like California, where recreational cannabis sales are permitted. Elsewhere, she contends that negative legal and social consequences prevent people from seeking help for their addictions or calling 911 in the case of overdoses; critiques the abstinence-only messaging of the D.A.R.E. program; and praises the polices of reformers including L.A. County district attorney George Gascon, who has declined to prosecute many low-level crimes, including drug possession. Margolin is an impassioned advocate and a fluid writer, but the thread of her argument frequently gets lost in a mishmash of personal history and broad generalizations. This call for change is more spirited than persuasive. (Aug.)