BOOK REVIEW: THIS IS YOUR COUNTRY ON DRUGS / BY RYAN GRIM

Ryan Grim's new book starts with a quest to determine why the LSD
supply seemingly vanished in the United States during the early part
of this millennium.

The pursuit of that question allows Grim to weave an engaging
narrative thread through this unconventional account of the U.S. drug war.

Though it is relatively short, the book lives up to its subtitle:
"The Secret History of Getting High in America."

Grim's use of his own personal experience with illegal drugs to help
analyze data about the past, present and future of drug prohibition
makes the book particularly interesting.

Somehow at the same time, the author conveys the sense that he is
reporting as objectively as possible. While he is clearly critical of
the excesses of the drug war (as most objective observers would be),
he also harbors no illusions about a truce being called any time soon.

Patterns get repeated throughout the book: A particular drug gains in
popularity for its positive effects before its negative effects are
widely perceived, leading to prohibition and increased risks in the
black market.

Generally, the author lets the stupidity of the drug war and its
enablers speak for themselves. In a chapter that examines the
CIA-Contra connection to cocaine importation in the mid-1980s, Grim
interviews the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz, perhaps the most
famous press analyst in America.

While Grim clearly asked Kurtz tough questions, Grim doesn't
explicitly pass judgement on Kurtz. However, Kurtz's own answers
suggest that he still fails to understand what happened in that
episode and why it was significant.

Grim, on the other hand, seems to see that story and others for what
they are: Misguided policy decisions that made problems worse instead
of better.

Most people reading this probably already accept that premise.
However, even for the most well-read drug policy observers, "This Is
Your Country on Drugs" offers fresh insights and intriguing details
on a subject that will continue to define America's relationship with
the world, and its own citizens.