In June of 1971, President Richard Nixon officially declared the war on drugs, calling drug abuse "public enemy No. 1" in the United States." What followed during the Reagan administration was the institution of drug policies that would shape the development of a generation, change the way the prison system functions and the start of what many are calling a civil war in Mexico.

In looking back at the 40 years that have transpired since the enactment of more aggressive drug laws, it is easy to see failed policies and it is time we decriminalized illicit drugs.

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