A criminal prosecutor discusses the illegal drug trade and the failure of the so-called War on Drugs to stop it.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon coined the term War on Drugs. His campaign to eradicate illegal drug use was picked up by the media and championed by succeeding presidents, including Reagan. Canada was a willing ally in this war, and is currently cracking down on drug offences at a time when even the U.S. is beginning to climb down from its reliance on incarceration.
Elsewhere in the world, there has been a sea change. The Global Commission on Drug Policy,...