Drug prohibition in the United States: costs, consequences, and alternatives.

"Drug legalization" increasingly merits serious consideration as both an analytical model and a policy option for addressing the "drug problem." Criminal justice approaches to the drug problem have proven limited in their capacity to curtail drug abuse. They also have proven increasingly costly and counterproductive. Drug legalization policies that are wisely implemented can minimize the risks of legalization, dramatically reduce the costs of current policies, and directly address the problems of drug abuse.