HOW TO DRAW LINE ON DRUG HANDLING

It seems there are four main ways to handle drugs.

First, there's prohibition - what we do now. It's not working, just
like alcohol prohibition didn't work in the 1920's. Today, it only
funds criminal gangs, murderous Mexican drug cartels, terrorists and
the Taliban, and it corrupts society and distorts our foreign policy.

But there are other options.

We could decriminalize drug possession. Mexico recently did this.
Decriminalization generally keeps drugs illegal, but makes individual
possession or use a civil infraction, like speeding, or outright
legal. Dealers and kingpins would still be subject to criminal penalties.

This method has worked in Portugal since 2001 when all drugs were
decriminalized. And there hasn't been rampant drug tourism or
increases in drug use. In fact, teen drug use has gone down in
Portugal since 2001, according to a CATO Institute (libertarian think
tank in D.C.) study by Portuguese-speaking lawyer, Glenn Greenwald.

We could also do "legalization light." A doctor's prescription might
be required and drugs could be sold in liquor stores or registered
pharmacies. Former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper supports this
idea. Stamper is part of LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition -
which is made up of former police officers, prosecutors and judges who
favor changing America's drug laws. Drug sales could be taxed and ads
for drugs would be illegal under "legalization light."

Finally, there's full legalization. This encompasses the right to free
ingestion, the right to self-medicate, and the right to use drugs
recreationally, like alcohol. There would be low-to-no taxes and no
prescription would be required. Ads would be allowed and retail stores
could sell it. This was the law until 1914 when drugs first became
illegal in America under the Harrison Act.

If we do any of the options outlined contrary to what we do now, then
there's the tricky question of where to draw the line on the
marijuana-to-heroin slippery slope.

So which of the four options do you like? And if you like options two
through four, where do you draw the line? Legalize or decriminalize
just marijuana? Or go all the way and legalize everything? Or
something in between?

Note that another former Seattle Police Chief, Gil Kerlikowske, is now
Pres. Obama's new Drug Czar and he's vowed to stop using the phrase
"war on drugs." And U.S. Senators Jim Webb (D-VA) and Arlen Specter
(D-PA) have proposed a national commission to study drug law reform.
So change may be on the horizon.