Alcohol is the main abuse problem in both countries. I write this with a Bloody Mary near at hand and am not in favor of banning alcohol, but the evidence is overwhelming that it's a far more damaging drug than marijuana. Marijuana use may pose some social problems, although they're not as easily documented as those presented by a number of legally prescribed drugs. Lumping marijuana with illegal hard drugs is a continuing absurdity that leads young people to distrust all anti-drug warnings. Yet we continue to waste billions on failed war-fighting scenarios.
Drugs are more available than ever.
Opium production has doubled in the past decade. What madness to continue the current strategy at ever greater human and financial cost. Now we spend eight times more, and they tell us the end is not in sight. The figure is now 400,000, many for personal use, making this one of the largest human rights violations in the world. Yes, because the very idea of jailing people on the basis of personal behavior for a victimless crime represents a basic violation of freedom.