The focus on illegal drugs gives a false impression that legal drugs are safe and diverts funding away from drug consumer safety education, and treatment for use of all drugs. Slick drug advertisements bombard us with little mention of possible negative effects. Social services are overwhelmed, too often because productive heads of household are in jail for nonviolent drug crimes.
Violent crime increases due to prohibition.
Law enforcement suffers alienation, corruption and loss of cooperation in investigating crime, just as with alcohol prohibition. Civil forfeiture of homes and property affects whole families, especially children. Children are taken from homes because of the presence of small amounts of drugs. Urine testing violates privacy rights. Jobs and licenses are denied based upon urine tests that do not prove use or intoxication on the job.