The murder rates generated by today's prohibition, of course, are much higher. The huge profits generated by prohibition are an irresistible temptation to Mexican drug czars, Colombian judges, American soldiers in Panama, police officers, agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and so on. When police officers and border guards arrest people carrying more cash than they'll make in a decade, it's hardly surprising that some of them are persuaded to look the other way. When the government declares 25 million Americans criminals, and still can't enforce the drug laws, it chips away at the respect that underlies all law. It is illegal drugs, not legal products, that are sold on school playgrounds and neighborhood streets.
Drug prohibition destroys the community.
When the most successful people in an inner-city neighborhood are outlaws, the natural order of the community is inverted. The enormous profits generated by prohibition make a mockery of the work ethic and parental authority. Honesty, respect for private property, and all the other hallmarks of a civilized society are casualties of prohibition. We repealed the prohibition of alcohol because it produced crime, corruption, and social chaos. Now we are making the same mistakes and suffering the same consequences.